John S. Loisel
| John Simon Loisel | |
|---|---|
Col. John S. Loisel (then Maj.)
|
|
| Born |
May 21, 1920 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
| Died | January 20, 2010 (aged 89) Plano, Texas |
| Place of burial | Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1941–1970 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held |
432d Fighter Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards |
Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross (4) Air Medal (9) |
| Other work | High School Physics teacher |
432d Fighter Squadron
475th Fighter Group
63d Fighter Squadron
474th Fighter Bomber Group
Colonel John Simon Loisel (May 21, 1920 – January 20, 2010) was an American air ace, credited with having shot down 11 Japanese aircraft during World War II. Loisel was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and joined the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in 1941. By age 25, Loisel had spent more time in combat than any other American pilot in World War II, with over three years in the Pacific. Serving in the Pacific he quickly distinguished himself by first becoming an ace after achieving five kills in just a two-month period, and then becoming a double ace.
He became a career Air Force officer. Loisel commanded Fighter Groups in both World War II and Korea, along with several peacetime commands. He retired from the Air Force as a colonel. Following his military career, Loisel taught high school physics for 15 years in the Plano Independent School District, Plano, Texas. He died of natural causes at age 89 in 2010 in Plano.
Loisel was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on May 21, 1920 and moved with his family to Norfolk, Nebraska by 1922. His parents, Simon M. and Lucille Loisel were first-generation Americans of French-Canadian parents. The elder Loisel worked as a commercial traveler in the lumber industry. Simon Loisel did well enough to keep a live-in servant and to reside in an expensive house for the time. Prior to John being born, Lucille Loisel had been employed as a teacher at a Catholic school in Coeur d'Alene. John Loisel was the eldest child, with six younger brothers and two sisters.
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