MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM WATTERSTON VEAL

Major General William Watterston Veal is commander of the Sacramento Air Materiel Area at McClellan Air Force Base, Calif.

General Veal was born in New York City in 1914. He graduated from Riverdale High School in Toronto, Canada, in 1935, received a bachelor of science degree in metallurgy from the University of Toronto, in 1939, and a master's degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, in 1949. He entered active military service in February 1940 as an aviation cadet and was commissioned a second lieutenant in October 1940.

During World War II, he went to the European Theater of Operations in May 1943. He participated in the campaigns of Normandy; Air Offensive, Europe; Rome-Arno; Southern France; and Northern France.

He returned to the United States in March 1946 and was in a Reserve status until July 1946, during which time he was employed by the Nome Creek Mining Company, Alaska, in charge of production.

In July 1946 General Veal returned to active military duty and was assigned to Headquarters Army Air Forces, in Washington, D.C., in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations as executive and operations officer in the Operations Division. In September 1947 he was assigned as officer in charge of Sub-section, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He entered Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga., in August 1948.

General Veal returned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in September 1949, attended a student course in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Comptroller, and in October 1949 was assigned as chief, Machine Accounting Division. In June 1951 he was transferred to Headquarters Air Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where he served as chief, Statistical Services Division, and in September 1953 was assigned as special project officer, Office of the Commander, and was chairman of a special task force group to study reorganization of the Directorate of Procurement and Production. On completion of this assignment he entered the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in August. 1954.

In September 1955 General Veal was assigned to Headquarters Air Materiel Forces, Europe, at Lindsey Air Station, Germany, as director for procurement and production; and in September 1956 he was named chief of the Programming Office. He became deputy and vice commander of Central Air Materiel Area, Europe, at Chateauroux, France, in November 1957, and was named deputy commander of Headquarters Air Materiel Forces, Europe, at Chateauroux, France, in May 1958.

In June 1959 General Veal returned to the United States and became deputy commander of Mobile Air Materiel Area, Brookley Air Force Base, Ala. He became deputy commander, Dayton Air Force Depot, Gentile Air Force Station, Dayton, Ohio, in June 1960, and commander in December 1960. He attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in February 1960. He was promoted to the temporary grade of brigadier general effective April 1, 1961. During 1962 and 1963 he was commander of Defense Electronics Supply Center, also in Dayton, Ohio.

In August 1963 he became the auditor general of the Air Force. He was assigned to Defense Supply Agency at Cameron Station, Va., in July 1964 as deputy director for contract administration and assumed duties in July 1966 as director, plans and programs, Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

In November 1967 General Veal was assigned as commander, Sacramento Air Materiel Area, McClellan Air Force Base, Calif.

His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem, French Croix de Guerre with palm, French Legion of Honor.

General Veal's hometown is Toronto, Canada.

He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective Feb. 27, 1964, with date of rank July 1, 1959,

(Current as of Jan. 15, 1970)