Carlos Talbott Carlos Maurice Talbott ( born January 28 , 1920 ) was a United States Air Force officer who attained the rank of lieutenant general and was vice commander in chief of the Pacific Air Forces , headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii . Born in Charleston , Illinois , he attended Eastern Illinois University from 1936 to 1939 and graduated from the United States Military Academy with a bachelor of science degree . He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in January 1943 . While at the academy , he graduated from advanced flying school at Lake Charles , Louisiana in December 1942 . He received his master of arts degree in international affairs from The George Washington University in 1964 . Talbott ' s first assignment was as a Curtiss P - 40 pilot at Dothan Field , Alabama . In March 1943 he became a P - 47 pilot with the 326th and then the 368th Fighter Group s at Westover Field , Massachusetts and Mitchel Field , New York . In December 1943 , during World War II , he went with the 368th Group to the European Theater of Operations as a pilot with the 397th Fighter Squadron . From October 1944 to April 1945 , he was assigned as assistant operations officer and later operations officer of the 368th Fighter Group . In May 1945 he returned to the United States and was assigned to Seymour Johnson Field , North Carolina . He attended the Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth and in February 1946 returned to Seymour Johnson Field to be base adjutant . From May 1946 to March 1948 , Talbott served with the Organization and Training Division of the War Department General Staff in Washington , D . C . . He was then was assigned to the Directorate of Training and Requirements , Deputy Chief of Staff , Operations , Headquarters U . S . Air Force . Talbott went to Ankara , Turkey , in March 1949 as a fighter pilot training adviser with the American Mission for Aid to Turkey and in December 1950 became executive officer for the U . S . Air Force Group . In April 1951 he returned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force as an operations staff officer in the Directorate of Operations , Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff , Plans and Operations . In July 1954 , Talbott became commander of the 322d Fighter Day Group at Foster Air Force Base , Texas , and from August 1957 to June 1958 attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base . He then went to Japan as director of tactical operations and later was chief of Combat Operations Division , in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations , Headquarters Fifth Air Force , at Fuchu Air Station , Japan . He was assigned as director of operations , 8th Tactical Fighter Wing , at Itazuke Air Base , in July 1960 . Talbott returned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force in August 1962 as deputy chief of the Tactical Air Division , Directorate of Operational Requirements . In October 1962 he became chief of the Tactical Nuclear Branch in the Chairman , Joint Chiefs of Staff Special Studies Group . He assumed command of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base in August 1965 , and went to Southeast Asia with the wing in March 1966 . He was assigned in May 1966 as deputy director of the Tactical Air Control Center , Headquarters Seventh Air Force . In May 1967 he was assigned as the chief of staff for the United States Taiwan Defense Command . Talbott returned to the United States in September 1968 and became vice commander of the Tenth Air Force at Richards - Gebaur Air Force Base . In August 1969 he was assigned as vice commander of the Ninth Air Force with headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base . In July 1970 he again was assigned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force as director of operations , Deputy Chief of Staff , Plans and Operations . In August 1972 he returned to the Republic of Vietnam as director of operations , Military Assistance Command , Vietnam , and deputy chief of staff , operations , Seventh Air Force . General Talbott was appointed vice commander in chief of Pacific Air Forces with headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii , in April 1973 . He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general effective April 6 , 1973 with the same date of rank , and retired September 1 , 1974 . Talbott was a command pilot , flew more than 4 , 500 hours , and during World War II flew 96 combat missions . His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Cross ; Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters ; Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster ; Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster ; Air Medal with 15 oak leaf clusters ; Air Force Commendation Medal ; Purple Heart ; Gold Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix ( Greece ) ; Korean Medal of Merit ; from the Republic of Vietnam the National Order of Vietnam , 5th Class , Armed Forces Honor Medal , Air Force Distinguished Service Order , 2d Class ; Order of Cloud and Banner , Republic of China ; and Air Force Wings of Turkey , China and Republic of Vietnam .