James Mauran Rhodes

Brigadier General James Mauran Rhodes Jr., USAF (Ret.)
United States Air Force Academy Class of 1959

Brigadier General James M. Rhodes Jr. was a pioneering test pilot, decorated combat aviator, and senior Air Force leader whose career reflected the courage, intellect, and character that defined the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy. A member of the Class of 1959, he helped shape the earliest traditions of the Academy and went on to a distinguished 28 year career marked by innovation, valor, and service at the highest levels of command.

Born in 1937 in Santa Monica, California, and raised in Bellevue, Nebraska, Rhodes graduated from Bellevue High School in 1955 and entered the brand new Air Force Academy as part of the inaugural class. He graduated 10th in a class of 207 and played a formative role in establishing the Academy’s identity—helping adopt the Honor Code, select the falcon mascot, and set the tone for the institution’s first traditions. He later told his son that he loved the Academy deeply, but believed each cadet must choose the path for themselves: “Guys who get pushed through the gates by their parents don’t last.”

Commissioned in 1959, Rhodes earned his wings at Vance Air Force Base and began his operational career flying the F 100 Super Sabre and F 105 Thunderchief. He served in West Germany with the 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron before returning to the United States as an F 105 instructor pilot. During this period, he deployed to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base and flew 65 combat missions over North Vietnam. On one mission, after his wingman was shot down over the Gulf of Tonkin, Rhodes circled overhead until the pilot parachuted into the water. When an enemy patrol boat approached, Rhodes—despite damage to his own aircraft—made a single strafing pass and sank the vessel, protecting his downed comrade.

In 1966, Rhodes was selected for the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, where he became an instructor, test pilot, and eventually program manager for the rocket powered NF 104A Starfighter. In this aircraft, he reached record altitudes at the edge of space, contributing to the nation’s early aerospace research efforts. His achievements earned him the Air Force Association’s prestigious David C. Schilling Trophy in 1969—an honor typically awarded to entire units rather than individual aviators.

Rhodes returned to combat in 1970, flying the A 37B Dragonfly with the 8th Special Operations Squadron in Vietnam, providing close air support to troops on the ground. Afterward, he completed the Naval Command and Staff College and later the Air War College, preparing for senior leadership roles.

Across the 1970s and 1980s, Rhodes held key operational and staff positions, including service in the Fighter Branch at Headquarters U.S. Air Force; assistant deputy commander for operations at the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing; executive officer for plans and policy at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Belgium; and vice commander, then commander, of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at RAF Alconbury.

In 1984, he became deputy chief of staff for support at the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force in West Germany. The following year, he was assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) as command director for combat operations at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex—where he would later pin on his brigadier general star on July 1, 1985.

General Rhodes concluded his career as commander of the 23rd Air Division and, following its reorganization, the Southeast Air Defense Sector at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. A command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours and over 350 combat missions, he retired with a legacy of leadership across tactical aviation, aerospace research, and continental air defense.

His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with 12 oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

Despite his extraordinary accomplishments, General Rhodes was known for his humility. His family recalls that he rarely spoke of his achievements, preferring to let his work—and his character—speak for itself. He remained deeply proud of the Academy and of the Class of 1959, a group whose members went on to earn 15 general officer stars and leave an indelible mark on the United States Air Force.

Brigadier General James M. Rhodes Jr. stands among the Academy’s earliest exemplars of integrity, service, and excellence—an officer who helped build the foundation of the institution and then spent a lifetime honoring it.