06/03/2026
Salute to Service!
Lieutenant Colonel John Hamilton, age 93, proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1985, retiring after more than three decades of distinguished service to his country. A dedicated B-52 Radar Navigator, he played a critical role during some of the most pivotal moments in Vietnam and Cold War.
In the early 1960s, he participated in Operation Chrome Dome, the strategic airborne alert mission that stood as a powerful nuclear war deterrent during a tense period in global history. During the Vietnam War, he was stationed at Andersen AFB on Guam and flew more than 120 combat missions over Southeast Asia. Among these were the historic December 1972 “Christmas Bombings,” where he and his fellow B-52 crews faced intense enemy fire. During that campaign, several B-52G crews were shot down, underscoring the extraordinary courage and resolve required of those who flew these missions.
In the later years of his career, Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton was Chief of the Operations Division for the 320th Bomb Wing at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento California, leading the unit to earn the prestigious Fairchild Trophy for excellence in precision bombing.
