Salvador E . Felices Major General Salvador E . Felices ( August 13 , 1923 – July 14 , 1987 ) was the first Puerto Rican to reach the rank of Major General ( 2 - Star ) in the United States Air Force . In 1957 , he participated in " Operation Power Flite " , the first round - the - world nonstop flight by a jet airplane . Early years . Felices was born in the Santurce section of San Juan , Puerto Rico the capital city of island . There he received his primary and secondary education . After graduating from the Santurce Central High School , he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico and joined its ROTC program . West Point . In 1943 , Felices was granted a congressional appointment to West Point , the U . S . Military Academy in New York . While he was a cadet at the academy , he undertook flying lessons at Curtis Field , Texas and Stewart Field in New York . On June 4 , 1946 , he was awarded his pilot wings and the following day , on June 5 , he graduated from the academy and commissioned a second lieutenant . Military service . On September 18 , 1947 , he became part of the newly formed branch of the armed forces , The United States Air Force . Felices received training in multi - engines and also completed the weapons training course . He was assigned in 1952 , to the 303rd Bombardment Wing as the 359th Bombardment Squadron operations officer . Felices participated in a bombing competition , using a B - 29 Superfortress equipped with an APQ - 7 radar set and a Norden bombsight rate head . This would eventually lead the way to the development of the current techniques of synchronous radar bombing used today . Korean War . In 1953 , Felices flew in 19 combat missions over North Korea , during the Korean War , as combat operation officer for the 344th Bombardment Squadron . In 1954 , he was reassigned and stationed at the Castle Air Force Base in California . In 1955 , Felices completed the instructor course for the B - 52 In January 1957 , he participated in a historic project that was given to Fifteenth Air Force by the Strategic Air Command headquarters known as " Operation Power - Flite " . " Operation Power - Flite " was the first around the world flight by an all - jet aircraft . He later completed a course on the KC - 135 aircraft at the Boeing Company Ground School and participated in its flight test program . He wrote the first flight curriculum and initial qualification requirements for future SAC pilots . In July 1957 , Felices delivered the first KC - 135 to SAC Headquarters and he was the first to pilot the first flight of a KC - 135 made by the then joint Chiefs of Staff . In 1958 , he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for landing a B - 52 without the right rear landing gear . Vietnam War . Felices held various positions within the military and rose in rank . On June 1968 , he was named commander of the 306th Bombardment Wing . He flew 39 combat bombing missions over North Vietnam during the Vietnam War in a B - 52 aircraft . In 1969 , he became the commander of the 823rd Air Division which covered the regions of Florida , Puerto Rico , North Carolina and Georgia . On May 1970 , Felices was named Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff at the Headquarters of Strategic Air Command . He was responsible for SAC ' s intercontinental ballistic missile operational testing programs . Later years . Felices was promoted to the rank of Major General on April 2 , 1973 and on August of that year became the Vice Commander of the Sixteenth Air Force , U . S . Air Force in Europe at Torrejon Air Base , Spain . Major General Salvador E . Felices retired form active duty on September 1 , 1974 . He died of natural causes on July 14 , 1987 in Florida and was buried with full military honors at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery at Colorado Springs , Colorado . Felices was married to Shirley C . Gross with whom he had three children , Sherryl , Mark and Steven . Awards and decorations . Among Felices ' decorations and medals were the following : Badges :