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40 Insights into the Lives of Famous War Veterans

Khalid Elhassan July 13, 2019 26 min

24. Jimmy Stewart ended up as an Air Force General

In March of 1944, Jimmy Stewart became operations officer for a newly formed bomb group, an assignment that meant he was not required to fly combat missions. However, Stewart sought to inspire and encourage his new unit by personally piloting the lead B-24 on a number of raids deep into the Third Reich, and served as a crewman on other missions. His actions earned him a second Distinguished Flying Cross, a French Croix de Guerre, an Air Medal with three oakleaf clusters, and other decorations. Stewart resumed acting after the war, but served in the Air Force Reserves. In subsequent years, he was certified to pilot B-36 Peacemakers, B-47 Stratojets, and B-52 Stratofortresses. He retired in 1969, with the rank of brigadier general.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.