Retired Feb. 1, 1970. Died Feb. 24, 2007.

Maj. Gen. William Harold Brandon is deputy director for civil disturbance planning and operations, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.

General Brandon was born in Nashville, Tenn., in 1917. He graduated from Duncan Preparatory School in 1936 and entered Vanderbilt University in 1938. In June 1940 he entered the Army Air Corps Flying School as an aviation cadet and received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant at Kelly Field, Texas, in February 1941.

After an initial assignment as a basic flying instructor at Moffett Field, Calif., he attended the first class of the Air Corps' four-engine bombardment school at Sebring, Fla., in March 1942.

From September 1942 through the end of World War II, General Brandon served in successive assignments in the European Theater of Operations as a B-24 flight leader, group operations officer, and deputy commander of the 44th Bombardment Group; and as assistant chief of staff, Operations, 96th Bombardment Group.

Following World War II, he was assigned as chief, Notification Section, Personal Affairs Branch, Headquarters Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C. In September 1946 he entered the School of Business Administration at the University Texas, graduating with a bachelor degree in business administration in June 1948. He next attended the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

In December 1948 he was assigned as Executive, Personnel and Administration, Headquarters Fifteenth Air Force, Colorado Springs, Colo., and later March Air Force Base, Calif.; he was appointed deputy chief of staff, personnel in June 1950.

After graduating from the Air War College in June 1954, he was assigned as deputy commander of the 1503rd Air Transport Wing in Tokyo, Japan, and assumed command of the wing in October 1954. Upon his return to the United States in July 1957, he served as assistant chief and later as chief of the Promotions and Separations Division of the Directorate of Military Personnel, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

He was appointed deputy chief of staff, personnel, Headquarters Military Air Transport Service, at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., in July 1960, and vice commander of the Western Transport Air Force at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., in June 1963. He was appointed commander, U.S. Forces, Azores, and commander 1605th Air Base Wing in October 1965.

General Brandon assumed command of the Twenty-First Air Force (Military Airlift Command), at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., in July 1967 and became deputy director for civil disturbance planning and operations in August 1969.

His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, British Distinguished Flying Cross and Portuguese Order of Military Merit, First Class.

Capt Brandon was Co Pilot of the Suzy Q of Gen.Leon Johnson on the low level Ploesti raid , Aug 1, 1943 Rumania

Signed 44th Bomb Patched Signed by Pilots

44th Bomb Group Patches