Joe W . Kelly General Joe William Kelly ( January 19 , 1910 – July 8 , 1979 ) was a U . S . Air Force general and Commander , Military Air Transport Service ( MATS ) . He was the first four - star commander of MATS , and was commander at the time the command was transitioning to jet aircraft . In 1961 he personally piloted the first jet aircraft assigned to MATS on its maiden voyage from the Boeing factory at Renton , Washington to MATS Eastern Transport Air Force at McGuire Air Force Base , New Jersey . During Kelly ' s time as commander , MATS was involved in Operation Deep Freeze , the Cuban Missile Crisis , and the Congo airlift . During his tenure , he compiled nearly 1 , 700 hours in the air from inspecting units , bringing his service total to nearly 9 , 700 flying hours . General Kelly was born in Waverly , Indiana , in 1910 . He was graduated from high school in Martinsville , Indiana in 1927 and attended DePauw University in Greencastle , Indiana , for one year . In 1928 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York , and graduated in June 1932 as a second lieutenant in the Infantry . After completing flying school in 1933 , General Kelly was assigned to the 94th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field , Michigan , the same unit to which Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was assigned in World War I . From February to May 1934 , General Kelly was an air mail pilot for the Army Air Corps , flying from Newark , New Jersey and Columbus , Ohio . Later he instructed student pilots at Randolph Field , Texas . Transferred to Santiago , Chile , in 1940 , he was a member of the U . S . Military Mission there for three years . He returned to MacDill Field , Florida for six months and in June 1943 was transferred to the European theater . In January 1944 , now a full colonel , he became commander of the 386th Bomb Group ( Medium ) , 9th Air Force , a B - 26 medium bomber unit . While under Kelly ' s command , the group attained the highest record of any B - 26 unit in the European theater in number of successful sorties flown , tonnage of bombs dispatched , and enemy aircraft destroyed while at the same time maintaining the highest bombing accuracy score . Upon General Kelly ' s departure from the group , he received this commendation from his division commander : " I commend you particularly for your aggressive leadership while commanding the 386th Bombardment Group ( M ) . This aggressive leadership , together with your efficient administration of the group , was directly responsible for its receiving a unit citation awarded for compiling the outstanding record made by any medium bombardment group during its first year of operations in this theater . " General Kelly remained in Europe in command and staff positions until December 1944 when he returned to West Point as director of aviation . He enrolled in the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base , Alabama in the summer of 1946 . After graduation , he was an instructor and then chief of Plans and Operations Division . In January 1948 , he began a 5½ year association with the Strategic Air Command , commanding various SAC bomber units including the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command at Yokota Air Base , Japan . In 1953 , he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force , Washington , D . C . , as director of Legislative Liaison . In this position he was responsible for development of public laws affecting the Air Force and for furthering Air Force relations with Congress . For his exceptional service in this position , General Kelly was awarded an oak leaf cluster to the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal by Secretary of the Air Force James Douglas . On July 21 , 1958 , General Kelly assumed command of the Air Proving Ground Center at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida , his final assignment before taking command of MATS . He retired on July 18 , 1964 . Kelly died on July 8 , 1979 and was buried in Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola , Florida . For his interest in and support of the Air Reserve Forces , General Kelly was chosen for the " Minuteman Hall of Fame " award for 1962 by the Reserve Officers Association . Awards and decorations . His other decorations include , the Legion of Merit , the Distinguished Flying Cross , the Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters , the Belgian and French Croix de Guerre , the British Distinguished Service Order , the Chilean Legion of Merit , the Army Commendation Ribbon and others .