Chesley G . Peterson Major General Chesley G . Peterson ( 1920 – 1990 ) was a career officer in the United States Air Force . He was a fighter pilot in the European theater in World War II who remained in the military after the war . Peterson is best known for his time as the commander of the famous 4th Fighter Group during 1942 - 1943 . Early years . Chesley Peterson was born in Idaho , but moved to Utah in his childhood . He joined the Utah National Guard in 1937 . In 1939 , he joined the Army Air Corps and was selected for air cadet training , but was dismissed before graduation from flight school . He moved to Los Angeles after being dropped from flight school and was working at Douglas Aircraft when he became interested in flying for the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) , who were at that time recruiting Americans to fight the Germans . World War II . Eagle Squadron . Peterson arrived in England in late 1940 and was assigned to No . 71 Squadron of the Royal Air Force . No . 71 Squadron was one of the three Eagle squadron s made of volunteer American pilots . The Americans would fly Hurricanes and Spitfire s against the Luftwaffe . In time , he was promoted to flight lieutenant , and given command of No . 71 Squadron . Flt . Lt . Peterson completed 42 missions while flying with the RAF . When he was given command of No . 71 Squadron , he was only 21 years old and the youngest squadron commander in the RAF . 4th Fighter Group . In 1942 , Chesley Peterson accepted a transfer to the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) along with the rest of the Eagle Squadron members . He was assigned to the 4th Fighter Group as the executive officer and as a major . Later he would be promoted to colonel at the age of 23 , and became the youngest colonel in the USAAF . When Peterson first joined the 4th Fighter Group , they were assigned the P - 47 Thunderbolt , which was a radical change from the Spitfires the Eagle Squadron pilots had flown . While flying a P - 47 over the English Channel , Peterson was forced to bail out at above the water . His parachute failed , but miraculously Peterson survived both the fall and the dangerous Channel waters . In January 1944 , Chesley Peterson was reassigned to VIII Fighter Command as a staff officer and then to a subordinate unit of VIII Fighter Command , the 65th Fighter Wing , until returning to the United States at the end of 1944 . During his time overseas , Colonel Peterson flew a total of 130 missions and was credited with nine aerial victories and nine probables . After attending Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , Peterson was assigned as the commander of Dale Mabry Field , Tallahassee , Florida in March 1945 . His next assignment was as chief , Air Attache Branch , Headquarters Army Air Forces , Washington , D . C . , beginning in August , 1945 . Post - war Air Force career . After the war , Colonel Peterson had a variety of assignments including both command and staff assignments . Although he did not participate directly in either the Korean or Vietnam War s , he was assigned overseas as the commander of flying units in both France and Japan . Chesley Peterson was promoted to major general in 1965 . His last assignment on active duty began on April 1 , 1967 as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence , Staff , Commander in Chief , Pacific . General Peterson retired July 31 , 1970 .