Jimmy Stewart was initially rejected for Army service in October 1940 for being under-weight. However, with the help of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s personal trainer, he successfully enlisted as a private in the US Army Air Corps in March 1941, and became the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War 2. As a licensed commercial pilot he applied for a pilot rating and was commissioned in January 1942.
Stewart wanted to serve in an operational unit rather than just as a celebrity recruiter and applied for advanced training in multi-engine aircraft. After instructor duties at home, he successfully lobbied for an overseas assignment and took command of a bomber squadron based in England. Stewart led his squadron on its first combat mission in December 1943 to bomb U-boat facilities at Kiel, Germany.
By the end of the war Stewart had an official tally of 20 mission credits, but he unofficially participated in many more sorties deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. He rose from private to full colonel in his four years of WW2 service and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Croix de Guerre, and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters for his bravery in combat. Stewart rarely spoke about his wartime service, but continued to play a role in the United States Air Force Reserve after the war as a Brigadier General. In 1966, he flew as a non-duty observer on a B-52 bombing mission during the Vietnam War, but refused the release of any publicity regarding his participation.
In August 1943, Stewart was assigned to the 445th Bomb Group as operations officer of the 703d Bombardment Squadron, but after three weeks became its commander.
On October 12, 1943, judged ready for overseas movement, the 445th Bomb Group staged to Lincoln Army Airfield, Nebraska. Flying individually, the aircraft first flew to Morrison Army Airfield, Florida, and then on the circuitous Southern Route along the coasts of South America and Africa to RAF Tibenham, Norfolk, England.
After several weeks of training missions, in which Stewart flew with most of his combat crews, the group flew its first combat mission on December 13, 1943, to bomb the U-boat facilities at Kiel, Germany, followed three days later by a mission to Bremen. Stewart led the high squadron of the group formation on the first mission, and the entire group on the second.
Following a mission to Ludwigshafen, Germany, on January 7, 1944, Stewart was promoted to major. Stewart was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions as deputy commander of the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing on the first day of "Big Week" operations in February and flew two other missions that week.
On March 22, 1944, Stewart flew his 12th combat mission, leading the 2nd Bomb Wing in an attack on Berlin.
On March 30, 1944, he was sent to RAF Old Buckenham to become group operations officer of the 453rd Bombardment Group, a new B-24 unit that had just lost both its commander and operations officer on missions.
As a means to inspire the unit, Stewart flew as command pilot in the lead B-24 on several missions deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. As a staff officer, Stewart was assigned to the 453rd "for the duration" and thus not subject to a quota of missions of a combat tour. He nevertheless assigned himself as a combat crewman on the group's missions until his promotion to lieutenant colonel on June 3 and reassignment on July 1, 1944, to the 2nd Bomb Wing, assigned as executive officer to Brigadier General Edward J. Timberlake. His official tally of mission credits while assigned to the 445th and 453rd Bomb Groups totaled 20 sorties.
Receiving French Croix de Guerre with Palm in 1944 Stewart continued to make missions, uncredited, flying with the pathfinder squadron of the 389th Bombardment Group, with his two former groups, and with groups of the 20th Combat Bomb Wing.
He received a second award of the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in combat and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He also received the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. Stewart served in a number of staff positions in the 2nd and 20th Bomb Wings between July 1944 and the end of the war in Europe, and was promoted to full colonel on March 29, 1945.
On May 10, 1945, he succeeded to command of the 2nd Bomb Wing, a position he held until June 15.
Stewart was one of the few Americans to rise from private to colonel in four years
