Roland J . Barnick Roland John Barnick ( January 9 , 1917 – January 28 , 1996 ) was American military pilot and general . He served in World War II and Korean War . Barnick ' s last post was commander of the 438th Military Airlift Wing , with headquarters at McGuire Air Force Base , N . J . The wing was the major Military Airlift Command operational unit on the East Coast , and was responsible for meeting airlift requirements in the Eastern United States , the Atlantic area and to the West Coast for shipment to Southeast Asia . Biography . Education . General Barnick was born in 1917 in Max , N . D . , where his parents , Mr . and Mrs . John Barnick , still reside . In 1934 he graduated from Max High School and entered North Dakota State College . There he received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and chemistry in June 1938 . Upon graduation from college , he joined the U . S . Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet . He was awarded pilot ' s wings and commissioned a second lieutenant in 1939 at Kelly Field , Texas . Early career and World War II . General Barnick ' s first assignment after Kelly was the Philippine Islands . In Manila he commanded the Headquarters Squadron , Far East Air Service Command . After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , he took his squadron to Bataan . When Bataan fell , General Barnick flew General Carlos Romulo to safety in Mindanao aboard the last plane to leave . For this feat he was awarded the Silver Star . Following the fall of Bataan , General Barnick continued to serve in the Southwest Pacific and was soon promoted to captain . In May 1942 , he returned to the United States to command a B - 17 squadron at Boise , Idaho . Shortly thereafter he was assigned as Commander of a B - 17 provisional group , training for combat duty . The B - 17 group deployed to England under his command . Upon return to the United States he was appointed commander of a B - 24 training group at Tonopah , Nev . During this assignment , General Barnick was promoted to lieutenant colonel and became deputy commander of a B - 29 group . Later as commander of the B - 29 group he went to the Southwest Pacific and led his unit in bombardment activities against the Japanese homeland . General Barnick was awarded the Bronze Star for his service during this period . After World War II . At the end of World War II , he served in Japan with a troop carrier group flying C - 54 aircraft . Following duty in Japan , he became professor of air science at the University of Wyoming , where he remained until 1950 . On July 3 he was promoted to colonel . When the Korean war began , General Barnick was assigned to Headquarters Continental Air Command at Mitchel Air Force Base , N . Y . , as chief of the Mobilization Branch . In this capacity , he was responsible for the mobilization of a large number of Air Force reservists who served in the Korean War . In 1953 he was appointed director of military personnel for U . S . Air Forces in Europe at Wiesbaden , Germany . After three years in this assignment , General Barnick was selected to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces , in Wash . , D . C . for a year . 63rd Troop Carrier Group . General Barnick was assigned as commander of the 63rd Troop Carrier Group at Donaldson Air Force Base , S . C . in June 1957 , after completing studies at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces . His group executed many successful missions of international significance . History was made at the South Pole when unprecedented paradrops of supplies and equipment were completed to the American Scientific Station . During the Lebanon crisis in 1958 , General Barnick ' s Task Force airlifted military units and equipment to the troubled area to help preserve the peace . His aircraft and crews established records throughout the world by moving tons of cargo and passengers on short notice in support of national policy . After two and one - half years as commander of the 63rd Troop Carrier Group , General Barnick was assigned to Headquarters Military Air Transport Service as inspector general . He served in this capacity from June 1960 until July 1961 when he was appointed chief of staff of the Military Air Transport Service . Reassigned to Donaldson in September 1961 , General Barnick became commander of the 63rd Troop Carrier Wing . The organization was moved from Donaldson Air Force Base , S . C . , to Hunter Air Force Base , Ga . in April 1963 . During the period of this movement , General Barnick ' s organization maintained normally heavy commitments , even though operating from two separate bases . He assumed this position in June 1964 . Following his assignment to McGuire , General Barnick was , in August 1964 , nominated for promotion to brigadier general by President Lyndon B . Johnson . On Sept . 16 , the promotion became effective . On 1 August 1967 he retired from active service as general and command pilot , having logged more than 5 , 000 hours .