James Bruce Morehead (August 16, 1916 – March 11, 2012) was an American fighter pilot and

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

of World War II. He flew combat missions over a three-year span of the war with a total of eight aerial victories. He was awarded two Distinguished Service Crosses, a Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and sixteen

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

Early life

Morehead was born on August 16, 1916, in

Paoli, Oklahoma Paoli ( ) is a town in Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 610 at the 2010 census. It was named after Paoli, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community near Philadelphia from which many of the railroad workers who built the ...

Military career

World War II

At the initial outbreak of hostilities, Morehead was recovering from injuries sustained by a mid air collision. In late December after recovery, he joined pilots and support personnel in San Francisco, aboard the USS ''President Polk'''','' ordered to be sent to the Philippines, but instead diverted to port in Brisbane, Australia as the Japanese threaten the Dutch East Indies and Australia. He destroyed three enemy aircraft on February 25, 1942 and was awarded his first

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

for that mission. On April 25, 1942, he destroyed two more enemy aircraft, earning him the flying ace status. During this time he was credited with the destruction of 7 Japanese aircraft in aerial combat. He received the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the Pacific Theater. He received a second Distinguished Service Cross and an additional Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the

European Theater The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...

. His aerial victories during World War II consisted of 8 enemy planes destroyed in the air and 1 damaged. Of his kills, 7 were attained while flying P-40 and one was attained while flying P-38. His book "In my sights" is a candid, honest, brave story of the few who survived the terrible aerial battles against the Zeros in the Southwest Pacific.

Aerial Victory credits

Later life

In 1999 he was inducted into the American Combat Airman Hall of Fame. Morehead died on March 11, 2012. He is buried with full military honors at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Awards and decorations

His awards and decorations include:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morehead, James B. 1916 births 2012 deaths American World War II flying aces Aviators from Oklahoma Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II People from Garvin County, Oklahoma Military personnel from Oklahoma United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War Burials at Arlington National Cemetery American expatriates in Taiwan Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)