John R . Kane John Riley Kane ( January 5 , 1907 – May 29 , 1996 ) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force who received the U . S . military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor , in World War II . A native of Texas , Kane joined the Army Air Forces after graduating from Baylor University . During World War II , he commanded the 98th Bombardment Group , a B - 24 Liberator unit , and conducted bombing missions in Europe , Africa and the Middle East . He was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the 98th in Operation Tidal Wave , a low - altitude attack on oil refineries in Ploieşti , Romania . After the war , he commanded a series of airfields in the U . S . and served a year and a half in North Africa before his retirement . Early life and family . Born in January 1907 in McGregor , Texas , Kane grew up in Wichita Falls . His father , John Franklin Kane , was a Baptist minister . Kane attended Baylor University in Waco , Texas , where he played basketball and football . On January 22 , 1927 , he was traveling with the basketball team to a game when their bus was struck by a train in Round Rock , Texas , killing 10 of the 22 people aboard ; Kane escaped with minor injuries . Those killed became known as the " Immortal Ten " , and a homecoming ceremony in their memory has become a Baylor tradition . Kane graduated in 1928 with a Bachelor of Arts degree . Kane married Pansy Inabnett of Shreveport ; the couple had one child , John Franklin Kane II . Military service . Kane moved to Shreveport , Louisiana , and joined the United States Army Air Corps ( later the United States Army Air Forces ) as an aviation cadet in June 1931 . After training in Brooks , Randolph , and Kelly Field s in Texas , he received his commission in 1932 . He was stationed at Rockwell and March Fields in southern California before transferring to the reserves in 1934 . Re - entering active duty in late 1935 , he returned to the Shreveport , Louisiana , area to serve at Barksdale Field , eventually becoming the base commander . By April 1940 , he was assigned to MacDill Field in Florida as an operations officer and then commanded a squadron at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas . World War II . In July 1942 , he was sent to the Mediterranean Theatre of War , where he flew 43 combat missions for a total of 250 combat hours in Europe , Africa and the Middle East . Kane commanded the 98th Bombardment Group , a B - 24 Liberator unit nicknamed the " Pyramiders " , and his daring operations caused German intelligence reports to dub him " Killer Kane . " Kane earned the Silver Star during a mission in the Middle East when his plane became separated from the formation and was attacked from the rear by an enemy fighter . Although the tail and top turrets of his bomber became inoperative , he successfully outmaneuvered the pursuing ME - 110 through eight different attacks . The fighter eventually exhausted its ammunition and was forced to break off the attack without causing any appreciable damage to Kane ' s aircraft . On August 1 , 1943 , Kane , by then a colonel , led the 98th in Operation Tidal Wave , a low - altitude bombing mission against oil refineries in Ploieşti , Romania . The 98th was one of five bomb groups taking part in the attack . En route to the target , which called for a round - trip flight of over 2 , 400 miles , his element became separated from the leading portion of the massed formation while avoiding dense cloud conditions over mountainous terrain . Rather than turn back from such a vital mission , he elected to proceed to the target . Upon arrival it was discovered that another group had missed its target and then bombed the area assigned to the 98th . Despite the fully warned defenses , intensive anti - aircraft fire , enemy fighter planes , and hazards from delayed - action bombs dropped by the earlier element , oil fires , and dense smoke over the target area , he elected to lead his formation against the oil refineries . By the time Kane ' s bomber , " Hail Columbia " , left the target , it had lost an engine and been struck more than 20 times by anti - aircraft fire . His decision to circle as the command aircraft used up the plane ' s reserve fuel ; the aircraft crash landed in Cyprus before reaching its base in North Africa . For his part in the mission , Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor eight days later , on August 9 , 1943 . He is one of two Baylor alumni to receive the medal , the other being Jack Lummus . Post - war career . Returning to the United States in February 1944 , Kane commanded Gowen Field in Idaho followed by McCook and Grand Island Army Airfield s in Nebraska . He graduated from the National War College in June 1947 and became the executive officer at Chanute Field in Illinois . In April 1948 , he was made Director of Technical Schools at Lowry Air Force Base , Colorado , and also served there as inspector general and commander of the 3415th Maintenance and Supply Group . He went to Ladd Army Airfield , Alaska , in 1949 , being successively chief of staff and base commander . In July 1951 , Kane was commander of the Military Air Transport Service ' s Air Resupply And Communications Service , forming its 580th Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base , Idaho , in November 1951 , which he commanded . He took it to Libya in August 1952 and moved to Morocco the following May as commander of the 316th Air Division ' s 549th Air Control and Warning Group . He returned to the United States in December 1953 as commander of Smoky Hill Air Force Base , Kansas , where he served until he resigned and was honorably discharged on May 10 , 1954 . Later years and legacy . Kane retired to a farm in Logan County , Arkansas , but moved to Pennsylvania in 1987 to be near his son . He died at age 89 on May 29 , 1996 , while living at a Veterans Administration nursing home in Pennsylvania . He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia weeks later , on June 18 . On February 2 , 1998 , Barksdale Air Force Base named its B - 52 combat crew training school after him . Kane was inducted into the Louisiana Military Hall of Fame in Abbeville , Louisiana , on November 13 , 2010 . Medal of Honor citation . Kane ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 1 August 1943 . On this date he led the third element of heavy bombardment aircraft in a mass low - level bombing attack against the vitally important enemy target of the Ploesti oil refineries . En route to the target , which necessitated a round - trip flight of over 2 , 400 miles , Col . Kane ' s element became separated from the leading portion of the massed formation in avoiding dense and dangerous cumulous cloud conditions over mountainous terrain . Rather than turn back from such a vital mission he elected to proceed to his target . Upon arrival at the target area it was discovered that another group had apparently missed its target and had previously attacked and damaged the target assigned to Col . Kane ' s element . Despite the thoroughly warned defenses , the intensive antiaircraft fire , enemy fighter airplanes , extreme hazards on a low - level attack of exploding delayed action bombs from the previous element , of oil fires and explosions and dense smoke over the target area , Col . Kane elected to lead his formation into the attack . By his gallant courage , brilliant leadership , and superior flying skill , he and the formation under his command successfully attacked this vast refinery so essential to our enemies ' war effort . Through his conspicuous gallantry in this most hazardous action against the enemy , and by his intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty , Col . Kane personally contributed vitally to the success of this daring mission and thereby rendered most distinguished service in the furtherance of the defeat of our enemies .