Reginald C. Harmon
| Reginald C. Harmon | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 5, 1900 Olney, Illinois |
| Died | October 23, 1992 (aged 92) |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force,  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1960 |
| Rank |
 Major General |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal |
Reginald C. Harmon (February 5, 1900 – October 23, 1992) was a Major General in the United States Air Force and served as its first Judge Advocate General.[1][2]:5 At the age of 29, he was elected as the mayor of Urbana, Illinois.[1][2]:5
Background
Reginald C. Harmon was born on February 5, 1900 near Olney, Illinois.[2]:5 After graduating from high school, he worked as a teacher in a rural school.[2]:5 He studied law at the University of Illinois College of Law receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1927.[2]:5 During his time at the University of Illinois, Maj Gen Harmon joined the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.[2]:5 Maj Gen Harmon's military career also began during his undergraduate years at the University's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).[2]:5
At the age of 29, Maj Gen Harmon was elected as mayor of Urbana, Illinois.[1][2]:5 He held the office from 1929 to 1933.[1][2]:5 As mayor during the onset of the Great Depression, Maj Gen Harmon declared the nation's first business moratorium to prevent a run on the banks.[1][2]:5
Military career
After completing the ROTC program at the University of Illinois, Reginald Harmon was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery Reserve.[2]:5 In October 1940, Mr. Harmon was called to active duty at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, as a major in the Officers' Reserve Corp of the Army.[2]:5 Mr. Harmon represented the U.S. Government in an industrial expansion program to meet the growing needs of the Army Air Corps during World War II from 1940 to 1945.[2]:5[3]:5 For his work in opening new supply sources for the production of aircraft, Mr. Harmon received the Legion of Merit.[2]:5 Between 1945 and 1948, he served as the Judge Advocate of the Air Material Command where he provided legal representation for the Air Force in a billion dollar procurement program.[2]:5 During this period, Mr. Harmon left the Reserve Corp for the regular component of the military.[2]:5 On September 8, 1948, Mr. Harmon became the first Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force and was promoted to the rank of Major General.[2]:5[3]:4 He was reappointed as the Judge Advocate General in 1952 and 1956.[2]:5[3]:5
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Reginald Harmon, 92; Led Air Force Lawyers", New York Times, October 24, 1992, retrieved May 16, 2011
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Major General Reginald C. Harmon: First Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force". The Air Force Judge Advocate General's Bulletin. March 1960. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- 1 2 3 Harmon, Reginald C. (1973), "Letter to Major General James S. Cheney", Jag Law Review, 15 (1): 4–6, retrieved 2012-05-20