Earl T. O’Loughlin was born in 1930 and lived in East Tawas, where he attended elementary school and graduated from high school in 1948 as an exemplary student. After taking the Air Force Oath of Enlistment in 1951, he became a B-29 Eagle Crew Pilot and flew 29 missions over North Korea. He was nominated to West Point twice, flew more than 7,000 hours as a command pilot in 22 plus different aircraft, and received the Distinguished Flying Cross. After 37 years in uniform, O'Loughlin retired as the only Air Force 4 Star General in the state of Michigan.