Jerry B. Killian

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Lieutenant Colonel Jerry B. Killian (????–1984) was a commanding officer in the Texas Air National Guard in the early 1970s.

During this period, one of his subordinates was Lieutenant George W. Bush, who would later go on to become President of the United States. During the presidential campaigns of 2000 and especially 2004 there was extensive media coverage of Bush's service record, much of it focused on whether Bush had adequately discharged his responsibilities during the Vietnam War (see: George W. Bush military service controversy).

In September, 2004, weeks prior to the election, CBS publicized several memos, allegedly typewritten by Killian, that appeared to support allegations that Bush had refused to obey a direct order, and subsequent relief from flight status (see Killian documents). The memos were subsequently disputed and are considered forgeries by many document examiners, while other examiners would neither authenticate them nor confirm them as forgeries (see Killian documents authenticity issues).

Killian's former secretary Marian Carr Knox denied typing the memos and pronounced them as fakes; however, she says the content of the memos reflected Killian's attitude towards the future president; her view is contested by Killian's son and widow, both of whom stated Killian liked Bush, and by official documents from the period showing Killian's description of Bush as an "exemplary" pilot.

"I know that I didn't type them. However, the information in those is correct," Knox told CBS anchor Dan Rather. [1]