James E . Hill General James E . Hill ( October 1 , 1921 – May 20 , 1999 ) was a World War II flying ace , U . S . Air Force general , and commander in chief of the North American Air Defense Command and the U . S . Air Force Aerospace Defense Command , with consolidated headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base , Colorado Springs , Colorado . Biography . Hill was born in 1921 , in Stillwater , Oklahoma . He graduated from Stillwater High School and then attended Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma . He entered the U . S . Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in March 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon completing pilot training in February 1943 . In December 1943 , Hill was assigned to the European theater of operations as a P - 47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot . He become a World War II ace , credited with five enemy aircraft shot down while flying 127 combat missions . He returned to the United States in September 1945 and was released from active duty in December 1945 . He then became the commander of a P - 51 Mustang squadron in the Oklahoma Air National Guard . In November 1948 , Hill returned to active duty and served as a flight commander with the 3525th Pilot Training Wing , Williams Air Force Base , Arizona . In August 1950 , he was transferred to the 8th Fighter - Bomber Wing at Itazuke Air Base , Japan , and began flying combat missions in Korea . He later joined Headquarters Fifth Air Force , Osan Air Base , Korea , where he served as operations officer and chief , Fighter Operations Division , Directorate of Operations . He flew 128 combat missions as an F - 80 pilot , downing one enemy aircraft . Hill returned to the United States in September 1951 and was reassigned to the 3525th Pilot Training Wing as an operations and training staff officer . He transferred to Fort Bragg , North Carolina in January 1952 for duty with the Joint Tactical Air Support Board . In April 1953 , he departed for England to attend the Royal Air Force Flying College at Royal Air Force Station Manby as an exchange officer . Upon graduation , General Hill joined the 20th Fighter - Bomber Wing , Royal Air Force Station Wethersfield , England , and served as an operations staff officer and assistant director of operations for 10 months . In February 1955 , he was transferred to the 79th Fighter - Bomber Squadron , Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge , England , where he served as squadron and base commander . In May 1956 , he rejoined the 20th Fighter - Bomber Wing and served as director of operations and as deputy commander . Hill returned to the United States in July 1957 and was assigned as senior Air Force adviser for the 121st Tactical Fighter Wing , Ohio Air National Guard , at Lockbourne Air Force Base , Ohio . From August 1960 to August 1963 , he was assigned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff , Operations , in the Directorate of Manpower and Organization , as chief of Contract Services Branch , and later served as deputy chief of Organizational Requirements Division . He attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces during 1963 - 64 , and was awarded a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Maryland in 1964 . In August 1964 , General Hill went to Clark Air Base , Republic of the Philippines , where he was deputy commander for operations of the 405th Fighter Wing ; in September 1964 , he became commander of the wing ; and in January 1966 , was reassigned on base to Headquarters Thirteenth Air Force as deputy chief of staff , plans and operations . General Hill returned to the United States in July 1966 and commanded the 3615th Pilot Training Wing , Craig Air Force Base , Alabama . In July 1967 , he was assigned as commander of the 40th Air Division at Wurtsmith Air Force Base , Michigan , and in June 1968 , he assumed command of the 825th Strategic Aerospace Division at Little Rock Air Force Base , Arkansas . In January 1970 , he became commander of the 42d Air Division , Blytheville Air Force Base , Arkansas . General Hill was named deputy assistant to the secretary of defense ( Atomic Energy ) in July 1971 . He remained in that post until June 1972 when he was transferred to the United Kingdom as commander of the Third Air Force . In November 1973 , he returned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force to be assistant deputy chief of staff for plans and operations . In September 1974 , General Hill was assigned as commander in chief , Alaskan Command , with additional duty as commander , Alaskan North American Air Defense Region , with headquarters at Elmendorf Air Force Base , Alaska . He became commander of Alaskan Air Command after dissolution of ALCOM and assimilation of its responsibilities by AAC in July 1975 . General Hill was transferred during October 1976 to Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana , where , as commander of Eighth Air Force , he was responsible for all Strategic Air Command operations and bases in the eastern half of the United States . General Hill was vice commander in chief , SAC Headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base , Nebraska from July 1 to December 6 , 1977 , when he assumed command of NORAD , and was promoted to the grade of general on December 21 , 1977 . Hill retired on December 31 , 1979 , and in retirement was President of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce . Hill died of cancer on May 20 , 1999 and was buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery . Awards and decorations . He was a command pilot and wore the Master Missileman Badge . His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Cross , Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster , Silver Star , Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters , Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters , Air Medal with 40 oak leaf clusters , Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster , Army Commendation Medal , French Croix de Guerre , and Belgian Croix de Guerre . Legacy . The General James E . Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award is presented annually by the Space Foundation to an outstanding individual who has distinguished himself / herself through lifetime contributions to the welfare or betterment of humankind through the exploration , development and use of space , or the use of space technology , information , themes or resources in academic , cultural , industrial or other pursuits of broad benefit to humanity . Gen . Hill was the chairman of the Space Foundation from 1986 - 1999 . Recipients include :