John R. Alison

John Richardson Alison
John R. Alison
Gathering of Eagles 2004 Lithograph
Nickname(s)Johnny
Born(1912-11-21)November 21, 1912
Micanopy, Florida, U.S.
DiedJune 6, 2011(2011-06-06) (aged 98)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Buried
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army Air Forces
United States Air Force Reserve
Years of service1936–1972
RankMajor general
Unit51st Fighter Group
23rd Fighter Group
Commands75th Fighter Squadron
1st Air Commando Group
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart
Air Medal (2)
Other workAssistant Secretary of Commerce
Senior Vice President, Northrop

John Richardson Alison (November 21, 1912 – June 6, 2011)[1] was a highly decorated American combat ace of World War II and is often cited as the father of Air Force Special Operations.[2]

  1. ^ Dennis Hevesi (June 9, 2011). "John R. Alison, 98, Ace Fighter Pilot in World War II, Dies". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference GOE_Bio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).