Irving L. Branch
Irving L. Branch | |
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Major General | |
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Irving Lewis Branch (1 August 1912 – 3 January 1966) was a
T-38 Talon jet crashed into Puget Sound
.
Early life
Irving Lewis "Twig" Branch was born in
Reserve Officer Training Corps, reaching the rank of staff sergeant.[1]
After graduation, Branch enrolled in the
Secretary of War.[1]
World War II
During
bombers.[1][4] He flew 79 combat missions,[5] including one against Formosa in November 1943 which was the first against Japanese pre-war territory since the Doolittle Raid in 1942.[4] For his services commanding, training and leading Chinese pilots, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Chinese Air Force Wings and the Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner.[5][6]
Branch returned to the United States in September 1944, and became the commander of the
Colorado Springs Army Air Base in Colorado. This was a training formation of the Second Air Force for fighter pilots.[1]
Post-war
After the war Branch attended the
Air War College, from which he graduated in July 1953.[1]
Branch's next assignment was in
Air Force Special Weapons Center. He was promoted to brigadier in June 1959, and became head of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Office, a joint USAF-Atomic Energy Commission effort to develop nuclear-powered aircraft.[1] It also oversaw Project Pluto, which created a reactor for a nuclear-powered Supersonic Low Altitude Missile (SLAM).[7] He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service.[6]
On 29 July 1961, Branch became the commander of the USAF
Seattle, Washington.[4][9] Divers recovered his body from the wreckage in 18 metres (60 ft) of water two days later,[10] and he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Irving L. Branch Elementary School at Edwards Air Force Base is named his honor.[11]
Dates of rank
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Second Lieutenant | United States Army Air Corps | June 1935 | [1] |
 |
First Lieutenant | United States Army Air Corps | 20 September 1940 | [1] |
 |
Captain | United States Army Air Corps | 25 May 1942 | [1] |
 |
Major | United States Army Air Corps | 1 July 1942 | [1] |
 |
Lieutenant Colonel | United States Army Air Corps | 9 January 1943 | [1] |
 |
Colonel | United States Army Air Corps | 2 January 1944 | [1] |
 |
Brigadier general | United States Air Force | June 1959 | [1] |
 |
Major general | United States Air Force | February 1965 | [5] |
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Major General Irving L. Branch > Air Force > Biography Display". United states Air Force. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Branch, Irving Lewis". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "G. Irving Branch, 78, A Retired Engineer". The New York Times. 10 August 1961. p. 27. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Maj Gen Irving L. Branch, USAF". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b c California Legislature (1965). Journals of the Legislature of the State of California. Vol. 2, Part 1. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Irving Branch - Recipient". Military Times. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ McGuire, Frank G. (22 May 1960). "Troy IIA-1 Run Aids Pluto Outlook". Missiles and Rockets. Retrieved 22 May 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Commanders forge Air Force's future > Air Force > Article Display". United States Air Force. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "This month in Edwards history: January 2012 > Edwards Air Force Base > News". United States Air Force. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "Body of General is Found". The New York Times. 6 January 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ Pierce, Harold (1 April 2017). "'Eighth-crappiest' military base school gets share of $63 million". Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
