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Brigadier General Gerald Eugene McIlmoyle (Mac-ill-moyle) is deputy director for operations (strategic and general operations), J-3, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.
General McIlmoyle was born in 1930, in North Platte, Neb. He graduated from McCook High School, McCook, Neb., in 1948; McCook Junior College in 1950; and the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1966 with a bachelor of science degree in military science. He graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Va., in July 1967.
General McIlmoyle enlisted in the Air Force in May 1951 and in November that year he entered aviation cadet training at Bainbridge Air Base, Ga. Upon completion of the aviation cadet program at Bryan Air Force Base, Texas, Dec. 19, 1952, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and awarded his pilot wings. He then had advanced fighter training in the F-86 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. In April 1953 General McIlmoyle reported for duty with the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Suwon, South Korea. In April 1954 he was assigned as a pilot with the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls Air Force Base, Mont.
In July 1957 General McIlmoyle was granted a regular commission by competitive examination. He reported to the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, as a U-2 pilot in August 1957. 
From April through July 1958, he attended Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Given a "spot" promotion to major in 1961, he flew as a U-2 pilot over much of the world, including the North and South Poles, from bases in Alaska, Argentina, Australia, Guam, and South Vietnam. General McIlmoyle was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for flights over Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. He escorted President Kennedy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Air Force Chief of Staff on a tour of the U-2, explaining its inner workings.
In August 1964 General McIlmoyle voluntarily relinquished his spot promotion to major and was assigned as a plans officer in the Space Section, Future Plans Branch of Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. He helped write the original operations concept for the SR-71. In July 1967 he transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as a plans officer in the Space Branch of the Directorate of Plans. He was the primary plans action officer for space and reconnaissance matters and the strategic forces action officer on the Joint Strategic Operations Plan in 1969 and 1970. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his accomplishments on the Air Staff.
From June 1970 to March 1971, he was director of the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, Military Assistance Command Vietnam, in Saigon, Republic of Vietnam. General McIlmoyle supervised recovery operations throughout Southeast Asia.
Assigned to Headquarters SAC in April 1971, he was chief of the Intelligence Developments Division, where future SAC needs in cameras, films, processing, electronic and other intelligence collectors were conceptualized and documented. In October 1972 General McIlmoyle became director of reconnaissance in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence. He was in charge of specifying SAC's worldwide intelligence requirements and the processing and dissemination of the intelligence data collected. He performed in this capacity during Linebacker II operations over North Vietnam and was subsequently awarded his first oak leaf cluster to the Legion of Merit for his accomplishments.
General Mcllmoyle attended Minuteman III combat crew training at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., from April to June 1973. He was then assigned as special assistant to the deputy commander for maintenance at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., and in October 1973 he became commander of the 448th Strategic Missile Squadron.
In July 1974 he transferred to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., as director of operations for the 90th Strategic Missile Wing until April 1975; as base commander until May 1976; and as vice commander of the 90th Strategic Missile Wing until July 1976.
General McIlmoyle was commander of the 341st Strategic Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., from July 1976 to April 1978. In April 1978 he was assigned as assistant deputy chief of staff, Plans for Plans and Policy, Headquarters SAC. He assumed his present position in June 1979.
He is a command pilot and has 4,376 hours of flying time, including 47 hours of combat time. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon with two oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal and Small Arms Expert Marksmanship ribbon with star.
He was promoted to brigadier general July 1, 1978, with date of rank June 12, 1978.
General McIlmoyle's hometown is McCook, Neb.
The Roadrunners remember a few years ago, the general and his daughter, Maureen, sharing with us a letter that then Capt McIlmoyle wrote to his wife on 19 October 1962 just before departing on a U-2 flight over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, reminding us all of the duty, devotion, and dangers of serving our nation as members of the armed forces, and of the familiesG€™ fears, worries, and sacrifices of not knowing the fate of their service member until that next phone call or letter.
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McIlmoyle, Gerald
Feb 24, 1930 - Mar 24, 2021
Gerald (Jerry) McIlmoyle was the oldest of seven children born to Eugene and Catharine and raised in McCook, NE. He left McCook to enter the Air Force in 1951 and become a pilot. By July 1957, he graduated with honors as a U-2 pilot from the Squadron Officer's School. His work flying reconnaissance flights over hostile lands led to his assignment to fly sorties over Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. During the Cold War, he flew reconnaissance missions over the USSR, China, and North and South Vietnam. His career gave him three tours at SAC Headquarters and two tours at the Pentagon.
During the Cold War, he was frequently the Officer in Charge for the "Looking Glass" that provided nuclear readiness in a command and control center in the sky. His leadership promoted him to the Base and 
then Wing Commander positions of the missile bases at F. E. Warren and Malmstrom, respectively. He rounded out his career with a final tour at the Pentagon as the Deputy Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff where he earned the rank of Brigadier General. As he yearned for new horizons, he thought this was a great time to say thanks and sayonara because he had achieved two of his lifelong dreams: to be a pilot and to become a general in the Air Force. His final day of active duty was July 1, 1981.
He spent a second career as one of his real estate company's most successful real estate agents, helping young people buy their first homes when the country had double-digit inflation and home loan rates. And a third career as the office manager for a cardiac rehab medical clinic.
He retired with his first wife, Patty, in Venice. Patty died in 2013. Jerry was predeceased by his brothers and sisters: Jackie, Marien, Patty, Jim, and Berenice. He is survived by his youngest brother, Charles. Jerry and Patty's oldest child, Mary Catharine, died at birth, but he is survived by his four other children: Patrick (wife Robin); Ruth (husband Mark); Maureen and Erin; his seven grandchildren: Rebecca (husband Ricky), Dan, Katie (husband Jason), Brian, Kendra, Diana (husband Zach) and Samantha (husband Jim); and his three great-grandchildren: Sofia (11), Enrique (6) and Isaac (1).
In August of 2014, Jerry married Joan at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Venice. They spent almost seven loving years together. Joan's children, Leanne (husband Steve) and Guy D. (wife Olga) grew to know Jerry as a treasured member of their family. Joan's grandchildren, Vincent and Alexis, called him "Papa".
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