Brigadier General James Howell Howard

Brigadier General James Howell Howard. . General Howard was the only fighter pilot awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic combat flying in the European Theater of Operations during World War II., While flying his P-51 on a bomber escort mission near Berlin in 1944, he found himself alone in the defense of the bomber formation. For more than 30 minutes, he fought some 30 German fighters that were attacking the Flying Fortresses. During this engagement, which witnesses called the greatest display of combat flying ever seen, he shot down at least four enemy aircraft. No B-17s were lost, and his own aircraft received only one hit., He became the first fighter ace in both the European and Pacific Theaters. He retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Brigadier General in 1966., (caption) , Photos of General Howard, courtesy of Gene Lamar