Hilger, John A. (John Allen), 1909-1982

John Allen Hilger (b. 1909, Sherman, Tex.-d. Feb. 3, 1982), U.S. Air Force officer, began his military career in the Infantry Reserve after graduating from college in 1932, and received his pilot's wings in 1934. During the years of the Second World War, he was commander, 89th Reconnaissance Squadron flying anti-submarine patrols; deputy commander and pilot with the famed Doolittle mission, participating in the raid on Tokyo; commander, Chinese-American bomb group in the China-Burma-India theater of operations; and special plans officer on the staff of Admiral Nimitz in the Western Pacific. Later he was commander, 307th Bomb Wing, based in Okinawa during the Korean Conflict. He served as commander, U.S. Air Force Group, Joint U.S. Military Mission for Aid to Turkey from 1957 to 1959; chief of staff, Allied Air Forces Northern Europe (NATO) in Norway from 1959 to 1961; and chief of staff, Air Training Command. He retired in 1966.