This person is listed on the Young County Service Roster Page in the original mid-1940's publication, "Men and Women In The Armed Forces From Young County Texas". Additional information about this veteran was submitted by his family and we thank them for this contribution.

Colonel Jerry Bishop, USAF Retired, entered the US Army Air Corps in September 1942 as an Aviation Cadet in reserve status waiting for an opening to enter pilot training.  That call came in March 1943 with graduation in January 1944. B25 transition training and A-20 combat crew training were next with follow-on assignment to the 416th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force at Melun, France, just south of Paris.  He transitioned to the A-26 Invader at Melun and had lown 42 combat missions when the war in Europe ended.  He was enroute to the US for a major modification replacing the canopy on the Invader with orders to proceed to the China, Burma, India Theater of Operations (CBI) when WWII ended.  He was released from active duty to reserve status and returned home in September 1945.

Colonel Bishop was recalled to active duty in 1951 for B-26 Night Intruder duty flying 52 combat missions and served as combat crew training officer and night combat operations officer.  After returning from Korea, he served in a number of support flying functions and in Avionics and Electronic Warthre maintenance business.  He also served as Electronics Staff Officer at HQ Strategic Air Command and HQ USAF.

Recalled to aircrew duty flying the C-141 Sarlifler in support of the Vietnam War, Jerry was assigned to Dover AFB Delaware.  After a brief tour of duty in the C-141 he was transferred to the C-7A conversion program which transferred the C-7 Caribou from the Army to the Air Force.  He flew 810 sorties in South Vietnam in direct support of the 5th Special Forces Green Berets and the 3rd Marine Amphibious Force.  On return from Vietnam, Colonel Bishop continued in the Mainenance Engineering and Acquisition Logistics career field as Director of material management at the San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly AFB, Texas and at HQ Air Force Logistics Command until his retirement from the Air Force in July 1977.

Following retirement he worked for Lockheed Aircraft in Tehran, Iran under a U. S. Government contract to develop a wholesale logistics depot supply and maintenance system for the Imperial Iranian Air Force until all Americans were forced to leave Iran when the Shah abdicated power in the uprising of 1979.

Jerry returned home to Graham, Texas and worked in the family oil business until his second retirement in December of 1998.

 Flight Information:

Rating:  Command Pilot

Flight Hours:  4,654

Combat Hours:  668

Combat Missions:  904

 Aircraft Operationally Flown

 Trainer Aircraft

PT-13 Kaydet

BT-13 Valiant

AT-6 Texan

T-29 “Flying Classroom”

T-33 Shooting Star

T-39 Saberline

 Utility Aircraft

UC-78 Bobcat or the “Bamboo Bomber”

 Cargo Aircraft

C-45 Expediter

C-141 Starlifter

C-7 Caribou (Tactical Combat Airlift)

 Fighter Aircraft

F-86H Saber

 Bomber Aircraft

B-25 Mitchell

B-26 Invader

 Attack Aircraft

A-20 Havoc

A-26 Invader

 Awards and Decorations:

Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster

Distinguished Flying Cross

Meritorious Service Medal

Air Medal with 9 oak leaf clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster

World War II Victory Medal

Presidential Unit Citation with 2 oak leaf clusters

National Defense Service Medal with Battle Star

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 2 oak leaf clusters

European, African, Middle East Campaign with 3 oak leaf clusters

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

Korean Service Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters

Vietam Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm

 Training

 1944 Army Air Force West Coast Pilot Training Command (AAFWCPTC) Undergraduate Pilot Training

1944 United States Air Force Flight School (USAFFS) B-25 Transition School; Mather Field, California

1944 A-20 Combat Crew School; Florence, South Carolina

1944 A-26 Combat Crew school; Melun, France

1953 Air Command & Staff School (AC&SS) , Air University (AU) Squadron Officer Course; Maxwell AFB,

Alabama

1954 United States Air Force Technical School (USAFTS) Air Electronics Officer Course; Keesler MB,

Mississippi

1959 Communications Electronics Staff Officer Course; Keesler MB, Mississippi

1963 University of Omaha Business Management course (2 years); Offutt MB, Nebraska

1966 C-141 Pilot Training; Tinker MB, Oklahoma

1966 CV-2 I C-7 Combat Crew Training; Ft Benning, Georgia

1966 Advanced Survival Training; South East Asian Theater; Philippines

1966 Jungle Survival School; Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)

1971 Ballistic Missile Staff Course; Washington, DC

1976 Labor Management Relations For Executives; Kelly MB, Texas

Assignments

September 1942: Army Air Corps Reserve

March 1943: Pilot Training (AAFWCPTC)

October 1944: 416 Bomb Group, France

September 1945: Air Force Reserve; Graham, Texas

February 1951: A-26 Refresher course, Langley MB, Virginia

June 1951: 452nd Bomb Group, Pusan AB, Korea

May 1952: Instructor Pilot, Reese MB, Texas

August 1952: Mission Pilot, Harlingen MB, Texas

July 1953: Student, Squadron Officers School, Maxwell MB, Alabama

October 1953: Mission Pilot, Harlingen MB, Texas

June 1954: Student Airborne Electronics Officer, Keesler MB, Mississippi

May 1955: Electronics Officer, Cannon AFB, New Mexico

March 1956: Electronics Maintenance Officer, Laon MB, France

October 1956: Communications Officer, 38th Field Maintenance Squadron, Laon MB, France

July 1959: Student Communications Staff Officer, Keesler AFB, Mississippi

March 1960: Electronics Maintenance Officer, Lockbourne MB, Ohio

July 1962: Electronics Staff Officer, Hq SAC, Offiitt AFB, Nebraska

April 1966: C-141 Pilot Training, Tinker MB, Oklahoma

May 1966: C-141 Pilot, Dover MB, Delaware

October 1966: C-7 Pilot Training, Ft. Benning, Georgia

November 1966: C-7 Pilot, Phu Cat AB, Vietnam

November 1967: Joint Task Force II, Sandia Base New Mexico

August 1968: Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS) Systems and Logistics, Hq USM Pentagon, Washington, DC

September 1972: Hq Air Force Logistics Command (MLC), Electronics Staff Officer, Wright Patterson MB,

Ohio

March 1974: Director of Material Management, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly MB, Texas

July 1977: Chief of Stafi Air Force Acquisition Logistics Division, Wright Patterson MB, Ohio

August 1977: Retired from the US Air Force, Wright Patterson MB, Ohio