Kane, John R. (John Riley), 1907-1996

John Riley Kane (January 5, 1907 – May 29, 1996) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force who received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, in World War II. During World War II, he commanded the 98th Bombardment Group, a B-24 Liberator unit, and conducted bombing missions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the 98th in Operation Tidal Wave, a low-altitude attack on oil refineries in Ploieşti, Romania. After the war, he commanded a series of airfields in the U.S. and served a year and a half in North Africa before his retirement.

Kane graduated from Baylor University at Waco, Texas, in 1928, with a BA degree. He entered military service in the Army Air Forces in June 1931 as a cadet and learned to fly at Brooks, Randolph, and Kelly Fields, Texas, receiving his rating and commission a year later. He served for a while at Rockwell and March Fields, Calif., went into the Reserves during 1934 and 1935, and returned to active duty in late 1935, with assignment to Barksdale Field, La., eventually becoming base commander there. By April 1940, he was at MacDill Field, Fla., as adjutant and operations officer, and next went to Lackland AFB, Fla. as a squadron commander.

In July 1942, he went to the Middle East Theater, where he flew 43 combat missions for a total of 250 combat hours in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Colonel Kane commanded the 98th Bomb Group's B-24 Liberators, called the Pyramiders, and his own daring operations caused the Luftwaffe intelligence summaries to dub him "Killer Kane."

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