Sixty years after serving in the Army Air Corps 7th Fighter Squadron, former 1st Lt. James Costley has received the last of his military decorations. Costley was a P-38 Lightning pilot in the Pacific theater, where he earned a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal that were never presented. He flew 87 combat missions, flying with the 7th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, in the Philippines in 1944. SMSgt. Gregory Henneman, historian for the 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M., discovered a 1949 letter authorizing the Air Medal and then found documentation for the DFC. Henneman prepared the final paperwork that resurrected the medals for Costley.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American
