John Riley Kane (1907 - 1996)

Born 5 Jan 1907 in McGregor, McLennan, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Died 29 May 1996 at age 89 in Coatesville, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

John Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Birth

Col. John Riley Kane was born on 5 January 1907 at McGregor, McLennan, Texas, United States to Rev. John Franklin Kane, sometimes known as Frank, (1883-1955) and Birdie Minnie Wright (1887-1972). He grew up in the Wichita Falls, Texas area.

Sibling

1. Frances B. Kane was born on 28 April 1912 in Texas, United States. She married Leon Johnson (1894-1973). Frances died on 13 September 1973 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States.

Education

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas in 1928. While he was at Baylor he played both basketball and football. He also completed a year of medical school in St. Louis, Missouri, but according to his daughter-in-law, Donna Kane, he didn't like cutting up dead people; so dropped out of medical school.

In June 1947, he graduated from the National War College in Washington, D.C.

Marriage

He married twice.

1. Pansy Inabnett (1910-?) after 1934. They were divorced. She died in Colorado Springs, El Paso,Colorado, United States according to her Find A Grave Profile and probably used her maiden name after the divorce.
2. Phyllis Unknown (b. England-d. 1987 in Arkansas) before 1956 when they moved to Logan County, Arkansas.

Child of the Kane-Inabnett Marriage

1. John Franklin Kane was born c. 1939.

Military Service

John Kane is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Air Corps & Air Force 1931-1954
Served in Korea & WWII, MOH

John enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in June 1931 after he had graduated from University. The United States Air Force was not formed as a separate branch of the military until 18 September 1947. From 2 July 1926 until 20 June 1947, it was the United States Army Air Corps.

He moved to Shreveport, Louisiana and was an aviation cadet. His training took place at Brooks, Randolph and Kelly Fields in Texas. Receiving his commission and his pilot's wings in 1932, he was stationed at Rockwell and March Fields in California before 1934 when he transferred to the reserves. He re-entered and went on active duty late in 1935. He served at Barksdale Field, near Bossier City, Louisiana and lived in Shrevesport, which he considered his home until late in life. He became the base commander of Barksdale. In April 1940 he was reassigned to MacDill Field in Florida as an operations officer. From there he went to command a squadron at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

By July 1942, he was sent to the Mediterranean Theatre of War, which was a major theatre of operations in World War II. He flew 43 combat missions for a total of 250 combat hours in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He was commander of the 98th Bombardment Group which was a B-24 Liberator unit. They were called the Pyramiders and due to the daring of Kane's operations, it has been said that the German intelligence reports nicknamed him Killer Kane. However, he was called that even as an Air Cadet because his best friend's name was Buck Rogers. The comic strip character Buck Rogers had a friend named Killer Kane; so that's what they were called.

He earned his Distinguished Flying Cross for a December 1942 raid on Naples, Italy.

The mission that earned him the Medal of Honor took place on 1 August 1943. Major Kane led his 98th in a low altitude bombing mission called Operation Tidal Wave against oil refineries in Ploieşti, Romania. Even though weather conditions caused him to become separated from the formation which consisted of five bomb groups, he decided to continue to the target. By the time his aircraft Hail Columbia, serial number, 41-11825, left the target, he had lost an engine and the other was on fire and the aircraft had been struck more than 20 times by anti-aircraft fire. Due to lack of fuel, the plane crashed in Cyprus. He received the Medal of Honor on 9 August 1943 on a cricket field in Cairo.

Operation Tidal Wave is said to be the most highly decorated mission in U.S. history. There were a total of 179 B-24s on the 18 hour, 2,400 mile round trip mission to destroy Nazi oil refineries. They left from Benghazi, Libya without a fighter escort to protect them as fighters did not yet have the ability to go that far without refueling. 54 aircraft never returned. 660 aircrewmen were lost. A total of five Medals of Honor were awarded.

In February 1944 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and he took command of Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. He also served at McCook Army Airfield in Red Willow County, Nebraska and Grand Island Army Airfield in Nebraska.

