Colonel John E. Ford III was born on the 12^th of December 1937, in Englewood, NJ. John E. Ford grew up during the start of World War II. He grew up remembering how patriotic and how every one would do everything they could do to make it better for the U.S. Troops. One memory Mr. Ford had was everyone would save the gum rapper foil and recycle it for supplies for the troops. He joined the army ROTC at his high school. He joined that for three years until he went to college. While in high school and college he joined the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. He majored in Cinematography or motion picture production. Mr. Ford was one of the men that was behind the Pillsbury Dough boy. Mr. Ford moved to California in 1948.

In February 1960, he was assigned to the 1365^th Photographic Group at Orlando Air Force Base, Florida where he monitored commercial contact motion picture productions. In August 1961, Mr. Ford was assigned as officer in charge, in the Republic of Philippines. From there, in December 1961, he led a combat camera team to the Republic of Vietnam as the first Air Photographic and Charting Service officer to enter the Vietnam War. While Mr. Ford was there, he flew eight aerial combat missions.

Colonel Ford separated from active duty in July 1962. He stayed with the Air Force Reserve as a mobilization augmentee to the 1352^nd Photographic Group at Lookout Mountain Air Force Station, California.

Colonel Ford was called again to active duty on New Year's Eve 1966; he was assigned in January 1967 to the 600^th Photographic Squadron in Tan Son Nhut Air Base at the Republic of Vietnam. In February 1967, he became the commander of detachment 7 at Do Nang airport. Colonel Ford provided combat camera coverage of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Vietnam Air Force activities in the Republic of Vietnam, Laos, and North Vietnam.

Later Colonel Ford was assigned as an operations officer of 601^st photographic flight in August 1968. Also, he was temporarily the commander of Detachment 3, 601^st Photographic Flight, and Karat Royal Thailand Air Force Base, Thailand form December 1968 to February 1969. After returning to the United States in March 1969, he was assigned as commander. In May 1972, colonel Ford went to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois as a war plans officer, HQ Military Airlift Command. In this capacity, he was the plan action officer for the HOMECOMING Plan and actively worked a plan execution, which brought home our prisoners of war from Southeast Asia. In January 1975, Colonel Ford reported to the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Washington D.C. as Chief, Joint Interest Media Support Division. In August 1978, Colonel Ford moved to become an operations officer, and in January 1979, he became commander.

Colonel Ford returned to Norton Air Force Base in June 1987 to assume his duties as Vice Commander of the Air Combat Camera Service. In August 1990, Colonel Ford deployed with combat camera forces to Saudi Arabia. He served as General Schwarzkopf's operations-combat camera staff officer and as commander of all combat camera forces in the theater.

Colonel Ford retired on the first of September 1992. General Charles Horner, former Commander of Air Forces in the Dessert Storm, was the retirement official. On the first of August 1994 he assumed his present position.

Colonel Ford has 124 combat missions and 329.5 combat hours in southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf region. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Republic of Vietnam Medal of Honor First Class.

Mr. Ford was promoted to the grade of Colonel with the date of rank December 16^th, 1981. He is married to the former Sherry Lee Cunningham of St. Louis, Missouri. They have one daughter, Shanna Lee.