Otto P. Weyland
Otto Paul "Opie" Weyland (born January 27, 1902 in Riverside , Riverside County , California , † September 2, 1979 in San Antonio , Bexar County , Texas ) was an American general in the United States Air Force , who last served between 1954 and 1959 Commanding General of Tactical Air Command .
Life
Military training and World War II
After attending high school in Taft and Hempstead in 1919, Weyland began studying mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station , from which he graduated in 1923 with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering). He then joined the US Army Air Service as a lieutenant and completed pilot training at the military airports of Brooks Field and Kelly Field. He was then transferred to the 1 2th Observation Squadron at Fort Sam Houston and was then himself a flight instructor at Kelly Field. In June 1930 he was promoted to first lieutenant and commander of the 4th Observation Squadron stationed at Luke Field Air Base in Hawaii , before returning to Kelly Field as a flight instructor in November 1934. In 1935 he became head of the intelligence department there and was promoted to captain in March 1935 .
After attending the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field and the Command and General Staff School (CGSS) at Fort Leavenworth , Weyland was employed from June 21, 1939 to April 8, 1941 as assistant to the head of the aviation division in the National Guard's office and then between May 13, 1941 and March 3, 1942 as commander of the 16th Pursuit Group stationed in the Panama Canal Zone , from which today's 1st Special Operations Wing emerged . In this use took place on December 24, 1941 shortly after the entry of the United States in the Second World War on December 8, 1941 his promotion to lieutenant colonel and on February 1, 1942 to colonel . Between March 4 and June 15, 1942 he was Deputy Chief of Staff of the 6th Air Force, which was also stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, and from June 25, 1942 to March 28, 1943, Deputy Chief of Air Support at the headquarters of the now US Army Air Forces (USAAF).
This was followed by Weyland's assignment from March 29 to November 1943 as Head of Allocation and Programs in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Obligations and Requirements at USAAF Headquarters, where he was also promoted to Brigadier General on September 26, 1943 . Between November 10, 1943 and February 2, 1944 he was Commodore of the 84th Fighter Wing stationed in the United Kingdom and then from February 3, 1944 to May 22, 1945 Commanding General of the XIX Tactical Air Command, with whom he was in Great Britain, France and Germany was stationed. It was in this role that he was promoted to major general on January 5, 1945 .
Post-war period and promotion to general
After the end of World War II , Major General Weyland was commanding general of the 9th Air Force stationed in Germany from May 23 to August 4, 1945 . After his return to the USA, he served between October 1, 1945 and June 1946, first as Assistant Commandant of the Command and General Staff School (CGSS) at Fort Leavenworth and then from June 21, 1946 to October 9, 1947 as Assistant Chief of the Staff of the USAAF for planning (A 5) before he was director of planning and operations at the headquarters of the USAF between October 10, 1947 and February 24, 1948 in the newly established US Air Force (USAF) on September 18, 1947 . He was then from February 25, 1948 to July 3, 1950, Deputy Commandant of the National War College (NWC) at Fort Lesley J. McNair and at the same time between March 17, 1950 and June 9, 1951, Deputy Commander of Operations in Japan stationed the current Far East Air Forces , before he was Commanding General of the Far East Air Forces as Lieutenant General from June 10, 1951 to March 25, 1954.
Most recently General Weyland was commanding general of the Tactical Air Command from May 1, 1954 to July 31, 1959 . On July 31, 1959, after 36 years of service, he left active military service and retired. After his death he was buried in the Sunset Memorial Park in San Antonio.
Awards
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Army Distinguished Service Medal
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Silver Star
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Legion of Merit
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Bronze Star Medal
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Air Medal
Web links
- Entry in generals.dk
- Otto P. Weyland in the database of Find a Grave (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Weyland, Otto P. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Weyland, Otto Paul (full name); Opie (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American general in the US Air Force |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 27, 1902 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Riverside , Riverside County , California |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2nd September 1979 |
| Place of death | San Antonio , Bexar County , Texas |