september july american flying ace officially second highest scoring fighter pilot confirmed victories months commander hill said greatest fighter pilots saw described colorful successful aces fought europe german aircraft possibly downing joined instructor training fighter pilots years teaching intelligence duties sent china fight japanese seven months led fighter squadron far ranging independent missions operating advance airfields crude conditions face operation successful japanese movement scored majority kills called administrative flights completed theater requirement combat missions war toured demonstration team flying jets day marrying second wife crashed maneuver died early life born california rural near area described teens attended los_angeles following graduated degree petroleum engineering year earned private pilot license married 1930s fathered son named tommy graduating studied law night working petroleum engineer day joined business advancement joined los_angeles world war working tax consultant american oil company left civilian life joined learn fly fighters combat training posted united_kingdom flew scored kill unconfirmed early returned joined flight instructor florida area months transferred field florida coast work test pilot solve air combat tactical problems colonel hill beach wife witnessed pilot flying dangerous near water hill ordered unknown pilot grounded days penalty fell flying area time days came hill office apologize stunt flying ask rest punishment said stand longer colonel got fly hill thought excellent candidate air combat determined transferred assigned air combat intelligence duties washington february request combat hill request finally satisfied shipped february disembarked chinese soil time divorced wife arrival acquired nickname hair having son school greater age relative pilots ground crew painted small personal fighter aircraft china acknowledging stated german kill verified named aircraft tommy dad honor son initially served provisional scoring aerial victories transferred serving flying gathering weather data north june shot lone fighter kill days later june commander position held february converted flown soon prevailed combat august near flying scored aerial victories ace transitioned august september shot japanese aircraft reported dive bombers probably models instead victories september tally reached victories appreciated ability absorb damage low level combat close support infantry finer work dive bombing skip bombing said time raised rank major july given free command squadron radio sign guerrilla squadron fought japanese forces conducting successful drive consolidate communications rail lines months combat completed required combat sorties time forward officially restricted administrative flights idea administrative flights broad aggressive including weather assessment new pilot training areas japanese aircraft known operating flew observer combat missions scored enemy aircraft aerial victories achieved administrative flights flight september fighter sophisticated airfield china machine guns working properly needed expert attention encountered groups enemy fighters group group lower altitude hostile force half guns working head attack group killing leader aircraft hit repeatedly enemy rounds shattering canopy enemy aircraft joined battle blood deep cuts partially continued damaging fighters probably killing flight leader finally gun stopped working away land safely airfield performance earned purple heart accounts action describe fighting aircraft total high low intelligence officer squadron writes flights protecting unknown number victories japanese aircraft promoted lieutenant colonel february personally flown missions greatly increased morale effectiveness squadron command squadron achieved aerial victories destroyed enemy aircraft ground squadron pilot killed aerial combat postwar commander florida return china venice served training base prisoner war camp told reporter wanted fly expected invasion japan instead japanese surrendered war time teamed major write article entitled planes fight white devil air explanation dangers ice aircraft countered november commander based march field southern_california april formed jet demonstration team flying lockheed shooting star leadership pilots performed coordinated routine thrilled crowds stop including appearance washington named honor bride age married second time july actress new_york_city wedding conducted mission inn riverside california near march field best man served china day assigned command 27th fighter squadron american jet fighter group flying july fatally injured people based march field crashed west flying formation olds crashed dry near del aircraft stalled encore routine finale pair loop land olds narrowly avoided fate new wife witnessed accident year old son tommy rushed aid rescue died shortly nearby naval hospital
John C. "Pappy" Herbst