77:
235:, Kentucky. In addition to participating in intensive training as a junior officer in Troop "C," First Mechanized Cavalry Regiment, Lieutenant Lee commanded several detachments, guarding the shipments of gold that were being shipped from various mints in the United States, to the Fort Knox Gold Repository. The following year he returned to the U.S. Army Air Corps and was assigned to the 12th Observation Squadron, Godman Field, also at Fort Knox. During 1938 to 1940 he was aide-de-camp to General
31:
292:, Florida, and assumed command of Air Task Group 3.4, a special assignment to Operation Greenhouse that culminated in the atomic test at Eniwetok during the spring of 1951. When this assignment was completed in July 1951, General Lee was named the deputy director of plans under the deputy chief of staff for operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force,
259:, and later air officer for Armored Force headquarters. In 1942 Lieutenant Colonel Lee organized at Godman Field, and commanded the newly activated 73rd Observation Group, later to become the 10th Recce Group and Wing, now assigned to Allied Command Europe, NATO and stationed in England. In January 1943 he was promoted to
284:
at
Langley Field, Virginia, where he remained until August 1946 when he entered the first class of the National War College. After graduation from the National War College, General Lee was assigned in July 1947 to Tactical Air Command as deputy commanding general. During this assignment, in February
344:
A command pilot with more than 9,000 hours flying time, Lee includes among his awards and decorations the
Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal. In addition to various awards and decorations from other U.S. allies, he wears the French
271:
where he served as deputy commander for operations under
Lieutenant General Hoyt S. Vandenberg and shared responsibility for the defeat of Germany in four major campaigns: Northern France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes, and Central Europe. He was promoted to brigadier general in January 1945. At the
307:
in Europe. The former constituted the largest tactical air forces in Allied
Command Europe, consisting of all United States, French and Canadian air forces on the continent of Europe committed to the Supreme Allied Commander. In June 1956, command of the two air forces was separated. General Lee
272:
end of hostilities when the Ninth Air Force took up its occupation role, he served as chief of staff. Late in 1945 General Lee was assigned to the air section of the
Theater General Board at Bad Nauheim as it completed its analyses and reports on the European campaigns.
263:
and became chief of staff of the First Air
Support Command at Morris Field, North Carolina. He continued in this position through successive reorganizations and redesignations of this command as I Tactical Air Division and the Third Tactical Air Command.
228:, Louisiana. While at Barksdale he performed pilot and other squadron officer duties. In early 1934 when U.S. airmail contracts were cancelled by the president, Lieutenant Lee joined other officers in his group flying the airmail in the central zone.
184:(April 13, 1909 – June 29, 2003) was the air deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, with the responsibility of assisting SACEUR in developing, training and employing NATO combat forces for the defense of allied Europe.
327:
and arrived at United
Nations Command headquarters, Seoul, Korea, to become chief of staff, United Nations Command and U.S. Forces, Korea. In September 1959 he returned to the United States to become vice commander of the
498:
468:
523:
493:
513:
239:, the "father" of the Armored Force. During this period of his career he assisted in the development of operations teamwork between air and ground forces. In 1940 Captain Lee attended the
488:
518:
217:
at West Point, N.Y., in June 1931. After attending Air Corps Flying
Schools at Randolph and Kelly fields, Texas, General Lee received his wings in October 1932.
508:
483:
473:
463:
503:
146:
296:, with a simultaneous duty as the Air Force member of the Joint Strategic Plans Committee. Shortly thereafter he became the director of plans.
478:
407:
389:
308:
retained command of the Allied
Tactical Air Force. When he returned to the United States in July 1957, he became commander of the
280:
In
January 1946, General Lee returned to the United States and in April he became the first chief of Staff of the newly organized
300:
362:
256:
429:
214:
358:
181:
354:
244:
240:
285:
1948, he was promoted to major general. From November 1948, he served as commanding general until July 1950.
198:
175:
162:
104:
82:
46:
221:
458:
453:
313:
289:
281:
236:
114:
403:
336:
on June 4, 1963, and became air deputy to the supreme allied commander, Europe, on August 1, 1963.
329:
317:
126:
324:
86:
62:
304:
154:
293:
350:
346:
309:
225:
166:
150:
433:
206:
118:
447:
202:
122:
332:
in Colorado Springs, Colorado, becoming commander in March 1961. He was promoted to
136:
30:
232:
158:
385:
333:
260:
268:
255:
In late 1941 Major Lee became chief of corps aviation, Headquarters
365:, Taeguk, with silver star. (Taken from U.S. Air Force Biography)
323:
One year later, on July 15, 1958, General Lee assumed the rank of
210:
231:
In May 1937 he was assigned to the First Cavalry (Mechanized) at
243:
at Maxwell Field, Alabama. During 1940-1941 he commanded the
267:
In August 1944, Colonel Lee joined the Ninth Air Forces in
299:
In November 1953, General Lee was assigned to command the
499:
Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (South Korea)
469:
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
524:
United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II
494:
Honorary commanders of the Order of the British Empire
357:, Degree of Commander with Crown; the Most Excellent
514:
United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
142:
132:
110:
100:
92:
68:
52:
40:
21:
288:From Langley Air Force Base, General Lee went to
430:"Biographies : GENERAL ROBERT MERRILL LEE"
8:
380:
378:
489:Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France)
29:
18:
361:, Degree of Honorary Commander; and the
374:
519:United States Army Air Forces generals
7:
408:Air Force Historical Research Agency
390:Air Force Historical Research Agency
205:, educated in the public schools in
509:People from Hinsdale, New Hampshire
484:Commanders of the Legion of Honour
355:Order of Merit of Adolph of Nassau
349:in the grade of Commander and the
14:
474:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
392:. August 8, 1947. pp. 10–14.
