World War II

Evans' P-51 Mustang 'Little Sweetie 4'

Upon graduation from West Point, Evans attended United States Army Air Corps pilot training at Randolph Field, Texas. After the completion of his flight training, he served in fighter squadrons in the United States and Iceland, and attended the Command and General Staff School in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In the autumn of 1944, he was assigned to the 357th Fighter Group at RAF Leiston in England in the European Theater of Operations. Flying P-51 Mustangs in aerial combat, he shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 over Magdeburg, Germany on November 27, 1944, his first aerial victory. His biggest day came on January 14, 1945, when he shot down four Fw 190s over Berlin, Germany, with overall 571⁄2 German fighters shot down by fighter pilots of the 357th FG. His last aerial victory of the war was a Messerschmitt Bf 109 over Gütersloh, Germany on March 24, 1945, his sixth overall aerial victory.^[1][2]

During World War II, Evans flew 129 combat missions and was credited with the destruction of six enemy aircraft in aerial combat and two destroyed on the ground while strafing enemy airfields, making him a flying ace.^[3][1][4]

Interbellum

Following the end of World War II, Evans was appointed as commander of the 357th Fighter Group while based in Neubiberg, Germany. In 1946, he returned to the United States and from March 1946 to August 1947, he served in the staff of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He then attended the Air Command and Staff School from August 1947 to June 1948. Following that, he served on the Joint Staff at the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C., from June 1948 to June 1950. Subsequently, he became the executive officer to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, from July 1950 to July 1951. From August 1951 to June 1952, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base from August 1951 to June 1952.^[1]

Korean War

F-84s of the 49th FBW over Korea

In June 1952, he was appointed as the deputy commander of the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing during the Korean War. Stationed at Taegu Air Base, South Korea, he flew missions in the F-84 Thunderjet. On his 67th mission on March 27, 1953, he was shot down and was held as prisoner of war by Communist forces, making him the highest ranking Air Force prisoner of the war. During his time as prisoner, he was held in solitary confinement and after his captors discovered that he served with the USAF Chief of Staff through the Stars and Stripes military newspaper, he was forced to confess that he committed war crimes by his captors. He refused to do so and was subjected to torture. Evans was released from captivity in September 1953 and until his release he was considered missing in action by the U.S. military.^[1][4][5]

Post war

After his return to the United States in September 1953, he became a member of the faculty at the Air War College. In January 1956, he became commander of the 414th Fighter Group at Oxnard, California. From January 1957 to September 1959, he served as vice commander of the New York Air Defense Sector at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. His next assignment was in July 1960 as commander of the 65th Air Division at Torrejon Air Base in Spain. In this position, he was responsible for conducting the joint air defense and training mission with the Spanish air defense commander.^[1]

Evans returned to the United States in October 1963 and was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development at the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in the Pentagon, as director of development planning. In June 1964, he became director of development with additional duty as special assistant to the deputy chief of staff for research and development for counterinsurgency. In August 1968 he was assigned as commander of the Air Force Tactical Air Warfare Center at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.^[1]

During the Vietnam War, Evans flew combat missions in the F-4 Phantom II over North Vietnam. In October 1970, he assumed duties as deputy commander of the Seventh Air Force/Thirteenth Air Force, with headquarters at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. In July 1971, he was appointed as the commander of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Thailand and chief of the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group in Thailand, his last military positions, before his retirement from the Air Force in 1973.^[1][4]

Silver Star citation

Evans Jr., Andrew J.

Colonel, U.S. Air Force

49th Fighter-Bomber Group, Fifth Air Force

Date of Action: March 14, 1953

Citation:^[7]

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Colonel Andrew Julius Evans, Jr., United States Air Force, for gallantry in action against an armed enemy as Group Leader of sixteen F-84 type aircraft of the 49th Fighter Bomber Group, Fifth Air Force, on 14 March 1953. On that date, Colonel Evans led an attack against heavily defended rail-bridges in northernmost North Korea. Leading the group directly to the target, Colonel Evans set-up his bomb pattern and proceeded to dive onto the target, positively marking it for the others in the group. Pulling out of the bomb run, Colonel Evans skillfully avoided the intense anti-aircraft fire, and proceeded south of the now totally destroyed rail-bridge to further harass the enemy. Sighting numerous boxcars and several vehicles, Colonel Evans called for a strafing attack. This attack continued under his competent direction until fuel consumption necessitated a quick return to the base. During this highly successful mission, the entire rail-bridge was destroyed, sixty-seven boxcars were damaged, one vehicle was destroyed, and four vehicles were damaged. Through his keen leadership and flying ability and exemplary devotion to duty, Colonel Evans was instrumental in seriously hampering the enemy's activity in that area, and reflected great credit upon himself, the Far East Air Forces, and the United States Air Force.

Notes

Citations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force