Albert P. Clark

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This article is about the American military person. For other people with the same name, see Albert Clark (disambiguation).
Albert P. Clark
USAF Academy Cemetery, Colorado
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Air Force
Years of service1936–1974
RankLieutenant general
Commands heldSuperintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsLegion of Merit
Purple Heart

Lieutenant General Albert Patton Clark (August 27, 1913 – March 8, 2010) was the sixth superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Biography

Clark was born at

Randolph Field
, Texas, in 1937.

He then served at

Abbeville, France, in July 1942 and was a prisoner of war at German prison camp Stalag Luft III until April 1945. He wrote about his experiences in Stalag Luft III in his book 33 Months as a POW in Stalag Luft III.[1] He was a manager of accumulation and hiding of supplies used in the 1944 breakout in which 76 POWs escaped.[2][3] That incident was documented in the 1950 book The Great Escape, and later was celebrated in the 1963 movie of the same title
.

After World War II, he progressed through key staff assignments with Tactical Air Command, Continental Air Command and Air Defense Command prior to a tour of duty at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Clark commanded the 48th Fighter Bomber Wing at

U.S. Air Forces in Europe
.

His next assignment was as Chief,

U.S. Military Training Mission
to Saudi Arabia.

He was director of military personnel at Headquarters U.S. Air Force for four years beginning in 1959 and was then assigned to Okinawa as commander of the 313th Air Division.

In August 1965, he was named vice commander of the

Air University
in August 1968, and in August 1970, he was appointed superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

A command pilot, he was a graduate of the

Armed Forces Staff College and the National War College
.

Clark died on March 8, 2010, at age 96.

Awards and decorations

His military decorations and awards include the

Air Force Commendation Medal
. He retired from the Air Force on August 1, 1974.

Publications

  • Clark, Albert Patton (2005). 33 Months as a POW in Stalag Luft III: A World War II Airman Tells His Story. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum.
    ISBN 978-1-55591-536-0
    .

References

Notes

  1. ^ USAF Academy News Article "Feature - Former superintendent remembered for 'Great Escape' efforts". Archived from the original on 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
  2. ^ Obituary Los Angeles Times, March 16, 2010; page AA7.
  3. ^ Obituary The Washington Post, March 18, 2010.
Preceded by
Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy

1970–1974 		Succeeded by
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