Jeff Dunham
Dunham was born in Dallas, Texas on April 18, 1962. When he was three months old, he was adopted by real estate appraiser Howard Dunham, and his homemaker wife Joyce, who raised him in a devoutly Presbyterian household in an affluent Dallas neighborhood, as an only child.
William D. Dunham
Dunham was born in Tacoma, Washington in January 29, 1920. He graduated from the Nezperce High School at Nezperce, Idaho, and attended the University of Idaho, from 1937 to 1940.
Dunham completed the Air Corps Primary and Basic Flying schools at Santa Monica and Moffett Field, California, and graduated from Advanced Flying School at Luke Field, Arizona, receiving a commission as second lieutenant on December 12, 1941. Dunham was assigned as a pilot with the 53rd Fighter Group from December 1941 to September 1942 at Tallahassee, Florida, and later Howard Field in Panama Canal Zone. He next served as test pilot with the I Fighter Command in New York, until November 1942, and as a pilot with the 342nd Fighter Squadron in Bradley Field in Connecticut, through December 1942.
In January 1943, Dunham deployed with the 342nd Fighter Squadron in Australia and New Guinea and served as operations officer and later commander. In July 1944, he became commander of the 460th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea and remained in this position until December 1944, when he became operations officer of the 348th Fighter Group in the Philippines. In January 1945, General Dunham returned to the United States and attended gunnery school at Foster Field in Texas, until May 1945. Upon graduation, he immediately returned to the 348th Fighter Group in the Philippines and continued to serve as operations officer and later became deputy commander.
During the war, he became a triple ace and is credited with the destruction of 16 enemy aircraft in air to air combat, while flying both Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and North American P-51 Mustang.
In January 1946, following World War II, he was assigned as commander of Squadron B, 464th Army Air Force Base Unit, McChord Field in Washington, the position he held from February 1946 to May 1946. From May 1946 to June 1948, General Dunham was assigned to Selfridge Field in Michigan, as operations officer for 56th Fighter Group; commander, 62d Fighter Squadron; and assistant chief of supplies and later commander of the 56th Maintenance and Supply Group. Dunham was assigned in August 1948 as chief, Fighter Unit Training Section, Operations Division, Headquarters Strategic Air Command at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and later at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. He next served as deputy chief and later chief, Fighter Division, Directorate of Operations, Headquarters Strategic Air Command.
Dunham left SAC in June 1951 to successively serve at Turner Air Force Base in Georgia, as commander, rear echelon; director of operations; and deputy commander of the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing; and director of operations, Headquarters, 40th Air Division. He departed Turner in April 1954, to become director of operations, 407th Strategic Fighter Wing in Great Falls Air Force Base in Montana, and later Far East Air Forces; he held the position until March 1955. His next assignment was as deputy commander, 71st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Larson Air Force Base in Washington, from March 1955 until June 1956. His next two years were spent at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Texas, as commander, 12th Strategic Fighter Wing(redesignated as 12th Fighter Day Wing) and as deputy commander, 27th Fighter Bomber Wing.