James U. Cross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
General
James U. Cross
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General James U. Cross
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| Birth name | James Underwood Cross |
| Born | April 25, 1925 Covington County, Alabama |
| Died | July 11, 2015 (aged 90) Gatesville, Texas |
| Service/ |
 United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1944-1971 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General |
| Commands held | Pilot of Air Force One, Military aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson, Commander of the 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas |
| Other work | Author |
James Underwood Cross (born April 25, 1925 – died July 11, 2015) was a U.S. Air Force general. He was famous for being the main pilot of Air Force One for President Lyndon B. Johnson. He also helped President Johnson as a military assistant. Later, he helped write a book about his experiences. The book was called Around the World with LBJ: My Wild Ride As Air Force One Pilot, White House Aide, and Personal Confidant.
Flying High: A General's Journey
James Cross learned to fly planes with the U.S. Army. In November 1944, he became a second lieutenant. This is a junior officer rank in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Cross started his military career flying transport planes during World War II.
After the war, he joined the Air Force Reserve in 1946. He was called back to active duty in 1948. He then served at military bases, continuing to fly transport aircraft.
In 1958, Cross was sent to Bolling Air Force Base in Washington D.C. There, he flew planes for very important people (VIPs). In 1961, he became a military assistant and pilot for Vice President Lyndon Johnson. He was a co-pilot for one year. From 1965 to 1968, he was the main pilot and military assistant for President Lyndon Johnson.
In August 2010, Cross helped move a special plane. It was one of the C-140 Lockheed JetStar planes. This plane used to fly President Johnson from the White House to his ranch in Texas. Cross arranged for it to be cleaned up and moved to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. This was done to honor what would have been Johnson's 102nd birthday.
On February 23, 1962, Cross flew Vice President Lyndon Johnson to Grand Turk Island. Johnson was the head of the National Space Council at the time. They went to meet John Glenn, Jr., a Marine Corps officer. Glenn had just landed in the ocean in his space capsule, Friendship 7. This was after his space mission, Project Mercury. Colonel Glenn joined Cross in the cockpit for the flight back to Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.
General Cross received many special awards for his military service. These included the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States), and the Air Medal. He also earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Presidential Service Badge.
Later Life
James Cross's wife, Marie Campbell Cross, passed away in February 2010. They had four children together. General Cross died on July 11, 2015, in Gatesville, Texas.
