The Bradford Era
November 11, 2002

Local Men Rise To Top In Ranks by Tammy Miles

Veterans Day is synonymous with bravery, strength and pride. This Veterans Day, The Era touches on the lives of local men who achieved greatness in the military during World War II. Joel F. Gilfert of Eldred recently sent The Era a list of short biographies for some local men who became top generals during World War II. He said he found the names while researching old books he bought recently for his archive collection, the JFG Victory Verlag & Militaria Archive, about Pennsylvania during World War II. First on the list is Major General Clayton L. Bissell, who was born in Kane on July 29, 1896. He graduated from Valparaiso University, Indiana, in 1917, with a doctorate degree in law. He enlisted in the Aviation Section, Signal Reserve, August 15, 1917, and was commissioned a first lieutenant on January 12, 1918. Bissell was officially credited with destroying five enemy planes, qualifying him as an Ace. He commanded the 638th American Fighter Squadron with the American Forces in Germany until May of 1919, when he returned to the United States. In January 1942, he was assigned to duty in the Asiatic Theater of Operations as principal aviation officer on Major General Stillwell's staff in China. In August 1942, he assumed command of all American Air Forces in India, Burma and China, and commanded all U.S. combat aviation in the theater. In May 1946, he became military attaché to Great Britain, and in October of 1948, he returned to the United States. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in October 1950. Bissell died in 1973. Major General Joseph T. McNarney, was born in Emporium on August 28, 1893. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY, in June of 1915, and was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry. In July of 1916, he became a first lieutenant and began flight training at San Diego, California. He commanded the Air Corps during the St. Mihiel offensive and the 5th Corps during the Meuse-Argonne battle. In February of 1919, he became commanding officer of the 2nd Army's Observation Group and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in May that year. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he served on the Roberts Commission which investigated the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy commanders in Hawaii. In January 1942, McNarney was promoted to major general and was appointed to the War Department Reorganization Board. He became Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Army in March of 1942. He went to Europe as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces, Mediterranean Theater, in October 1944. He became Commanding General of the U.S. Forces in the European Theater and Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Germany in November of 1945. McNarney returned to the United States as senior member of the United Nations Military Staff Committee in New York City, NY, in March of 1947. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in January 1952. McNarney died in 1972. Brigadier General Hume Peabody, was born in Shinglehouse on November 24, 1893. Following graduation from the U.S. Military Academy, he was appointed a second lieutenant of cavalry June 12, 1915. He was first assigned to the 3rd Cavalry at Brownsville, Texas, on border patrol duty. He had a "skirmish with Mexican bandits," according to Gilfert, at Tahuachal, and at Villa Verd Ranges, Mexico, in June of 1916. He was detailed in the Flying School, San Diego, California, thereafter until December of 1917. Following graduation, he remained on duty at that station until February of 1918. Peabody sailed for France for duty with the American Expeditionary Forces in October of 1918, returning to the United States in December of 1918. He became an intelligence officer, A-2, of the Air Staff in Washington, D.C., in 1942, and in June of that same year, was designated director of the War Organization and Movement Headquarters, Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C. He served in this capacity until the following November when he became commandant at the Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, Orlando, Florida. In March of 1945, Peabody was announced as Commanding General of the Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command and was stationed at Maxwell Field, Alabama. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in October of 1946. Peabody died in 1984. Brigadier General Fay R. Upthegrove, was born in Port Allegany on January 28,1905. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on June 14, 1927, and was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry. That fall he entered Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas, and graduated from Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, in October of 1928. After serving in the Southwest Pacific area from February to April of 1942, Upthegrove assumed command of the 305th Bomb Group at Salt Lake City, Utah. Two months later he took command of the 99th Bomb Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, taking it to Gowen Field, Idaho, Sioux City, Iowa, and then to North Africa in January 1943. A year later, he assumed command of the 304th Bomb Wing, 15th Air Force, in Italy. Joining Strategic Air Command in June of 1951, he became deputy commander of the Second Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, becoming commander of the Fourth Air Division there in October 1952. The following January he assumed command of the 20th Air Force, Far East Air Forces, Okinawa, Japan, and on March 1, 1955, assumed command of the 313th Air Division, FEAF. Upthegrove retired from the U.S. Air Force in July of 1957. He died in 1992. Brigadier General Ronald C. Brock, was born in Coudersport on June 25, 1895. During World War II, he was artillery commander of the 106th Infantry Division, and later, artillery commander of the 65th Infantry Division in Europe. Gilfert said he had not found much other information on the life of Brock as of Sunday night, but that he was still compiling data for his archives.

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