Sevila commanded the 104th Tactical Fighter Group, as the Air Guard unit was then known, from 1970 to 1973.
WESTFIELD - Brig. Gen. John J. Sevila, a World War II fighter pilot who grew up in Springfiield and went on to become commander of the Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing here, died Sept. 15 after a brief illness. He was 97 and had lived on Cape Cod for many years following his retirement.
Sevila enlisted in the military as an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps in 1942. During the war, he served with the West Coast Air Training Command as an instructor and flight commander, according to his obituary.
Sevila left active duty in 1945 but continued serving in the military, first in the Air Force Reserve and later the Air National Guard. He was among the men credited with helping launch the 104th Fighter Wing in Westfield, and served as commander from 1970 to 1973.
An accomplished pilot, Sevila founded the Rainbow Acrobatic Group, a precision flying group for which he flew as lead pilot.
In civilian life, he worked with New England Telephone Co. from 1945 to 1977, beginning as a lineman and retiring as district manager.
Sevila's funeral is set for Friday at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of The Cape Church in Brewster. Burial with military honors will follow at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA Hospice and Palliative Care, 434 Rt. 134 S. Dennis, MA 02660.