BRIGADIER GENERAL LELAND P. HEWITT Leland P. Hewitt was born in Mansfield, La., on July 12, 1896. He attended Tulane University, La., and was accepted as a flying cadet on Aug. 16, 1917. He was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Aviation Section, Signal Corps Reserve, on Nov. 7, 1917. Upon receiving his commission, he was ordered to France and was assigned to the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center at Issoudun for pursuit training. Upon completion of the course there he went to Tours for duty at the 2nd Aviation Center as an instructor for four and a half months. In August 1918 he was attached to the Royal Air Force of the British Army and assigned to the Central Dispatch Pool in London where he ferried planes to France. He attended the Royal Air Force Fighting and Gunnery School at Turnberry, Scotland, until November 1918. In December 1918 he returned to the United States. Until March 1919 he was assigned to the 352nd Aero Squadron at Mineola, N.Y. He was then selected as one of the pilots for the Flying Circus and toured with that group until May 1919 when he was assigned to Kelly Field, Texas, as an instructor. In July 1919 he was assigned to the 464th Aero Construction Squadron on border patrol duty. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 25, 1919. He entered the Regular Army in 1920 and was assigned to Carlstrom Field, Fla., as an instructor until July 1922. He then went to Brooks Field, Texas, as instructor and Post Exchange Officer. From March 1925 until June 1926 he was on detached service with the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., engaged in experimental dusting of cotton by airplane to exterminate the boll weevil. In July 1926 he became an instructor with the Arkansas National Guard with station at Little Rock. During April and May 1927, he flew serums to flood victims in Arkansas under extremely dangerous conditions and assisted in locating stranded persons in the flooded areas. In July 1931 he was ordered to Clark Field, Philippine Islands, for duty with the 3rd Pursuit Squadron. After returning to the United States in May 1934, he was assigned to Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell Field, Ala., and graduated there in July 1935. He then entered the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and graduated in June 1936. He became Director of Flying Training at Randolph Field, Texas, serving until July 1940 when he was designated Executive Officer of the West Coast Air Corps Training Center at Moffett Field, Calif. He became Commandant of the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Mather Field, Calif., in May 1941. He was assigned to command the 35th Flying Training Wing, Merced, Calif., in February 1943, remaining there until March 1944, assuming command of the 37th Flying Training Wing, Phoenix, Ariz. In November 1944 he moved to Santa Ana, Calif., as Chief of Staff, Western Flying Training Command. He is rated a command pilot, combat observer and technical observer. PROMOTIONS Second lieutenant in the Air Service, Regular Army, July 1, 1920, and promoted to first lieutenant on the same date; captain, Nov. 20, 1930; major (temporary), June 16, 1936; major (permanent), June 12, 1939; lieutenant colonel (temporary), Nov. 16, 1940; lieutenant colonel (permanent), Oct. 15, 1941; colonel (temporary), Feb. 1, 1942; brigadier general (temporary), Feb. 4, 1943. (Current as of June 28, 1945)