Brigadier General E. Daniel Cherry entered the United States Air Force in July 1959 as an aviation cadet and was commissioned a second lieutenant in July 1960. He began his career as a navigator with the 522nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing at McClellan Air Force Base, California, and McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, serving from February 1961 to March 1964.
In 1964, he entered pilot training with the 3615th Pilot Training Wing at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama, graduating first in his class in March 1965. He then completed F-105 Thunderchief training at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, before being assigned to the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany, where he flew F-105s from October 1965 to January 1967.
General Cherry next deployed to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, 
Thailand, serving with the 421st and 44th Tactical Fighter Squadrons. During this tour, he flew 100 combat missions over North Vietnam. In August 1967, he became an F-105 instructor pilot and flight examiner with the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.
He returned to Southeast Asia in June 1971, assigned to the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. There, flying the F-4D Phantom, he completed 185 combat missions. During this combat tour, he served as a flight commander and as chief of the 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing’s “Laredo” F-4 forward air controller program.
On April 16, 1972, while flying with the 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing over North Vietnam, 
General Cherry engaged in an intense aerial battle and was credited with the destruction of a North Vietnamese MiG-21. That encounter would later become the centerpiece of his book, My Enemy, My Friend, a powerful account of reconciliation born from war. In it, he recounts witnessing enemy pilot Nguyen Hong My eject from his aircraft. Remarkably, the two men were reunited more than 30 years later on national television in Vietnam, forging a friendship that continues to inspire audiences worldwide.
In 2008, during a visit to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, General Cherry 
and a group of colleagues located the very F-4D Phantom he had flown during that 1972 mission over Hanoi. Recognizing its historical significance, they developed a plan to bring the aircraft to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and establish a museum and air park to honor regional aviators. That aircraft, F-4D Phantom II (#66-7550), became the cornerstone of Aviation Heritage Park, which was dedicated in October 2008.
Following his graduation from the National War College in June 1980, General Cherry held a series of key leadership positions. He served as commander of the 347th Combat Support Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, and later as vice commander of the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing. In November 1982, he was assigned to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, as Director of Inspection, and in July 1983 became Inspector General for Pacific Air Forces.
From May 1984 to June 1985, he commanded the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. He then returned to Pacific Air Forces headquarters as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans. In August 1987, he assumed command of the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service and served concurrently as Deputy Chief of Staff for Recruiting Service and Commissioning Programs at Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. He retired from active duty on December 1, 1988.
General Cherry is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. His decorations include the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with nine oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 34 oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Following his military service, General Cherry continued his commitment to public service as Secretary of the Kentucky Justice Cabinet. He also played a key role in preserving Bowling Green’s historic L&N Train Depot, leading efforts to save and restore the structure. From 1999 to 2002, he led the Warren County Intermodal Transportation Authority, contributing to the successful development of the Kentucky Transpark.
His academic achievements include a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Florida Southern College. He is also a graduate of the National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
General Cherry has been recognized with numerous honors, including induction into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame (2000), the Western Kentucky University Hall of Distinguished Alumni (2013), and the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame (2015). He is Director Emeritus of Aviation Heritage Park, a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, and a Kentucky Colonel. In 2026, he received the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor and the Dallas Jones Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Kentucky Hospitality Association.
