John L. Jerstad was born on February 12, 1918, in Racine, Wisconsin. He was the oldest of two children of Art and Alice Jerstad. His sister, Mary, was 4 years his junior. He graduated from Washington Park High School in 1936, and enrolled in Northwestern University. He graduated there in 1940. He taught school in La Duc, Missouri for 1 year.

Jerstad enrolled in the Aviation Cadet Program on July 12, 1941 and trained at Ontaria, California as well as at Luke Field, Arizona. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on February 6, 1942, and assigned to the 98th Bomb Group at Barksdale Army Air Field, Louisiana for further training.

In October, 1943, he deployed to England with the 93rd Bomb Group, and was assigned to the 328th Bomb Squadron in the grade of Captain. By April, 1943, he had completed his alloted number of combat missions. He was promoted to Major and assigned to 2nd Bomb Wing as Air Operations Officer. When he learned of, and assisted in planning for, the raids on the Romanian oil fields, code-named "Operation Tidal Wave," he volunteered as a co-pilot to accompany the lead element.

Bombers from the 328th Bomb Squadron flew from England to Libya in North Africa to plan for the operation. Jerstad was assigned as co-pilot to Lieutenant Colonel Addison Baker, the Group Commanding Officer.

On the inbound route to Polesti, the aircraft was struck several times by heavy flak, one 88mm shell blowing the nose off the aircraft and killing the navigator. Three miles from release, fire broke out and engulfed the entire plane. Baker, not knowing if he could make the required bomb run with a full load, was determined not to break the lead element. So, he and Jerstad, flying as lead crew, remained in formation with the burning aircraft and guided the other formations to the target. Baker flew directly over the aimimg point, giving the signal by salvoing his bomb load so the other aircraft could bomb. He and Jerstad then attempted to gain altitude from their present 300 feet to allow the crew to bail out.

Eyewitness accounts state that 3 or 4 crewmen, their clothes and bodies ablaze, made it from the craft only to perish. Baker and Jerstad realized there was no safe landing to be contemplated, so they crashed the aircraft into the target complex.

For the acts of heroism performed on the mission, both Jerstad and Baker were awarded the Medal of Honor.

In 1950, Jerstad's family was notified his remains had been recovered and identified. He was buried in Ardennes American Military Cemetery, near Neupres, Belgium. He lies in Plot C, Row 24, Grave 10.

Jerstad Elementary School in Racine, Wisconsin, is named in his honor.

Jerstad, John Louis, Maj