Paul K. Carlton

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Paul K. Carlton
Paul K. Carlton, Jr. (son)

General Paul Kendall Carlton (April 14, 1921 – November 23, 2009), also known as P. K. Carlton, was commander in chief of the Military Airlift Command, with headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Biography

Carlton was born in

, Georgia.

Carlton was a

aircraft with the first group operating against the Japanese mainland from India and China, accumulating a total of 350 combat hours.

Following World War II, from January 1946 to September 1949, he was assigned to

.

From October 1953 to January 1956, Carlton was assigned to

, California, in May 1959.

Carlton was selected to attend the

Bunker Hill Air Force Base

, Indiana.

In July 1965, Carlton was assigned to SAC headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, with dual responsibilities as chief of Single Integrated Operational Plans Division, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, and chief of Operations Plans Division, Directorate of operations. He assumed duties as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations in June 1967.

Carlton assumed command of the

, California, in August 1968. He returned to Headquarters SAC in March 1969 to serve as deputy chief of staff for operations. He next served as commander of the 15th Air Force, with headquarters at March Air Force Base, California, from August 1969 until September 1972, when he assumed command of the Military Airlift Command. On February 1, 1977, when MAC was designated as a specified command, Carlton became CINCMAC. He retired from the Air Force March 31, 1977.

While serving as commander, achievements by Military Airlift Command people resulted in award of the 1972

moved 22,395 tons 6,500 miles by air to Israel in 33 days; and a special Humanitarian Award from Milwaukee's Trans-Aire '75 Exposition for MAC's many humanitarian achievements, including the airlift of Vietnamese and Cambodian orphans to their new homes in the United States and the massive airlift evacuation of Vietnamese refugees. Carlton also received the 1975 Reserve Officers Association's Minuteman Hall of Fame Award.

A command pilot, Carlton has more than 12,000 flying hours and has flown the B-47, B-52, including the "H" model, supersonic B-58 Hustler, KC-135, C-141, C-5 and the Mach 3 plus SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. He is a member of the

.

The Senate confirmed his presidential nomination to the grade of general October 9, 1972. He died in 2009.[1]

Awards and decorations

His military decorations and awards include the

.

• Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
•   Silver Star
•   Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
•   Distinguished Flying Cross
•   Purple Heart
•   Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
•   Army Commendation Medal

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force

External links

• "Paul K. Carlton". Hall of Valor.
  Military Times
  . Retrieved August 25, 2011.