Samuel Egbert Anderson

US Air Force General. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Material Command (now called Air Force Materiel Command) and was involved in the development of the American war plan that contributed significantly to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. Born Samuel Egbert Anderson in Greensboro, North Carolina, he received an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1924 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery upon graduation in June 1928. He was assigned to the US Army Air Corps Primary Flying School, Brooks Field (now closed; re-established as Brooks City-Base), Texas, which he completed the following year. He then proceeded to Kelly Field, Texas (now Kelly Field Annex Joint Base San Antonio), to attend the Observation Course at the Air Corps Advanced Flying School. After graduating in October 1929, he joined the 5th Observation Squadron at Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York. On November 1, 1929 he officially transferred to the US Army Air Corps. From September 1932 to February 1939, he saw service at Chanute Field (now closed), Rantoul, Illinois, and later acted as flying instructor and performed various duties at Kelly Field. In March 1939 he was assigned to Wheeler Field, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, where he became commanding officer of the 6th Pursuit Squadron and in November 1940 he was designed the Wing S-3, plans and training officer, for the 18th Composite Wing there. In May 1941 he was assigned to Langley Field, Virginia, where he served in various capacities. In August of that year, he was brought into the Air War Plans Division (AWPD) where as a major he helped author AWPD-1, the first of several American Air War Plans. In October 1941 he was transferred to the Office of the Assistant Chief Air Staff, Headquarters Army Air Force, Washington DC and from March until May 1943 he was assigned to the Operations Division, War Department General Staff, Washington, DC. During this period he saw action in the Pacific Theater, flying combat missions in New Guinea and in June 1942 he was awarded the Silver Star during action in the vicinity of Port Moresby in Salamaua, New Guinea. In May 1943 he transferring to the European Theater of Operations as an administrative inspector of the 3rd Bombardment Wing (Medium), assuming command of the organization the following July. In October 1943 he was designated the commanding general of the Ninth Bomber Command (Medium) of the 9th Air Force. He returned to the US in May 1945 and became the chief of staff, Continental Air Force, at Bolling Field (now Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling), Washington, DC and serving in that capacity until August 1950 when he was assigned to Carswell Air Force Base (now Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Carswell Field), Texas as commander of the Eighth Air Force. On May 31, 1953 he became the commanding general of the 5th Air Force in Korea and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In May 1954 he returned to the US and was assigned as director, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group (Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Research and Development) at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. He held this position until his assignment as commander of Air Research and Development Command August 1, 1957. In March 1959 he was promoted to the rank of general and became the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Material Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and remained in this capacity upon its re-designation to the Air Force Logistics Command on April 1, 1961. In August 1961 he was assigned as the Air Deputy to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe at Louveciennes, France until his retirement in August 1963, having served 35 years of active military service in the US Army Air Corps and the US Air Force. Among his military awards and decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He died at the age of 76.