John William Mitchell (June 14, 1914 – November 15, 1995) was an officer of the United States Air Force, a flying ace and the leader of Operation Vengeance, the mission to shoot down Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. He served in World War II and the Korean War.

Early life Mitchell was born in Enid, Mississippi to Noah Boothe Mitchell (1881–1967) and Lillian Dickinson Mitchell (1880–1921) on June 14, 1914. Mitchell was a valedictorian of his high school class. He graduated at Columbia University with a degree in Economics on 1934 and continued at the University of Chicago, where he obtained his diploma on 1939.

Mitchell married Anne Lee Miller, during the weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Military career Mitchell enlisted in the United States Army on April 9, 1934, and after completing basic training he served with the Coast Artillery Corps at Fort Ruger, Hawaii from July 1934 to September 8, 1938. Mitchell was selected to attend the Aviation Cadet Program, and entered training on November 10, 1939, receiving his commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps and his pilot wings on July 26, 1940.

World War II Mitchell flew as a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk pilot with the 55th Fighter Squadron of the 20th Fighter Group from August 1940 to January 1942. He was with the 70th Pursuit Squadron, stranded near Charlotte, North Carolina during the attack on Pearl Harbor, due to a malfunctioning P-40.

After re-organizing, and training new recruits as well as possible, Mitchell and the members of the 70th Fighter Squadron embarked for Fiji on Jan. 20, 1942. They were given the new aircraft, the Bell P-39 Airacobra. Landing at the harbor of Suva, the men of the 70th FS began to struggle with their P-39s in the tropical downpours and mud of Fiji. On October 5, Mitchell and eight of his pilots were detached from the 70th FS for duty on Guadalcanal with the 339th Fighter Squadron of 347th Fighter Group.

Flying the P-39 Airacobra, Mitchell had shot down three Japanese planes by early November. Later that month, he was promoted to major and commanding officer of the 339th Fighter Squadron. The arrival of the first P-38 Lightnings overshadowed his promotion. The 339th FG became the first squadron in the South Pacific to operate the twin engine fighter and began flying combat missions, which began inflicting even higher losses on the Japanese. While flying the P-38 Lightning, Mitchell shot down five Japanese planes, making him a flying ace.

Operation Vengeance

Back in Hawaii, on April 14, the American code-breakers intercepted the message detailing Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's itinerary. The decoded and translated message made its way to Washington DC, back to Admiral Nimitz in Hawaii, then to Admiral Halsey on New Caledonia, and to Admiral Mitscher on Guadalcanal. All levels approved the shoot-down mission, and Mitscher assigned it to Mitchell, who plotted a roundabout approach, far from other islands, to minimize the chance that observers would warn the enemy of the attack.

Overnight at Henderson Field, ground crews fitted large new fuel tanks under the wings of the P-38Gs. By dawn on April 18, 18 aircraft were ready. Mitchell's last instructions before the 07:00 take-off were to maintain radio silence. The flight proceeded northwest at wave-top level to avoid Japanese spotters, sweeping widely away from New Georgia. Mitchell tried to hold the planes at thirty feet; with only the ocean below, depth perception was almost non-existent. By 08:00, the P-38s were 285 miles from the planned interception. At that minute, Admiral Yamamoto's G4M Betty bomber took off from Rabaul, on time for his scheduled 10:00 arrival at Bougainville. His entourage, including his chief of staff, Admiral Matome Ugaki, was aboard two other G4M Betty bombers, and the bomber flight was escorted by six A6M Zeros.

At 08:20, the P-38s changed their heading for the first time, swinging slightly to the north. Half an hour later, when abreast of Vella Lavella, they made their second planned course change, again shifting a little more to the north. At 09:00, Mitchell made their last change, heading northeast, directly toward the coast of Bougainville, only 40 miles away. He also began the slow climb for altitude at this point. At 09:34 Doug Canning called out "Bogeys, eleven o'clock high." The P-38 pilots jettisoned their drop tanks and attacked. Holmes and Hine had trouble with their tanks; Lanphier, at least initially, headed for the escort flight, while Barber engaged the Japanese bombers. All the other P-38Gs followed their instructions to fly cover against the Zero fighters.

Both Thomas G. Lanphier and Rex Barber claimed one bomber shot down over the jungles of Bougainville. Besby Holmes claimed another shot down over the water a few minutes later. From Japanese records and survivors, among them Admiral Ugaki, the following facts are certain: only two G4M Betty bombers were attacked; Yamamoto's was shot down over Bougainville with no survivors; the second went into the ocean and Admiral Ugaki was among the three survivors. The day following the attack, a Japanese search party located the wreckage, including Yamamoto's body, which they ceremonially cremated.

Post mission

After the mission, Mitchell served a tour with Headquarters Army Air Forces from June to December 1943. His total score in Guadalcanal was eight enemy planes destroyed. Then he was assigned to the 412th Fighter Group, where he served from December 1943 to April 1945. Mitchell flew Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes as an observer in England in April and May 1945.

