Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian Jr. (19 November 1915 – 12 August 1944) was a colonel in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

and commanding officer of the

361st Fighter Group The 127th Operations Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard. It is stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and 1s one of two flying groups assigned to the 127th Wing. The group operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was the great-grandson of

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

General

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

Early life and education

Christian was born in San Francisco, California on 19 November 1915. His father was brigadier-general Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian Sr.

Pilot training

Christian graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point in 1939 and entered the Field Artillery Branch. He later joined the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

. In 1940, after pilot training, he became an instructor at Randolph Field, Texas.

World War II

Christian was transferred to the

19th Bombardment Group 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

Clark Field Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

in the Philippines in March 1941. During the Battle of the Philippines he was reassigned to Bataan and then Australia. He was assigned to the 67th Pursuit Squadron at

Henderson Field (Guadalcanal) Henderson Field is a former military airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands during World War II. Originally built by the Japanese Empire, the conflict over its possession was one of the great battles of the Pacific War. Today it is Honiara I ...

in the Solomon Islands and flew a

P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...

He returned to the United States and was given command of the newly formed

(as a major) in February 1943. The group moved to RAF Bottisham in November of 1943. He was promoted to colonel in March 1944. He was shot down and killed on 12 August 1944 near

Boisleux-au-Mont Boisleux-au-Mont () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. Geography A farming village located 6 miles (10 km) south of Arras at the junction of the D35 and D36 roads. Population ...

, France.

Awards and decorations

Christian was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.

References

External links