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Air Force veteran John Hug admires his Quilt of Valor presented to him at the Hopkins County Veterans’ Memorial Thursday morning. Hug was a pilot in three different wars: World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Beside him is his daughter Rhea Vilorio and his wife Nelida. Staff Photo by Tammy Vinson
John Hug honored for 30-year military career
Honoring Military
On Thursday, July 18, at 11:30 a.m., Hopkins County veteran John Hug, 99, was the guest of honor at a surprise presentation commemorating his 30-year military career, receiving a beautiful quilt presented by Hopkins County Veterans Service Officer and fellow Air Force service member Danny Davis.
“Everybody’s here for you today,” Davis told Hug who replied, “What for? I haven’t done anything!”
“You’re a patriot,” Davis said to Hug. “I want to say thank you for your service and what you’ve done. We’re here to present you with a Quilt of Valor.”
The quilt Hug received was made by a local quilter, and an inscription label stitched to the back of it reads, “United States Air Force, Quilts of Valor, In appreciation of your service to our country, Lt. Col. John Hug, Stitched with love and gratitude by Betty, On Eagle Wings.”
At 20, Hug enlisted in the Army Air Corps, which was the predecessor of the United States Air Force, and earned his wings in 1943. He flew B-29 bombers in World War II (including one named the Miss Donna Lee in honor of his eldest daughter), was a stateside B-29 flight instructor during the Korean War, flew B-47s for the Air Weather Service on hurricane watch and spotter missions, and flew C-130 cargo planes in Vietnam.
After completing training and qualifying for the aircraft commander seat, Hug started out flying long range bombing missions in B-29s based at Tinian Island, including missions to Singapore and 17 combat missions in Japan. Hug was flying a B-29 over Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day in 1945.
Hug spent 14 of his 30 years in the military working with the Air Weather Service flying into the eyes of hurricanes doing weather reconnaissance. He also collected atmospheric data on atomic tests conducted by the U.S. and other countries by flying through atomic clouds to collect samples. He ended his weather career setting up a training school for new weather pilots in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Hug retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1971, concluding what he describes as “a colorful and interesting career.”
But he wasn’t ready to be grounded just yet. Following his military service, he continued on as a flight instructor and earned his instrument instructor rating before flying another 20 years as a commercial pilot.
Hug also conducted classes at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho. The museum produced a video interview where Hug detailed his experiences and the technical characteristics of planes he flew.