He next served the 15th Fighter Group based in Iwo Jima from May to June 1945. He flew North American P-51 Mustangs in very long-range (VLR) missions over Japan and shot down one enemy aircraft. He subsequently served as deputy commander and then commander of the 21st Fighter Group, where he served from July to October 1945. While serving with the 21st FG, he was credited with two more enemy planes destroyed in VLR missions over Japan.

Mitchell was credited with destroying a total of 11 enemy aircraft in aerial combat during World War II.

Post war After United States Army Air Forces became United States Air Force, Mitchell was assigned as director of training and operations at Keesler Field, Mississippi, from February 1946 to August 1947. He attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama from August 1947 to June 1948, and then served as base commander at Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky, from June 1948 to July 1949. Mitchell served with the 63d Fighter Wing at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, from July 1949 to November 1950, and then served as commander of the 57th Fighter Interceptor Group at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, from November 1950 to June 1952.

Korean War

Mitchell served again during the Korean War, assuming command of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing from Colonel Gabby Gabreski in June 1952. Stationed at Suwon Air Base in South Korea, he flew 110 missions in the North American F-86 Sabre and shot down four MiG-15 aircraft. As the commanding officer of the 51st FIW, Mitchell faced the additional challenge of addressing the "flight suit" mentality prevalent among his pilots—a culture characterized by a strong sense of self-confidence and pride, bordering on arrogance, where status was determined by flying ability rather than academic qualifications, rank, or traditional officer skills. This issue came to a critical point when Lt. Col. Edwin L. Heller, commander of the 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, was shot down on the Chinese side of the Yalu River. As Robert F. Dorr describes it in his book Korean War Aces:

"Mitchell was madder than any colonel the pilot had ever seen"

Mitchell and Lt Gen. Glenn O. Barcus, the commanding general of Fifth Air Force, made a lot of personnel changes and even attempted to strip one pilot, Capt. Dolphin Overton, of his flying ace status.

Post war After serving in Korea, Mitchell served with the 28th Air Division at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii from June 1953 to July 1956. Mitchell's final assignment was as commander of the Detroit Air Defense Sector at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan from July 1957 until his retirement from the Air Force on July 31, 1958.

Mitchell flew 240 combat missions in World War II and Korean War, and was credited with 15 aerial victories together in the two wars.

Later life Mitchell died on November 15, 1995, at the age of 81. He was buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery on November 30.

Aerial victory credits Chronicle of aerial victories Date # Type Location Aircraft flown Unit AssignedOctober 9, 19421Mitsubishi F1MHenderson Field, Solomon IslandsP-39 Airacobra339 FS, 347 FGOctober 23, 19421 Mitsubishi A6M ZeroTulagi, Solomon IslandsP-39 Airacobra339 FS, 347 FGNovember 7, 19421 Nakajima A6M2-NSanta Isabel Island, Solomon IslandsP-39 Airacobra339 FS, 347 FGJanuary 5, 19431Nakajima A6M2-NBougainville Island, Solomon IslandsP-38 Lightning339 FS, 347 FGJanuary 27, 19432A6M ZeroCape Esperance, Solomon IslandsP-38 Lightning339 FS, 347 FGJanuary 29, 19431Nakajima Ki-27Guadalcanal, Solomon IslandsP-38 Lightning339 FS, 347 FGFebruary 2, 19431Nakajima A6M2-NShortland Islands, Solomon IslandsP-38 Lightning339 FS, 347 FGJune 26, 19451A6M ZeroKiso, JapanP-51 Mustang15 FG HqJuly 16, 19452Kawanishi N1KTsu, JapanP-51 Mustang21 FG HqJanuary 21, 19531MiG-15North KoreaF-86 Sabre51 FW HqMarch 9, 19531MiG-15North KoreaF-86 Sabre51 FW HqApril 11, 19531MiG-15Uiju County, North KoreaF-86 Sabre51 FW HqMay 15, 19531MiG-15North KoreaF-86 Sabre51 FW Hq SOURCES: Air Force Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II and Air Force Historical Study 81: USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, Korean War, Freeman 1993

Awards and decorations Mitchell's decorations include:

USAF Command PilotDistinguished Service CrossNavy CrossLegion of MeritDistinguished Flying Crosswith 2 bronze oak leaf clustersBronze StarAir Medalwith 1 silver and 3 bronze oak leaf clustersAir Medal(second ribbon required for accouterment spacing)Army Commendation MedalAir Force Presidential Unit CitationNavy Presidential Unit Citationwith 1 service starAmerican Defense Service MedalAmerican Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medalwith 4 bronze campaign starsWorld War II Victory MedalArmy of Occupation Medalwith 'Japan' claspNational Defense Service MedalKorean Service Medalwith 3 bronze campaign starsAir Force Longevity Service Awardwith 1 silver oak leaf clusterArmed Forces Reserve Medal Republic of Korea Presidential Unit CitationUnited Nations Korea MedalRepublic of Korea War Service Medal

Distinguished Service Cross

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