Louis Locke Wilson Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Wilson as a lieutenant general | |
| Born | (1919-01-10)January 10, 1919 |
| Died | June 25, 2010(2010-06-25) (aged 91) Tucson, Arizona, US |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1938–1939, 1943–1977 |
| Rank |  General |
| Commands | 367th Fighter Squadron 4081st Strategic Wing Space and Missile Systems Organization Space and Missile Test Center United States Air Forces in Europe Pacific Air Forces |
| Battles / wars | |
Louis Locke Wilson Jr. (January 10, 1919 – June 25, 2010) was afour-stargeneral in theUnited States Air Force (USAF) and former commander in chief of thePacific Air Forces.
Wilson was born inHuntington, West Virginia, in 1919. He graduated from high school in that town and in 1937, after which he attendedGreenbrier Military School inLewisburg, West Virginia. After a year's service in an enlisted status with the11th Infantry,[2] he entered theUnited States Military Academy at West Point in 1939, and graduated in January 1943 with a commission assecond lieutenant in theUnited States Army Air Corps and assigned to theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF). He completed military flight training/pilot training while a cadet at the academy and received an aeronautical rating as a USAAF pilot concurrent with his graduation from West Point.[1]
His first assignment was duringWorld War II with aP-47 Thunderbolt unit, the358th Fighter Group, which was deployed toEngland in October 1943 for bomber escort duty with theEighth Air Force. Just prior toD-Day, the group was used for interdiction missions in preparation for the invasion ofNormandy. Subsequently, the group was transferred to theNinth Air Force and flewclose air support missions for GeneralGeorge S. Patton's drive throughFrance. During this period, his group was cited three times by the president for its performance. By the time the war ended, Wilson had flown 114 combat missions and had become commander of the367th Fighter Squadron.[1]
In January 1946, he was assigned toSecond Air Force and later theFifteenth Air Force atColorado Springs, Colorado. In March 1946, the Second was inactivated and the Fifteenth became the firstNumbered Air Force of the newly formedStrategic Air Command (SAC).[1]
In July 1948, he began 14 years of duty with variousEighth Air Force units of SAC. From 1948 to 1953, he served with the509th Bombardment Wing atWalker Air Force Base,New Mexico, and helped organize the6th Bombardment Wing at Walker. During this period, he was aB-29 Superfortress and aB-36 Peacemaker squadron commander.[1]
In June 1953, Wilson was assigned to Eighth Air Force Headquarters,Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, as deputy director of personnel. He was transferred in September 1955 to the380th Bombardment Wing atPlattsburgh Air Force Base,New York, as director of operations. He returned in July 1957 to Eighth Air Force headquarters atWestover Air Force Base,Massachusetts., where he served first as director of plans and later as inspector general. In October 1960, he became commander of the4081st Strategic Wing atErnest Harmon Air Force Base,Newfoundland. Two years later, he was transferred to SAC headquarters atOffutt Air Force Base,Nebraska, as chief of the plans division.[1]
In August 1964, he was assigned to HeadquartersUnited States Air Force,Washington D.C., where he served as deputy director of operational requirements and development plans in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development. During this four-year tour of duty, he worked on conceptual plans for theB-1 Lancer,F-15 Eagle,A-10 Thunderbolt II, and advanced versions ofintercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).[1]
In August 1968, Wilson became vice commander of theSpace and Missile Systems Organization atLos Angeles Air Force Station,California. In July 1970, he became commander of the Space and Missile Test Center (SAMTEC),Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, where he was responsible for testing ICBMs and launching various space systems.[1]
Wilson was appointed theInspector General of the Air Force in September 1971 for two years. He later assumed duties as vice commander in chief,United States Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters atRamstein Air Base,West Germany, in September 1973.[1]
In July 1974, Wilson was appointed commander in chief,Pacific Air Forces, with headquarters atHickam Air Force Base,Hawaii. One of the lesser-known actions that he commanded during theVietnam War wasOperation Babylift, the mass evacuation of children fromSouth Vietnam to the United States and other western countries.[1][3]
He was promoted to the grade of general effective July 1, 1974, with date of rank that same day. He retired on May 31, 1977.
During retirement, he settled on a small ranch inTucson, Arizona to raise horses and cattle.
He died on June 25, 2010.[1][3] He was interred at theUnited States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado on July 1, 2010.[4]
His military decorations and awards include the:[1]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency