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Information > Heritage > History Person
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Col. John R. Kane
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During Operation Tidal Wave, the most highly decorated military mission in U.S. history, Col. John R. Kane flew one of the 179 B-24 Liberators that took off on an 18-hour, 2,400 mile round trip mission to destroy the Nazi-held oil refinery at Ploesti, Romania. Five Airmen, including Colonel Kane, earned the Medal of Honor that day in 1943. (U.S. Air Force illustration)
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During Operation Tidal Wave, the most highly decorated military mission in U.S. history, 179 B-24s took off on an 18-hour, 2,400 mile round trip mission to destroy the largest of the Nazi-held oil refineries at Ploesti, 30 miles north of Bucharest, Romania. This day, Aug. 1, 1943, would end with five Airmen, including Col. John R. Kane, earning the Medal of Honor for bravery, three posthumously. Fifty-four aircraft never returned.
Kane was born in McGregor, Texas, in January 1907 and grew up in the Wichita Falls, Texas, area. The son of a Baptist preacher, he attended Baylor University, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. Kane entered the military at Shreveport.
He attended flying schools at Brooks, Randolph and Kelly Fields in Texas and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Officer's Reserve Corps and rated a pilot in 1932. He then served at Rockwell Field, Calif., as a mess officer until September 1932. He moved to March Field, Calif., and held a range of assistant jobs until he was relieved from active duty in 1933.
He arrived in Shreveport, La., in 1933, the same year Barksdale Field was opened by the Army in nearby Bossier Parish. After performing two active duty tours at the Municipal Airport in Atlanta, Kane returned to active duty and assigned to Barksdale in various positions, including materiel officer and base commander.
Kane was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, as squadron commander in February 1942, and moved in that capacity to the Middle East Theater of Operations in July 1942. During his tour of duty in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations, he flew 43 combat missions with a total of 250 combat hours.
Kane was awarded a Silver Star for action in an aerial attack from an enemy ME-110 whereby Kane outmaneuvered and outfought the enemy to the point that the attacker left the scene without any appreciable damage to Kane's aircraft.
In August 1943, he again showed his gallantry in action when he led the third element of Operation Tidal Wave against the Ploesti oilfields in Romania. The attack was a mass low-level bombing attack. En route to the target, more than 1,350 miles away, Kane's element became separated from the leading portion of the massed formation when it encountered dense cumulous cloud condition over mountainous terrain.
Rather than turn back from such a vital mission, he elected to proceed to his target. Upon arrival at the oilfields, he discovered another group had previously attacked and damaged the target assigned to his formation. This previous bombing had fully alerted the Nazi defenses. Despite the intensive antiaircraft fire, enemy fighter airplanes, extreme hazards on a low level attack of exploding delayed action bombs from the previous elements, of oil fires and explosions and dense smoke over the target area, Kane decided to lead his formation into the attack. By the time Kane's bomber left the target, it had lost an engine, been struck more than 20 times by antiaircraft artillery fire and had uncountable bullet holes. His decision to circle as the command aircraft used up any reserve fuel the plane had for its return to base in North Africa. Kane's airplane, "Hail Columbia," crash landed in Cyprus on the return leg.
Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor on Aug. 9, 1943.
His citation reads..."For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 1 August 1943. On this date, he led the third element of heavy bombardment aircraft in a mass, low level bombing attack against the vitally important enemy target of the Ploesti oil refineries. En route to the target, which necessitated a round-trip flight of over 2,400 miles, Colonel Kane's element became separated from the leading portion of the massed formation in avoiding dense and dangerous cumulous cloud conditions over mountainous terrain. Rather than turn back from such a vital mission he elected to proceed to his target. Upon arrival at the target area it was discovered that another group had apparently missed its target and had previously attacked and damaged the target assigned to Colonel Kane's element. Despite the thoroughly warned defenses, the intensive antiaircraft fire, enemy fighter airplanes, extreme hazards on a low level attack of exploding delayed action bombs from the previous element, of oil fires and explosions and dense smoke over the target area, Col. Kane elected to lead his formation into the attack. By his gallant courage, brilliant leadership, and superior flying skill, he and the formation under his command successfully attacked this vast refinery so essential to our enemies' war effort. Through his conspicuous gallantry in this most hazardous action against the enemy, and by his intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Colonel Kane personally contributed vitally to the success of this daring mission and thereby rendered most distinguished service in the furtherance of the defeat of our enemies."
Upon return to the U.S., Kane was assigned as station commandant, then base commander for Gowan Field in Idaho. He subsequently commanded McCook Army Air Field, Neb., and Grand Island Army Air Field, Neb. He attended National War College until June 1947, and his next assignment was to Chanute Field, Ill., as base executive officer. In April 1948 he became director of Technical Schools at Lowry AFB, Colo., with subsequent assignment there as inspector general and commanding officer of the 3415th Maintenance and Supply Group.
In June 1949, he served as chief of staff and then in November commander of Ladd AFB, Alaska. The following March, he resumed his chief of staff duties.
He was appointed commanding officer of Air Resupply and Communications Service with Military Air Transport Service in Washington, D.C. He then assumed command of the 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and its deployed location in Libya. He moved to Morocco in 1953 and commanded two divisions.
He became commander of Smoky Hill AFB, Kan., in December 1953 and served there until May 1954, when he resigned and was honorably discharged from active duty. He accepted an appointment as colonel, Air Force Reserve, July 3, 1956, and retired July 31, 1956.
In addition to his Medal of Honor and Silver Star, his other decorations included the Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, five Air Medals, Army Commendation Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Silver Service Star and Bronze Service Star, World War II Victory Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and National Defense Service Star. The Greek government awarded him their War Cross.
He settled into a farm in Logan County, Ark., but moved to Pennsylvania to be near his children in 1987. He was living in a Veterans Administration nursing home in Pennsylvania and 89 years old when he passed away May 29, 1996. He was buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., June 18, 1996.
On Feb. 2, 1998, Barksdale AFB named its B-52 combat crew training school after Kane. The Ploesti raid, undertaken in a day long before mid-air refueling was perfected and made part of standard military practice, demonstrated that strategic bombing was not only possible, but was inevitable in the context of modern war.
Information compiled from military personnel records, 8th Air Force History Office, John Andrew Prime and Arlington Cemetery. |
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