Shade 1549 - Service uniform
Assistant vice Chief of Staff Bomber Pilot - WW II

Lieutenant General John W. Carpenter III born August 11, 1916 in Starkville, Mississippi. His first assignment was to the 19th Bombardment Group at March Field, CA.

He participated in the first mass flight of B-17s from Hamilton Field, CA to Hickam Field, Hawaii (1941).

When the Japanese attacked Clark Field, General Carpenter was airborne on a reconnaissance mission and his aircraft was first to land at Clark Field. He continued to fly on combat missions until their return to the U.S.

He served on tours of duty at Eglin Field; Headquarters Army Air Force Bombardment Training Division, WA D.C.; and Headquarters Twentieth Air Force in Washington and the Mariana Fields.

After WWII after graduation from the Air Command and Staff School he served in the Philippine Islands, 5th Reconnaissance Group, Thirteenth Airforce.

He then was transferred to headquarters of Air Research and Development Command where he served in various capacities including Chief of Staff. Upon graduation of the Air War College he served as vice commander of Arnold Engineering (1954); Chief of Plans and Programs at the Air Research and Development Command (1955); Vice Commander of ARDC (1959); Command of the Air Force Flight Test Center, where the X-15 made its first flight.

After being transferred back to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington D.C. he served as Deputy Director of Plans (1961); Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations (1964); Commander of Air University (1965); Deputy Chief of Staff for Personal (1968); Assistant Vice Chief of Staff with additional duty as senior Air Force Member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations (1968).

His medals include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star (Two Oak Leaf Clusters), the Legion of Merit (Two Oak Leaf Clusters), Distinguished Flying Cross (Two Oak Leaf Clusters) and the Air Medal (Two Oak Leaf Clusters).

Carpenter retired on August 1, 1970 and died November 8, 1996 in San Antonio, Texas.