Recipients of the Air Medal

César_Luis_González

First Lieutenant César Luis González (June 10, 1919 – November 22, 1943) was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Gonzalez was the first Puerto Rican pilot in the United States Army Air Forces, one of the first to participate in the July 1943 invasion of Sicily, and the first Puerto Rican pilot to die in World War II. His name is listed on the "Roll of Honor" of the 314th Troop Carrier Group World War II and his hometown Adjuntas and the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan, have honored his memory by naming a street after him.

Richard_E._Cavazos

Richard Edward Cavazos (January 31, 1929 – October 29, 2017) was a United States Army 4-star general. He was a Korean War recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross as a first lieutenant and advanced in rank to become the United States Army's first Hispanic four-star general. During the Vietnam War, as a lieutenant colonel, Cavazos was awarded a second Distinguished Service Cross. In 1976, Cavazos became the first Mexican-American to reach the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army. Cavazos served for 33 years, with his final command as head of the United States Army Forces Command. On May 25, 2022, The Naming Commission recommended that Fort Hood be renamed to Fort Cavazos, in recognition of Gen. Cavazos' military service. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the renaming on October 6, 2022. The re-designation as Fort Cavazos occurred on May 9, 2023.

Carlos_Talbott

Carlos Maurice Talbott (January 28, 1920 – February 26, 2015) was a United States Air Force officer who attained the rank of lieutenant general and was vice commander in chief of the Pacific Air Forces, headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base.

John_W._Roberts

John Wendell Roberts (January 1, 1921 – January 8, 1999) was a United States Air Force general and commander of the Air Training Command with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. He had a bachelor of science degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato and a master's degree from The George Washington University. He was also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the National War College.

George_H._McKee

Lieutenant General George H. McKee (April 28, 1923 – January 6, 2015) was an American Air Force lieutenant general and command pilot who was commander of Air Training Command with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

James_A._Hill

General James Arthur Hill (October 23, 1923 – October 1, 2010) was a four-star general in the United States Air Force (USAF) who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
Hill was born in 1923 in Lancaster, Ohio. Orphaned at sixteen, he graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1940 and attended Ohio State University in 1942. He was inducted into the United States Army in January 1943 and through aviation cadet training received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in February 1944. He subsequently qualified in multi-engine aircraft.
During World War II, Hill flew 31 European Theater combat missions in the B-24 Liberator bomber while assigned to the 566th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group. After the war, he served at various bases in the United States until 1949 when he was called upon to fly C-54 Skymaster aircraft in the Berlin Airlift.
In October 1949 he was assigned to the Air Training Command at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where he served as a basic training squadron commander, and later as executive officer in the U.S. Air Force Preflight Training School.
In April 1955 he was assigned to the Far East Air Forces, initially as an operations officer with the 483d Troop Carrier Wing and in May 1956 as chief of current operations for the 315th Air Division at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan.
Hill returned to the United States in June 1958 to fill a number of different positions in the Western Transport Air Force (now Twenty-Second Air Force) at Travis Air Force Base, California. From August 1960 to July 1961, he attended the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, after which he was assigned to Headquarters USAF, Washington, D.C., as an operations staff officer in the Plans and Capabilities Branch of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. In July 1964 he became deputy assistant director for joint matters in the Directorate of Operations.
From July 1965 to August 1966, he served as deputy commander for operations, 1502d Air Transport Wing (redesignated the 61st Military Airlift Wing) at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.
In September 1966 Hill was assigned to Headquarters Military Airlift Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois as the director of current operations and later as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations. In July 1968 he was reassigned to Travis Air Force Base as the commander, 60th Military Airlift Wing. In March 1970 he returned to Headquarters Military Airlift Command as deputy chief of staff for operations.
Hill returned to the Pentagon in March 1971 as deputy director of programs. He became the director in December 1971; was assigned as assistant deputy chief of staff, programs and resources in May 1974; and assigned duties as deputy chief of staff, programs and resources in July 1974. In June 1977 Hill became commander in chief, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base.
Hill assumed duties as vice chief of staff on July 1, 1978, and was promoted to the grade of general on July 10, 1978. He retired from the United States Air Force on February 29, 1980.
He died on October 1, 2010, after a long battle with myelodysplastic syndrome.He was rated a command pilot. His military decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters.

Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters

John_Reiley_Guthrie

John Reiley Guthrie (December 20, 1921 – May 25, 2009) was a United States Army four-star general who served as commanding general, United States Army Development and Research Command (DARCOM) from 1977 to 1981. In the 1980s, DARCOM was renamed United States Army Materiel Command.