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![]() Douglas A/B-26 Invader Legacy - Brothers in arms |
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Edward
(Jerry) Gerald Bishop Colonel,
USAF (Ret) Graham,
Texas Colonel Jerry Bishop, USAF Retired, entered the US Army Air Corps in September 1942 as an Aviation
Cadet in reserve status waiting for an opening to enter pilot training. That call came in March 1943 with graduation in January
1944. B-25 transition training and A-20 combat crew training were next with follow-on assignment to the 4 16th Bomb Group,
9th Air Force at Melun, France, just south of Paris. He transitioned to the A-26 Invader at Melun and had flown 42 combat
missions when the war in Europe ended. He was enroute to the US for a major modification replacing the canopy on the Invader
with orders to proceed to the China, Burma, India Theater of Operations (CBI) when WWII ended. He was released from active
duty to reserve status and returned home in September 1945. Colonel Bishop was recalled to active duty in 1951 for B-26 Night Intruder duty flying 52 combat missions and served
as combat crew training officer and night combat operations officer. After returning from Korea he served in a number of support
flying functions and in the Avionics and Electronic Warthre maintenance business. He also served as Electronics Staff Officer
at HQ Strategic Air Command and HQ USAF. Recalled to aircrew duty flying the C-141 Starlifler in support of the Vietnam War, Jerry was assigned
to Dover AFB, Delaware. After a brief tour of duty in the C-141 he was transferred to the C-7A conversion program which transferred
the C-7 Caribou from the Army to the Air Force. He flew 810 sorties in South Vietnam in direct support of the 5th Special
Forces Green Berets and the 3rd Marine Amphibious Force. On return from Following retirement he worked for Lockheed Aircraft in Tehran, Iran under a U.S. Government contract
to develop a wholesale logistics depot supply and maintenance system for the Imperial Iranian Air Force until all Americans
were forced to leave Iran when the Shah abdicated power in the uprising of 1979. Jerry returned home to Graham, Texas and worked in the family oil business until his second retirement
in December of 1998. Flight Information Aircraft
Operationally Flown Trainer Aircraft Utility Aircraft Cargo
Aircraft Fighter
Aircraft Bomber
Aircraft Attack
Aircraft Awards
and Decorations Training Alabama Mississippi Ohio August 1977: Retired
from the US Air Force, Wright Patterson MB, Ohio
And
his first Son........ Colonel
Gerald Knox Bishop served over 25 ½ years active duty in the United States Air Force. During his career Col. Bishop served
as a Command Pilot; and as a planner, programmer, wargame & systems analyst, and congressional actions advisor at Major
Air Command and HQ Air Force levels. He has also served
as Exec to the Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command (who also functioned
as the Joint Chiefs of Staff ‘s Director of Strategic Target Planning, responsible for the nuclear war plans of our
country). In his career he participated in the planning of the full range of issues from national
nuclear policy and arms control to Air Force-wide mission area analyses Air Force war fighting
force structure and its supporting systems and the programming, budgeting & congressional support
planning they required. He was intimately involved for over 25 years with our
most advanced technologies, from stealth bombers & cruise missiles, to advanced ballistic missile and space
systems, including third generation trans-atmospheric vehicles. He served as Vice Commander of the 384th Bomb Wing flying
B-1Bs & KC-135Rs at McConnell AFB, Col. Bishop's flying experience includes over 3,000 flying
hours in 10 different aircraft For 489 days during 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973, he flew
119 combat missions in Southeast Asia in the B-52, including the "Eleven Day War" over He helped plan and analyze the effectiveness of strike
and support sorties for the first Gulf War. He has also served as president of four different Aircraft
Safety Investigation Boards. Following retirement from active duty, he served as the
Curator of The Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field for 10 ½ years. He also served as Operations Director for the
FINA Dallas Airshow at Dallas Love Field for 8 years. He retired from there in July 2004 and now volunteers there once a week
while residing full time in He has owned & flown a Cessna 182 and still enjoys
actively flying his own 1947 Navion. Col. Bishop's civilian educational background includes
a BA in Government from The His military education includes: He has published aviation history articles for the "Journal”
of the International Plastic Modelers Society since 1966, and has published military history articles in "Campaigns" magazine
as well. He taught the history of aviation for He currently also ranks as a Brigadier General in The
American Volunteer Reserve, serving as the Texas Commander of AVR units which provide military funeral honors for deceased
veterans throughout the North Texas area. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Becky, of
Graham, Texas, and they have two married adult daughters, and three grand children. His interests include
flying, aircraft history, illustration and model making. He enjoys teaching, having
taught aircraft systems & operational tactics as an Instructor Pilot in the Air Force, Adult Bible study in his church,
high school & college level history, and college level aviation history &
business personnel management.
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