ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga., Nov. 2 -- The U.S. Air Force Reserve Command issued the following news release:
While the world remembers James "Jimmy" Stewart as the star of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," his most formidable real-life role was played out far from the Hollywood spotlight. Rising from private to colonel in just four years during World War II, Stewart chose not to leave the military behind when peace arrived. Instead, he committed himself to a decades-long career in the Air Force Reserve, ultimately retiring as a Brigadier General.
By the end of World War II, Colonel Jimmy Stewart had flown 20 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe in B-24 Liberator aircraft. During that time, he commanded multip...