Neel Ernest Kearby (June 5, 1911 – March 5, 1944) was a United States Army Air Forces colonel and P-47 Thunderbolt pilot in World War II who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat. Kearby is the first United States Army Air Forces fighter pilot to receive the Medal of Honor. He scored a total of 22 aerial victories and was the top-scoring P-47 pilot in the Pacific Theater.