386:"Biography of Robert Merrill Lee"
464:United States Air Force generals
301:Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force
75:
16:United States Air Force general
504:People from Rockledge, Florida
363:Korean Order of Military Merit
215:United States Military Academy
1:
224:of the 20th Pursuit Group at
404:"Biography of Robert M. Lee"
479:Recipients of the Air Medal
359:Order of the British Empire
147:Distinguished Service Medal
540:
353:with Palm; the Luxembourg
245:12th Observation Squadron
241:Air Corps Tactical School
213:, and graduated from the
28:
316:, with headquarters at
220:He was assigned to the
163:Army Commendation Medal
83:United States Air Force
47:Hinsdale, New Hampshire
305:Twelfth U.S. Air Force
222:55th Pursuit Squadron
93:Years of service
314:Tactical Air Command
290:Eglin Air Force Base
282:Tactical Air Command
237:Adna R. Chaffee, Jr.
115:Tactical Air Command
410:. November 18, 1948
330:Air Defense Command
318:Shaw Air Force Base
127:Air Defense Command
325:lieutenant general
320:, South Carolina.
179:Robert Merrill Lee
87:United States Army
63:Rockledge, Florida
35:Robert Merrill Lee
23:Robert Merrill Lee
340:Honors and awards
173:
172:
531:
438:
437:
432:. Archived from
426:
420:
419:
417:
415:
400:
394:
393:
382:
294:Washington, D.C.
197:Lee was born in
81:
79:
78:
70:
59:
33:
19:
539:
538:
534:
533:
532:
530:
529:
528:
444:
443:
442:
441:
428:
427:
423:
413:
411:
402:
401:
397:
384:
383:
376:
371:
351:Croix de Guerre
347:Legion of Honor
342:
310:Ninth Air Force
278:
257:I Armored Corps
253:
226:Barksdale Field
195:
190:
167:Croix de Guerre
165:
161:
157:
153:
151:Legion of Merit
149:
125:
121:
117:
85:
76:
74:
61:
57:
45:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
537:
535:
527:
526:
521:
516:
511:
506:
501:
496:
491:
486:
481:
476:
471:
466:
461:
456:
446:
445:
440:
439:
436:on 2012-07-18.
421:
395:
373:
372:
370:
367:
341:
338:
277:
274:
252:
249:
194:
191:
189:
186:
171:
170:
144:
140:
139:
134:
130:
129:
119:12th Air Force
112:
108:
107:
102:
98:
97:
94:
90:
89:
72:
66:
65:
60:(aged 94)
54:
50:
49:
44:April 13, 1909
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
536:
525:
522:
520:
517:
515:
512:
510:
507:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
465:
462:
460:
457:
455:
452:
451:
449:
435:
431:
425:
422:
409:
405:
399:
396:
391:
387:
381:
379:
375:
368:
366:
364:
360:
356:
352:
348:
339:
337:
335:
331:
326:
321:
319:
315:
311:
306:
302:
297:
295:
291:
286:
283:
275:
273:
270:
265:
262:
258:
250:
248:
246:
242:
238:
234:
229:
227:
223:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
203:New Hampshire
200:
192:
187:
185:
183:
180:
177:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
145:
141:
138:
135:
131:
128:
124:
123:9th Air Force
120:
116:
113:
109:
106:
103:
99:
95:
91:
88:
84:
73:
67:
64:
56:June 29, 2003
55:
51:
48:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
434:the original
424:
412:. Retrieved
398:
343:
322:
298:
287:
279:
266:
254:
251:World War II
230:
219:
196:
193:Early career
178:
174:
137:World War II
133:Battles/wars
58:(2003-06-29)
459:1909 births
454:2003 deaths
414:October 20,
155:Bronze Star
96:1931 – 1966
448:Categories
369:References
233:Fort Knox
188:Biography
169:with Palm
159:Air Medal
303:and the
276:Post war
199:Hinsdale
111:Commands
69:Service/
334:general
261:colonel
207:Augusta
176:General
105:General
269:France
143:Awards
80:
71:branch
211:Maine
416:2021
101:Rank
53:Died
41:Born
182:CBE
450::
406:.
388:.
377:^
312:,
247:.
209:,
201:,
418:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
