William H. Blanchard

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William H. Blanchard
1916-1966
General William H. Blanchard
Nickname	Butch
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1938-1966
Rank	General
Commands held	Seventh Air Division 509th Bombardment Wing
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Silver Star Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross (2) Bronze Star Air Medal (2)

General William H. Blanchard was a United States Air Force officer who attained the rank of four star general and served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1966.

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, General Blanchard received his high school education in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy before entering the United States Military Academy in 1934. He graduated and received his commission in 1938.

After completing pilot training at Randolph and Kelly Fields, Texas, in 1939, he held assignments as a flight instructor and as chief of advanced pilot training in the Flying Training Command, before his selection in 1943 for duty with the initial B-29 bomber wing then being formed in Salina, Kansas.

In 1944, General Blanchard, as deputy commander of the 58th Bomb Wing, flew the first B-29 into China to begin his participation in strategic bombing operations against the Japanese mainland. Later, assigned as commander of the 40th Bomb Group (B-29) and subsequently as operations officer of the 21st Bomber Command in the Marianas, he planned and flew low-level fire raids against major Japanese targets.

In the climaxing phase of World War II, General Blanchard was directed to prepare and supervise the detailed operations order for the delivery of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

After the war, as commander of the 509th Bombardment Wing, he was called upon to participate in the "Operation Crossroads" atomic tests at Bikini atoll.

Assigned to Strategic Air Command's Eighth Air Force Headquarters as director of operations in 1948, Blanchard helped direct the atomic training of crews for B-36s, the United States' first intercontinental bombers. After commanding B-50 and B-36 bomber units of SAC, he was assigned as deputy director of operations for that command in 1953.

In June 1956, he was a member of a group of U.S. Air Force officers who accompanied General Nathan Twining, then chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, on an official visit to the Soviet Union which included a conducted tour of points of military interest in the Moscow and Stalingrad areas.

General Blanchard assumed command of SAC's 7th Air Division in England in 1957. Returning to SAC headquarters three years later, he was assigned as director of operations.

After 15 years of continuous service in SAC, he was appointed the inspector general, U.S. Air Force, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In August 1963 he was named deputy chief of staff, programs and requirements in Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and assumed the duty as deputy chief of staff, plans and operations, in February 1964. He was assigned the additional duty as senior Air Force member, Military Staff Committee of the United Nations, later that year.

On February 19, 1965, General Blanchard became Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, with promotion to four-star rank. He died May 31, 1966 while still on active duty. He was buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery.

His decorations included the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with six bronze stars, the Missile Badge and command pilot wings.