John Gaither Merriman (21 October 1929 - 20 August 1964) was a Central Intelligence Agency pilot who died of injuries sustained when his plane was shot down while flying for the Agency in 1964 in the Congo. He was serving in Africa as an instructor for Intermountain Aviation, a CIA front company, training Cuban exile pilots to fly armed T-28 Trojan piston aircraft against communist-backed Simba rebels. Prior to serving in the CIA, Merriman had served in the 82nd Airborne Division. On July 26, 1964, against Agency orders, Merriman flew a strafing mission against a Simba convoy. His T-28 aircraft was hit by ground fire and he managed to reach an airfield before crashing. He was recovered the following morning and taken back to base where he died of his injuries several weeks later.