1923 births

Giovanni_Testori

Giovanni Testori (Novate Milanese, 12 May 1923 – Milan, 16 March 1993) was an Italian writer, journalist, poet, art and literary critic, dramatist, screenplay writer, theatrical director and painter.

Charles_Howard_Roan

Private First Class Charles Howard Roan (August 16, 1923 – September 18, 1944) was a United States Marine who sacrificed his life to save those of four fellow Marines in the landing on Peleliu during World War II. For his heroism, he posthumously received his nation's highest military honor – the Medal of Honor.
On July 21, 1945, in a simple presentation ceremony on the Armstrong County Courthouse lawn, Mrs. Lillabel Roan, of Claude, Texas, accepted the Medal of Honor posthumously awarded her son, Pfc. Charles Howard Roan, USMCR.

Hector_Laing,_Baron_Laing_of_Dunphail

Hector Laing, Baron Laing of Dunphail, (12 May 1923 – 21 June 2010) was a British businessman.
The son of Hector Laing Sr and Margaret Norrie Grant was educated at the Loretto School in Musselburgh and Jesus College, Cambridge. Laing served as a tank commander in the Scots Guards between 1942 and 1947, and reached the rank of a Captain. He was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the US Bronze Star during campaign in France in 1944–45.Laing followed his father, and grandfather Sir Alexander Grant, inventor of the digestive biscuit, into the McVitie & Price biscuit business and in 1947 became a director. The company merged to form United Biscuits, and Laing became managing director in 1964 and served as chairman from 1972 to 1990.From 1973 to 1991, Laing was Director of the Bank of England. He was Director of the Exxon Corporation from 1984 to 1994.
Laing married Marian Clare, daughter of John Emilius Laurie in 1950; they had three sons.
He was knighted in 1978 and was created a Conservative life peer as Baron Laing of Dunphail, of Dunphail in the County of Moray on 8 February 1991. Laing was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Laing also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1986.Lord Laing died on 21 June 2010 after a short illness.
Lady Laing died in 2020.

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.

Robert_Graf_(actor)

Robert Graf (November 18, 1923 – February 4, 1966) was a German actor who played the role of Werner, "The Ferret" in the 1963 movie The Great Escape. Graf was born in Witten, Germany in 1923.
In 1942, after completing his Abitur, he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht and sent to the Eastern Front. He was wounded in 1944, and assigned to war production duties in Munich, where he began his study of theater. In 1952, Graf married the actress Selma Urfer and had three children. He was the father of the director Dominik Graf. Robert Graf died of cancer in Munich in 1966 at age 42.

Herman_Krebbers

Herman Krebbers (18 June 1923 – Tilburg 2 May 2018) was a Dutch violinist.Born in Hengelo, Overijssel, Krebbers studied in Amsterdam with Oskar Back. He gave his first concert at age 10. In 1943, Krebbers debuted with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. During the Second World War, he became a member of the Nederlandse Kultuurkamer, under the control of the Third Reich. This subsequently led to a 2-year ban on performances by him after the war.In 1950, Krebbers became co-concertmaster (leader) of the Residentie Orchestra, along with his childhood friend Theo Olof. Krebbers became concertmaster of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1962. In parallel, he had a career as a soloist and a chamber musician, and taught at the Amsterdam Muzieklyceum (now the Conservatorium van Amsterdam) for many years.
Krebbers suffered a shoulder injury from an accident on his boat in 1979, which forced him to resign from the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1980. He then focused primarily on teaching, with his work at the Amsterdam Conservatory. His students included Frank Peter Zimmermann, Peter Tanfield, Jeanne Lamon, Vera Beths, Rudolf Koelman, Szymon Krzeszowiec, Jeroen de Groot, Emmy Verhey and André Rieu. He also served as chairman of the jury for the 1996 Leopold Mozart Violin Competition. He curtailed his teaching activities in 2001.

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

Howard_M._Fish

Howard Math Fish (August 1, 1923 – April 30, 2020) was an American Air Force lieutenant general who was the assistant vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force and the assistant for readiness and North Atlantic Treaty Organization matters. In addition, he serves as the senior Air Force member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations.