John Mitchell (United States Air Force)
| John William Mitchell | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 14, 1915 Enid, Mississippi |
| Died | November 15, 1995 (aged 80) |
| Buried | Golden Gate National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1938–1958 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held |
339th Fighter Squadron 21st Fighter Group Godman Air Force Base 57th Fighter Group 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing Detroit Air Defense Sector |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Navy Cross Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Bronze Star Medal Air Medal (10) |
John William Mitchell (14 July 1915 – 15 November 1995) was an officer of the United States Air Force, a flying ace and the leader of Operation Vengeance, the mission to shoot down Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He served in World War II and the Korean War.
Mitchell was born in Enid, Mississippi to Noah Boothe Mitchell (1881–1967) and Lillian Dickinson Mitchell (1880–1921) on July 14, 1915. He was a valedictorian of his high school class. He graduated at Columbia University with a degree in Economics on 1934. He continued at the University of Chicago, where he obtained his diploma on 1939. He married Anne Lee, during the confusing weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
He enlisted in the United States Army on April 9, 1934, and after completing basic training he served with the Coast Artillery Corps at Fort Ruger, Hawaii from July 1934 to September 8, 1938. Mitchell was selected to attend the Aviation Cadet Program, and entered training on November 10, 1939, receiving his commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Corps and his pilot wings on July 26, 1940.
He flew as a P-40 Warhawk pilot with the 55th Fighter Squadron of the 20th Fighter Group from August 1940 to January 1942. He was with the 70th Pursuit Squadron, stranded near Charlotte, North Carolina during the Attack on Pearl Harbor, due to a malfunctioning P-40. On his arrival at the 70th FS base at Hamilton Field, he learned that most of the experienced men of the squadron had been sent to Java, to try to stem the Japanese onslaught. But, most of them were killed or captured by the Japanese.
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