Gerald W. Johnson

Gerald Walter Johnson (July 10, 1919 – September 9, 2002) was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force and a World War II flying ace. Enlisting in 1941, Johnson served as a fighter pilot in Europe, and was credited with shooting down 16.5 enemy aircraft before being shot down himself and taken prisoner. After the war, he continued his military career rising to command several fighter and bomber wings during the 1950s and 60s. He commanded the Eighth Air Force for a period during the Vietnam War, and retired in 1974 after serving as Inspector General of the Air Force.