MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM BEVERLY CAMPBELL

Maj. Gen. William Beverly Campbell is commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service with headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

General Campbell was born in Carrollton, Ga., in 1916, where he attended West Georgia College as a premedical student for about two years before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He received a congressional appointment and entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1936. He graduated in 1940 with a commission as second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps and a bachelor of science degree.

His first commissioned assignment was at Fort Benning, Ga., as a company commander with the 4th Quartermaster Battalion of the 4th Division. After attending various motor transportation schools, he moved with the 4th Division to Camp Gordon, Augusta, Ga., where he served as battalion adjutant and supply officer.

General Campbell was accepted for Army Air Corps flight training, attended pilot training schools and was graduated at Kelly Field, Texas, in December 1942. He next served as pilot instructor at the advanced flying school at Altus, Okla. He attended B-24 flying school and early in 1943, joined the 62d Bombardment Squadron, 39th Bombardment Group, at Tucson, Ariz. He was next assigned as deputy commander, Crowder Provisional Group, and then commander of the 459th Bombardment Squadron, 330th Bombardment Group, both at Biggs Field, Texas.

In August 1943 General Campbell was assigned to the 460th Bombardment Group at Clovis, N.M., as squadron commander and when the group moved to Salt Lake City, he became director of operations. He next went with the 460th Group to the European Theater of Operations where as part of the Fifteenth Air Force the group served in North Africa, then Italy. General Campbell flew 34 combat missions with the group and the 55th Bombardment Wing. His targets included Bucharest, Ploesti and Munich. In September 1944 General Campbell and his wing commander led the Fifteenth Air Force bombing mission over Vienna, Austria. On this mission he received a severe shrapnel wound. After hospitalization, he became deputy commander of the 460th Bombardment Group, and shortly thereafter became air inspector for the 55th Wing. During the winter of 1944-1945, he took part in the first "Lone Wolf" harassment missions, flown over Germany in bad weather when large formations of bombers could not reach enemy targets.

Prior to his return to the United States in June 1945, General Campbell was programmed to command a B-32 heavy bombardment group in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations. However, World War II ended, and he was diverted to the War Department General Staff, spending about two years on Logistics (G-4) staff. There his primary task was to monitor the U.S. Army construction program.

When the U.S. Air Force became a separate service in 1947, he was assigned to the newly organized Office of the Comptroller. There he served in the Materiel Programming Division and helped to justify an Air Force composed of seventy groups before the Congress. Concurrently, he served on a joint Army-Navy-Air Force committee which was organized to recommend equitable distribution of funds and other resources for the newly instituted Office of the Secretary of Defense.

In June 1949 General Campbell was transferred to the Air University, where he taught management analysis for a year. He next was assigned to the Strategic Air Command and went to Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, as the Eighth Air Force Comptroller and in March 1953 became deputy commander of the 95th Bombardment Wing. In June 1953 he went to Loring Air Force Base, Maine, as deputy commander of the 42d Bombardment Wing.

He served as 7th Air Division Inspector General in England from July 1954 to August 1955 and then attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Washington, D.C. After graduating in June 1956, he went to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as deputy director of comptroller.

In July 1957 General Campbell assumed command of the 3902d Air Base Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., a position he held four years. In September 1961 he moved to Altus Air Force Base, Okla., as commander of the 816th Air Division. Three years later, he assumed command of the 4th Strategic Aerospace Division with headquarters at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.

In July 1964 General Campbell was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force as deputy inspector general, with headquarters at Norton Air Force Base, Calif. In May 1968 he returned to Washington, D.C., as the director of manpower and organization, deputy chief of staff for programs and resources, and in July 1968 assumed duties as assistant deputy chief of staff for programs and resources.

General Campbell became commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service in August 1970.

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart and the Croix de Guerre with Palm (France), He is a command pilot.
He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective Aug. 1, 1964, with date of rank March 1, 1960, and to the permanent grade of major general effective Feb. 10, 1966, with date of rank July 20, 1962.


(Current as of June 15, 1972)