USAF Major General John Giraudo Collection. 1940s-1990s. Including two sheets from a scrapbook with Giraudo's Stalag Luft 1 prisoner identification papers and photographs; Giraudo's World War II dog tag, Stalag Luft prisoner identification tag, and an aluminum Luftwaffe dinner fork; a mounted photograph showing Giraudo taking during a performance while in the German prison camp; a signed photograph of Dwight D. Eisenhower; a brown leather Cooper A-2 flight jacket; Giraudo's cotton jumpsuit with River Rats and F-105 Thundercat patches and bag; a joystick taken from Giraudo's F-105 fighter after his 100th mission in 1967; two Caterpillar Club pins; a pair of Giraudo's dog tags, a key chain with a small pen knife, can opener and medals, a Geneva Convention identification card, a United States Uniformed Services identification card, a red silk handkerchief, and a photograph; a typed memorandum from Giraudo to General John C. Meyer titled 'Position Report on SAFLL F-15 Program' dated December 6, 1971, marked 'SECRET' and with Gen. Meyer's handwritten comments throughout; a copy of a Prisoner of War medal application and copies of letters verifying Giraudo's status as a Prisoner of War in German and Korea; a 1985 USAF invitation to participate in the Warriors of the Past Program; a 1983 USAF letter forwarding photos of Giraudo's F-86F Saber; five typed letters/notes from Barry Goldwater; fifteen mostly service relate photographs of Giraudo; printed books including The Beam, Chico, California, Class 43-C Red River Valley Fighter Pilots, and Clipped Wings; and a 720-page typescript of an interview with Major General John C. Giraudo dated January 8-12, 1985, regarding his long military career. Footnotes: Note John C Giraudo was a United States Air Force Major General, one of a handful of American pilots to be shot down and captured twice in both World War II over Germany, and over Korea. He had a storied career in the US Airforce, joined at 19 in 1942, commissioned in 1943, joined the 702nd Bombardment Squadron and was a squadron leader for the 15th Air Force in the Mediterranean by the end of the year. In February 1944 he was shot down over Regensberg, and sent to Stalag Luft I in Barth, and a year later he was freed by Russian troops. He came back to the Us to take several new courses and by 1950 was attached to the staff of the Supreme Allied Commander General Eisenhower. In 1952 he volunteered to go to Korea and was made Commanding Officer of the 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. On his 99th combat mission in June 1953, he was shot down again, his wingman at the time, was the future astronaut John Glenn, who circled around the area after he crashed, but Giraudo although ejecting safely, was taken away to a Korean POW camp. He was held prisoner until October 1953, when he was repatriated. There followed a string of high-ranking Airforce postings, before being promoted in 1965 to Commanding Officer of the 49th Tactical-Fighter Wing based in West Germany. In 1970 he was promoted to Major General, and in 1973 went back to Germany as Commander of the 17th Air Force, responsible for all the tactical units in Europe. He retired after 35 years of active service in 1977, and in a flying career that logged 6,600 hours of flying time, 643 were logged in combat. A worthy record for a highly decorated distinguished American Pilot. Major General Giraudo's medals were sold in Bonhams' Conflicts of the 20th Century auction, January 19-29, 2021, Lot 90. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing