Earl T. Ricks
| Earl T. Ricks | |
|---|---|
Major General Earl T. Ricks
|
|
| Born |
July 9, 1908 West Point, Mississippi |
| Died | January 4, 1954 (aged 45) Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1940-1954 |
| Rank |
 Major General
|
| Unit |
Arkansas National Guard Air National Guard National Guard Bureau |
| Commands held | Thirty-sixth Strategic Air Base Payne Airfield Arkansas National Guard Air National Guard National Guard Bureau |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Legion of Merit Air Medal |
| Other work | Pilot Car dealer Mayor of Hot Springs, Arkansas |
Earl T. Ricks (July 9, 1908 – January 4, 1954) was a United States Air Force Major General who served as Chief of the Air Force Division at the National Guard Bureau and acting Chief of the National Guard Bureau. His four months as acting NGB Chief made him the first Air National Guard officer to hold the position.
Earl Thornton Ricks was born in West Point, Mississippi, and reared in Stamps in Lafayette County in southwestern Arkansas. Attracted to flying from an early age, he graduated from Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology in St. Louis, Missouri, purchased a biplane and became a pilot.
In 1935 he moved to Hot Springs and became partners with Raymond Clinton (brother of Bill Clinton's adoptive father Roger Clinton, Sr.) in the Ricks-Clinton Buick car dealership.
In March 1940, Ricks joined the Arkansas National Guard as a member of the 154th Observation Squadron, and soon received his commission as a Second Lieutenant. In September he entered federal service as a member of the 17th Bombardment Group. In 1941 he was named Commander of the 36th Strategic Air Base in Miami, Florida, the departure point for soldiers deploying to North Africa. Ricks subsequently received appointment as Commander of Payne Airfield in Cairo, Egypt.
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Wikipedia