William "Billy" Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936)

Mitchell was one of the most famous and most controversial figures in the
history of American military aviation. He commanded American air combat
units in France during World War l and was appointed deputy director of 
the Air Service following the war. He believed that bombers should take
the place of battleships and there should be a separate command for the
Air Service.

Mitchell received many honors following his death, including a commission
by President Franklin Roosevelt as a Major General and was the only
person to have an American military aircraft, the B-25 bomber (below),
named after him.

 
The North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber

The influence of air power on the ability of one nation to impress its will on
another in armed contest will be decisive.

–Brig Gen William "Billy" Mitchell

The Douglas DC-8 of United Airlines Flight 173 was en route from Denver to Portland 
International Airport on Wednesday, December 28, 1978. A landing gear malfunction forced the plane to circle the Portland area while the problem was investigated by the crew. The big jet ran out fuel within an hour and crash landed in a sparsely populated area near 157th and East Burnside, killing 10 and seriously injuring 24 of the 189 passengers who were aboard the aircraft.

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976)

 
Glenn Miller

In 1942, at the peak of his civilian career, swing era bandleader Glenn Miller decided
to join the war effort during World War ll. He was first placed in the U.S. Army and then transferred to the Army Air Force where initially formed a large marching band that was to be the core of a network of service orchestras. While he was traveling to entertain
U.S. troops in France, the single-engine Army Air Force UC-64 Norseman (similar to  above) carrying Major Glenn Miller disappeared in thick for over the English Channel
and no trace of the aircrew, passengers or the plane has ever been found. Miller’s
status is… missing in action.