Dean Hess
A minister turned fighter pilot who orchestrated a daring airborne rescue of nearly a thousand Korean war orphans, inspiring a Hollywood film.
1917–2015 (age 98)·American minister and Air Force officer·Birthday: December 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Dean Hess’s life fused faith, flight, and fierce compassion. An ordained minister from Ohio, he learned to fly before World War II and became a fighter pilot instructor. When the Korean War erupted, he returned to service, tasked with training the fledgling South Korean air force. His defining moment came in December 1950, as Chinese forces advanced. Hess organized and led a perilous airlift using C-54 transport planes, evacuating 950 orphans and their caretakers from a besieged Seoul to the island of Jeju. This 'Kiddy Car Airlift' saved them from almost certain slaughter. After the war, he remained in Korea to help establish an orphanage. His 1956 memoir, 'Battle Hymn,' turned his story into an American legend, later adapted into a film starring Rock Hudson, cementing his image as a warrior with a profound sense of mercy.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Dean was born in 1917, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dean Was Born
The biggest hits of 1917
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Dean's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1917Born
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Started school
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1930Became a teenager
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Could drive
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1935Could vote
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1938Turned 21
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1947Turned 30
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 40
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 50
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 60
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 70
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 80
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2015Died at 98
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Planned and executed the rescue of 950 Korean orphans and 80 staff during the Chinese advance in 1950.
- Authored the autobiography 'Battle Hymn,' which became a major motion picture in 1957.
- Served as a fighter pilot instructor in both World War II and the Korean War.
- Helped establish and fund the Korean Children's Home orphanage after the war.
Did You Know?
The 1957 film 'Battle Hymn' starred Rock Hudson as Dean Hess.
He was a minister in the Disciples of Christ church before becoming a pilot.
Hess flew P-47 Thunderbolts during World War II.
“I saw the face of war, and I saw the face of God in the children we saved.”
