Ellis, Billy J.

Billy Joe Ellis was born on 11 December 1928 in DeQuincey, LA. He was appointed to West Point from the 7th Congressional District. He came to the Point after a year at LSU, was on the Lacrosse team for three years, and served as a Cadet Captain and E2 Cadet Company Commander his first class year.

On graduation, Billy Joe went in the Air Force and basic pilot training at Greenville AFB, and advanced training at Bryan AFB, where he received his pilot wings in June 1952. He then attended fighter gunnery school at Orlando AFB.

In December of 1952, Billy Joe was assigned to South Korea with the 8th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and accumulated 253 combat hours in F-84s, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, 3 Air Medals, and the Commendation Medal. Upon his return to the States in September 1953, he was assigned as flight commander and gunnery instructor with the 3604th Flying Training Squadron at Luke AFB.

While at Luke Billy Joe was selected to fly with the Thunderbirds in May 1955 and was an original member of the world’s first supersonic aerobatic team when the team received the F-100 aircraft in 1956. Billy Joe then joined the 3597th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Nellis AFB, as a gunnery instructor in February 1957. In August 1957, he was assigned to the US Air Force Academy, CO where he served for three years as commanding air officer.

He returned to flying duties in October 1960 as an F-100 pilot and later served as assistant operations officer with the 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Bitburg Air Base, Germany. In 1961, his unit became the first overseas squadron to transition to F-105s.

In 1963, Billy Joe attended the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB and earned a Master’s degree from George Washington University at the same time. In July 1964 Ellis was assigned to Langley AFB, VA as an F-105 flight examiner and assistant chief, Jet Flight Branch, with the 4450th Standardization Evaluation Group. During this assignment, he went to Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, with the first F-105 unit from the Tactical Air Command. After 51 combat missions, he returned to Langley in November 1965 and was assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command in the Directorate of Operations as an F-105 weapon systems project officer. When the command began to enlarge its training capability because of Southeast Asia operations, he was assigned as chief, Combat Crew Training Branch.

In August 1967, he entered the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, at Ft. McNair. Following this Billy Joe joined the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, in September 1968 as chief, Combat Operations, and later became assistant deputy commander for operations. He again was involved in an organizational aircraft change when the wing converted two squadrons to the F-4. He flew 159 combat missions in F-4s and F-105s and accumulated 388 combat hours, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and 3 additional Air Medals.

In August 1969, Billy Joe became assistant in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Headquarters, USAF, Washington, D.C. He then assumed command of the 40th Air Division, Strategic Air Command, with Headquarters at Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan in February 1972, this time he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal.

He returned to Thailand in February 1973 as commander of the 17th Air Division at U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield. The division was engaged in air operations in Southeast Asia, flying B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, U-2s, C-130 drones and reconnaissance aircraft. This tour brought his combat time to more than 660 hours.

Billy Joe was then assigned to SAC headquarters at Offutt AFB, in November 1973 as deputy chief of staff, personnel, and in July 1974 became deputy chief of staff, operations. In July 1975 he was appointed director of operations and readiness in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters, USAF. He became the deputy inspector general, USAF, in August 1976. He then returned to Langley AFB in August 1977 and assumed his last military assignment as vice commander of the 9th Air Force, Tactical Air Command, with headquarters at Shaw AFB, and he was awarded a second Distinguished Service Medal.
Billy Joe retired from the USAF in 1981 as a Major General and is the first officer ever to hold positions of operations officer for Tactical Air Command, Strategic Air Command and Headquarters, United States Air Force.

After his military retirement, Billy Joe became Assistant Vice President and later Senior Vice President of KVI. He also earned an MA degree from Notre Dame as a Catecheticallnst. He has served as Permanent Deacon at St. Jude Parish since 1991.

(source: Https://defender.west-point.org/service/display.mhtml?u=18176&i=51272)