Gerald Walter Johnson
MilitaryIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Gerald W Johnson was the first Ace pilot of the 56th Fighter Group and the second fighter ace in the European Group. In February 1944, he was promoted to Major and became flight leader of the 63rd Fighter Squadron.
He claimed 18 victories, flew 88 missions and achieved 196 combat hours before being shot down during a strafing mission on 27 March 1944. Johnson was taken Prisoner of War and liberated in May 1945.
Following the War, Johnson remained with the 56th Fighter Group at Selfridge Field, in command of the 62nd Fighter Squadron. He enjoyed a long career with the US Air Force, commanding the 8th Air Force during the Vietnam War and retiring as Inspector General in 1974.
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Lieutenant General.
18 Destroyed-2 Probables-3 Damaged
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Power's Girl Pam
- Unit: 56th Fighter Group 62nd Fighter Squadron 63rd Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 56th Fighter Group 63rd Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: In The Mood- Jackson County Michigan Fighter
- Unit: 56th Fighter Group 61st Fighter Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Holton
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Kingscliffe, Apethorpe
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Owenton, KY, USA | 10 July 1919 | |
Enlisted |
29 September 1942 | ||
Other POW |
Barth, Germany | 27 March 1944 | Stalag Luft I |
Died |
Pinellas County, FL, USA | 9 September 2002 | |
Buried |
2 October 2002 | Cemetery: Arlington National Cemetery Cemetery Address: C/O Director Arlington, VA 22211 Buried At: Section 5 Site 31 |
Revisions
Gerald W Johnson retired as a Lieutenant Gen not a Major General.
Source: Gerald W. Johnson, Jr.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Johnson&GSfn=Gera…;
"Zemke's Wolfpack" Nigel Julian & Peter Randall
Death and burial details taken from http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=johnson&GSfn=gera…;
Merged data from duplicate record to include information from :
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, document/MACR 3443
MACR 3443 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database