Oliver S . Picher Oliver S . Picher ( 1905 – 1984 ) was a United States Air Force Lt . General . He served as Commander of the 307th Bombardment Group during World War II , Commander of the 315th Air Division in post war Japan and as the Director of the Joint Staff . Biography . Oliver Stanton Picher was born in Pasadena , CA , in 1905 . He graduated from Harvard University cum laude in 1928 . He enlisted as an aviation cadet , earned his wings and was commissioned successively in the Air Reserve and Regular Army . In May 1930 he went to Hawaii for two years with the 18th Pursuit Group at Wheeler Field . He was in the 6th Pursuit Squadron under the command of Lt . Hoyt Vandenberg who later became Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force . Another squadron in the Group was the 26th Attack Squadron under the command of Lt . Nathan Twining who also became Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force , Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was Picher ' s best man at his wedding . He married Marion Lewis on November 9 , 1931 at her parents house in the Nu ‘ uanu Pali area of Honolulu . He joined the 35th Pursuit Squadron ( later designated the 35th Fighter Squadron ) at Langley Field , Va . , took the maintenance engineering armament course at the Air Corps Technical School at Chanute Field , Ill . and in October 1936 , as a first lieutenant , was assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group at Hamilton Field , Calif . Lieutenant Picher returned to Hawaii for assignment to the 31st Bomb Squadron at Hickam Field and was promoted to captain in May 1940 . He returned home for assignments to the Advanced Flying Schools at Stockton , Calif . , and Phoenix , Ariz . , with promotion to major . In June 1941 he went to Headquarters Army Air Force , first in organization and equipment and then as executive officer to the assistant chief of staff for operations , with advancement to lieutenant colonel . He went to the South Pacific in July 1943 as commanding officer of the 13th Air Force ' s 307th Bombardment Group . In October he was promoted to colonel . He flew 34 combat missions and earned the Silver Star , three Legions of Merit , the Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals , serving in combat until February 1945 . He returned to Washington for duty with the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff and attended the first class of the National War College . He next served as executive for the director of plans and operations and in June 1948 became Director of Operations after promotion two months previously to brigadier general . In his new role , he had to mobilize C - 54 transports from all over the world to break the Russian blockade of Berlin , known as the Berlin Airlift . General Picher went to Japan in September 1949 as commanding general of Far East Air Force ' s 315th Air Division at Itazuke . The following March he became inspector general of FEAF at Tokyo and a year later was named Director of Personnel in the command , with promotion March 8 , 1952 to major general . He again returned to Washington and became Assistant for Programming under the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations . In June 1955 he was appointed Director of Strategic Plans for the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He was promoted to lieutenant general April 1 , 1958 and selected for the position of Director of the Joint Staff . He retired on May 11 , 1960 . Awards and decorations . Picher ' s awards and decorations included the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal , Silver Star , Legion of Merit with two clusters , Distinguished Flying Cross , Air Medal with four clusters and ten campaign medals .