BRIGADIER GENERAL MORRIS J. LEE

Brigadier General Morris J. Lee, formerly assistant director of the Strategic Plans Group of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a recent graduate of the National War College, succeeded Brigadier General Sydney D. Grubbs Jr., as commanding officer of Headquarters Command, U.S. Air Force, Oct. 2, 1950, the 33rd anniversary of Bolling Air Force Base.

A native of Woodbine, Iowa, he received his academic education at the Mount Pleasant High School and the Iowa Wesleynn College, which he attended in l926. Four years later, having successfully completed the course of study leading to the bachelor of science degree in engineering, he figured among the graduates of the U.S. Military Academy.

Assigned to the Cavalry, General Lee transferred to the Air Corps in 1931. Completion of the course in advanced cadet training at Kelly Air Force Base earned him the title of rated pilot that same year. In the course of the next decade, in addition to test pilot training at Wright Field (1939-40), General Lee met the qualifications for pilot (1939), senior pilot (1940), aircraft observer (1941), and glider pilot and senior pilot (1942).

Duty with the Operations Division of the General Staff, War Department, from 1942 to October 1944, was followed by a tour of foreign service which earned the general battle stars for participation in the campaigns of West Pacific, Air Offensive Japan and Eastern Mandates, and credit for 150 combat hours commanding a B-29 bomb group. His awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Soldier's Medal, the Air Medal and the Distinguished the Flying Cross.

Upon his return from overseas in late 1945,General Lee was assigned as chief of staff, Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command, at Fort Totten, N.Y., becoming the command's deputy chief of staff at Gravelly Point, Va., the following year. He remained in this post until appointed chief of staff for the U.S. Military Academy in 1947. This tour was terminated in August 1949. The following June General Lee graduated from the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair. His subsequent appointment as commanding officer of Headquarters Command, U.S. Air Force, the post he now holds, led to his promotion to brigadier general Dec. 14, 1950.

(Current as of March 1, 1951)