john c meyer P-51D 4413597 487th fs 352nd fg stardust

General John Charles Meyer (April 3, 1919 – December 2, 1975) was an American World War II flying ace, and later the commander-in-chief of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff.

In September 1942 John C Meyer was assigned to the newly formed 352nd Fighter Group, where he, as a 1st Lieutenant, assumed command of the 34th Pursuit Squadron. The 34th was redesignated as the 487th Fighter Squadron in May 1943 prior to receiving orders to deploy to England. Captain Meyer took the 487th Fighter Squadron to its new base at RAF Bodney in East Anglia and into combat.

On the 11th September 1944, flying this aircraft, he won the second of three Distinguished Service Crosses by scoring 4 kills during one sortie when escorting a heavy bomber raid over Germany.

By November 1944 he was deputy commander of the 352nd Fighter Group and the fourth highest scoring American ace in Europe with 24 confirmed air-to-air victories and 13 destroyed on the ground.