Background
Hester, John Kenton was born on November 7, 1916 in Plains, Montana, United States. Son of John Kenton and Anna Pearl (McMillan) Hester.
Hester, John Kenton was born on November 7, 1916 in Plains, Montana, United States. Son of John Kenton and Anna Pearl (McMillan) Hester.
Bachelor of Science in Ceramics, University of Illinois, 1938. Graduate Air Force Flying School, 1939, Air War College, 1949.
Commissioned Second lieutenant, Air corpus, United States army, 1939. advanced through grades to major general United States Air Force, 1960. Assigned Albrook Field, Canal Zone, 1939-1941, Craig Field, Alabama, 1941-1943, China, Burma, India Theatre of Operations, 1943-1945. Military aide to secretary air force, 1945-1948.
Assigned Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, 1949-1950.
Commander 22d Air Base Group, March Air Force Base, California, 1950. Deputy commander 43d Bomb Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1951, commander 303d Bomb Wing, 1952-1954.
Director operations 15th Air Force, March Air Force Base, 1954-1955. Commander 806th Air Division, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 1955-1957.
Chief staff 2d Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base.
Louisiana, 1957-1959. Deputy director operations Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington, 1959-1962, assistant vice chief of staff, 1962-1964. Commander of the 17th Air Force, since 1964.
Married Helen Vivian Singer, November 29, 1941. Children: Virginia Randall, John Kenton.