James F. Hackler

Who was James F. Hackler?

Brigadier General James Franklin Hackler Jr. was born on 8 September 1920, in Marion, Virginia.

He graduated from New Hanover High School, Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1937; attended Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, Georgia, during 1937–1938, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, during 1938–1939. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1943, with the first class in which some members received both a commission and pilot wings.

His first assignment was to Spence Field, Ga., for additional fighter-pursuit training. He then was assigned to the 358th Fighter Group and in 1943 went with it to the European Theater of Operations, where he served as pilot, squadron commander and then group operations officer in England, France and Germany. In 1945 he became an operations staff officer for the XII Tactical Air Command in Germany, He remained in Europe after World War II as a P-51 Mustang squadron commander with the 357th Fighter Group stationed at Neubiberg, Germany.

In 1947, he was assigned to the Pentagon for duty with the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.