Earle E. Partridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Earle E. Partridge | |
|---|---|
| July 7, 1900 – September 7, 1990 (aged 90) | |
 Partridge, right, pins a general's star on Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. |
|
| Place of birth | Winchendon, Massachusetts |
| Place of death | Jupiter, Florida |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1918-1919 1920-1959 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | North American Air Defense Command Far East Air Forces Air Research and Development Command Fifth Air Force 3rd Bomb Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Flying Cross Legion of Merit Bronze Star Air Medal (4) Belgian Croix de Guerre Order of the Bath French Croix de Guerre French Legion of Honor Order of Polonia Restituta Korean Order of Military Merit |
Earle Everard Partridge (7 July 1900 in Winchendon, Massachusetts - 7 September 1990 in Jupiter, Florida) was an United States Air Force general.
Partridge enlisted in the United States Army in July 1918 at Fort Slocum, New York, and was assigned to the 5th Engineer Training Regiment. He went to France in August 1918 to join the 79th Division, participating in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
Partridge graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1924. He received flight training at Brooks City-Base and Kelly Field, and was a stunt pilot on Wings. He taught mathematics at West Point, then went to the Panama Canal Zone with the 6th Composite Group. He was adjutant and assistant operations officer of the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, and commanding officer of the 94th Pursuit Squadron.
In 1943, Partridge became chief of staff of the Fifteenth Air Force, and was named deputy commander of the Eighth Air Force in 1944. That June, he became commander of the 3rd Bomb Division, and assisted in its reorganization and movement to Okinawa.
Partridge returned to Headquarters Army Air Forces in January 1946 as assistant chief of staff for operations. He went to Japan in October 1948 as commanding general of the Fifth Air Force, serving through the first year of the Korean War. On his return to the United States in June, 1951, he commanded the newly formed Air Research and Development Command at Baltimore, Maryland.
In April 1954, he became commander of the Far East Air Forces at Tokyo, then was named commander in chief of the North American Air Defense Command and the Air Defense Command, at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs. He retired from active duty on July 31, 1959.
Partridge's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star , four Air Medals, World War I Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm, Companion, British Order of the Bath, French Croix de Guerre with two Palms, Chevalier, with Commander's Cross with Star, French Legion of Honor, Polish Order of Polonia Restituta, and the Korean Order of Military Merit.
This article incorporates text from [1], a public domain work of the United States Government.
