George C. Kenney
| George Kenney | |
|---|---|
General George C. Kenney
|
|
| Birth name | George Churchill Kenney |
| Born |
6 August 1889 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | 9 August 1977 (aged 88) Bay Harbor Islands, Florida |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1917–1951 |
| Rank |
 General
|
| Service number | 0–8940 |
| Commands held |
Air University Strategic Air Command Far East Air Forces Fifth Air Force |
| Battles/wars |
World War I: World War II: |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross (2) Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross Purple Heart Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Australia) |
World War I:
World War II:
George Churchill Kenney (6 August 1889 – 9 August 1977) was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. He is best known as the commander of the Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), a position he held from August 1942 until 1945.
Kenney enlisted as a flying cadet in the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps in 1917, and served on the Western Front with the 91st Aero Squadron. He was awarded a Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in which he fought off German fighters and shot two down. After hostilities ended he participated in the Occupation of the Rhineland. Returning to the United States, he flew reconnaissance missions along the border between the US and Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. Commissioned into the Regular Army in 1920, he attended the Air Corps Tactical School, and later became an instructor there. He was responsible for the acceptance of Martin NBS-1 bombers built by Curtis, and test flew them. He also developed techniques for mounting .30 caliber machine guns on the wings of an Airco DH.4 aircraft.
In early 1940, Kenney became Assistant Military Attaché for Air in France. As a result of his observations of German and Allied air operations during the early stages of World War II, he recommended significant changes to Air Corps equipment and tactics. In July 1942, he assumed command of the Allied Air Forces and Fifth Air Force in General Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific Area. Under Kenney's command, the Allied Air Forces developed innovative command structures, weapons, and tactics that reflected Kenney's orientation towards attack aviation. The new weapons and tactics won perhaps his greatest victory, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, in March 1943. In June 1944 he was appointed commander of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF), which came to include the Fifth, Thirteenth, and Seventh Air Forces.
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