MAJOR GENERAL KERN DELOS METZGER

Kern Delos Metzger was born in Bedford, Ohio on May 5, 1902. He was graduated from the
New York Military Academy in 1920, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown
University in 1924. He then joined the U.S. Fidelity and Guaranty Company in Cleveland, Ohio,
as a special agent and later district supervisor. In 1932, he became president of the insurance
agency of Metzger, Gongwer, Metzger, Inc., also in Cleveland. He held this position until 1951.
From 1948 to 1951 he was president of the North Moreland Company of Shaker Heights, Ohio, a
suburb of Cleveland. The North Moreland Company is an apartment and hotel properties
organization.
On August 20, 1942, General Metzger was commissioned a captain in the Air Reserve and
assigned as a student officer at the Officers Training School at Miami Beach, Florida. In October
1942, he became administrative officer of the Production Division at the AAF Material
Command, Wright Field, Ohio. In February 1943, he was named assistant chief of the
Requirements Branch, Production Division and in May 1944 became chief. In September 1944,
he was appointed chief of the Requirements and Reporting Section, Production Division, and in
September 1945, was redesignated chief of the Requirements Branch.
General Metzger was relieved from active duty in April 1946, and returned to his business
interests in Cleveland, Ohio. In February 1951, he was recalled to active duty as deputy director
of Industrial Resources, U.S. Air Force Headquarters. The following October, he was transferred
to Air Material Command at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, as chief of the Industrial Resources
Division (renamed Production and Resources Division in April 1952) and Air Force Member of
the three service Aircraft Production Resources Agency.
In September 1952, General Metzger was named Director of the Aircraft Production Resources
Agency, a position he continued to hold in conjunction with his job as Chief, Production and
Resources Division.
He retired from the Air Force on September 8, 1954.
General Metzger died on June 19, 1955, at his home in Brecksville, a Cleveland suburb.
PROMOTIONS
Captain, A.U.S., August 20, 1942; Major, A.U.S. (Air Corps), October 22, 1943; Major, A.U.S.,
March 30, 1944; Lieutenant Colonel, A.U.S., April 25, 1945; Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
Reserve, January 23, 1946; Colonel, USAF Reserve, February 8, 1951; Colonel (temporary),
February 17, 1951; Brigadier General, March 8, 1952, with date of rank from February 16, 1952;
Major General, December 15, 1953, with date of rank from April 10, 1949.
DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense
Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal.