Chesley G. Peterson
| Chesley G. Peterson | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Pete |
| Born |
August 10, 1920 Salmon, Idaho |
| Died | January 28, 1990 (aged 69) Riverside, California |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1937–1939, 1942–1970 |
| Rank |
 Major General
|
| Commands held |
No. 71 Squadron RAF 4th Fighter Group 137th Fighter Bomber Group 48th Fighter Bomber Wing 8th Tactical Fighter Wing |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Legion of Merit Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters Purple Heart British Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross (British) French Legion of Honor |
Major General Chesley G. Peterson (August 10, 1920–January 28, 1990) was a career officer in the United States Air Force. He was a fighter pilot in the European theater in World War II who remained in the military after the war. Peterson is best known for his time as the commander of the famous 4th Fighter Group during 1942–1943.
Peterson was born in Idaho, but moved to Utah in his childhood. He joined the Utah National Guard in 1937. In 1939, he joined the Army Air Corps and was selected for air cadet training, but was dismissed before graduation from flight school. He moved to Los Angeles after being dropped from flight school and was working at Douglas Aircraft when he became interested in flying for the Royal Air Force (RAF), who were at that time recruiting Americans to fight the Germans.
Peterson arrived in England in late 1940 and was assigned to No. 71 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. No. 71 Squadron was one of the three Eagle squadrons made of volunteer American pilots. The Americans would fly Hurricanes and Spitfires against the Luftwaffe. In time, he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant, and given command of No. 71 Squadron. Flt. Lt. Peterson completed 42 missions while flying with the RAF. When he was given command of No. 71 Squadron, he was only 21 years old and the youngest squadron commander in the RAF.
In 1942, Peterson accepted a transfer to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) along with the rest of the Eagle Squadron members. He was assigned to the 4th Fighter Group as the executive officer and as a major. Later he would be promoted to colonel at the age of 23, and became the youngest colonel in the USAAF.
When Peterson first joined the 4th Fighter Group, they were assigned the P-47 Thunderbolt, which was a radical change from the Spitfires the Eagle Squadron pilots had flown. While flying a P-47 over the English Channel, Peterson was forced to bail out at 500 feet (150 m) above the water. His parachute failed, but miraculously Peterson survived both the fall and the dangerous Channel waters.
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