After War College, he became the executive officer at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Illinois and from there to Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado where he was director of technical schools. He was also inspector general and the commander of the 3415th Maintenance and Supply Group.

In 1949 he was assigned to Ladd Army Airfield in Fairbanks, Alaska first as chief of staff and then as the base commander.

His next assignment was to Mountain Home Air Force Base near Boise, Idaho in July 1951. He was commander of the Military Air Transport Service's Air Resupply and Communications Service. He commanded the newly formed 580th Wing there in November 1951.

In August 1952 he took the 580th Wing to Libya. In the following May, he commanded the 316th Air Division's 549th Air Control and Warning Group in Morocco.

His last assignment was as commander of Smoky Hill Air Force Base in Kansas.

He was known for caring more about the safety of the men in his command than about his superiors and his tendency to let those superiors know what he honestly felt instead of what they wanted to hear took a toll on his military career after the war.

Military Honors

John Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor Citation: The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Colonel (Air Corps) John Riley Kane, United States Army Air Forces, for conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty Headquarters, 98th Bombardment Group (H), Ninth Air Force in action on 1 August 1943. On this date Colonel Kane 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 in Rumania. En route to the target, which necessitated a round-trip flight of over 2,400 miles, Colonel 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 Colonel Kane's element. Despite the thoroughly warned defenses, the intensive anti-aircraft 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, Colonel 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, Colonel 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.

1. Silver Star
2. Legion of Merit
3. Distinguished Flying Cross
4. Air Medal

Retirement from the United States Air Force

Colonel Kane retired on 10 May 1954.

Retirement Years

He retired to a farm in Logan County, Arkansas where he lived in a house he had built himself until Phyllis' death in 1987 when he moved to Pennsylvania to be near his son.

Death and Burial

Col. Kane died on 29 May 1996 in Coatesville, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States at the age of 89. He was residing at a Veterans' Administration nursing home in Coatesville. He was buried on 18 June 1996 with full military honors in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia. Plot: Section 7A, Grave 47, Map Grid U-23/24. Find A Grave: Memorial #11166

Sources

• Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
• [[Wikipedia:John_R._Kane | John Riley Kane on Wikipedia]
• Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 for John Riley Kane. Veteran of WWII and Korea. Served in USAF (Army) from June 1931 (enlisted Shreveport, LA) and July 1956. Colonel.
• National Cemetery Administration. Nationwide Gravesite Locator.
• 1910 United States Federal Census 6 May in Justice Precinct 6, Coryell, Texas. ^[1]
• 1920 United States Federal Census on c. 4 January in Waco, McLennan, Texas.^[2]
• 1930 United States Federal Census on 5 April in East St. Louis, St. Clair, Illinois. ^[3]
• 1943 U.S. City Directories in Shreveport, Louisiana for J.R. and Pansy Kane. His occupation was US Army. His parents are in the same directory with Rev. Kane as a pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church.
• 1946 U.S. City Directories in Shreveport, Louisiana for J.R. and Pansy Kane. No occupation is given for J.R. Parents again on same page with Rev. Kane pastor of the Southside Baptist Church.
• Together We Served at [1]

Footnotes

1. ↑ 1910: Wright, J.W. 52, b. TX, married 32 years, own income, head; S.E. 52, b. TX, 5 children born & 4 living, wife; Kane, J.F. 26, b. TX, married 4 years, farmer, son-in-law; Birdie 22, 1 child born & living, daughter; Kane, John Jr.. 2, grandson.
2. ↑ 1920: Kane, J.F. 36, b. TX, minister, head; Birdie 32, b. TX, wife; John R. 13, b. TX, son; Frances 7, b. TX, daughter.
3. ↑ 1930: Kane, Frank J. 46, married at 22, Baptist clergyman, head; Birdie E. 42, married at 18, wife; John R. 23, no employment, single, son; Frances B. 18, daughter, no employment.