BRIGADIER GENERAL CLINTON DERMOTT VINCENT

Brig. Gen. Clinton Dermott “Casey” Vincent was born on November 29, 1914, in Gail, Texas. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, with the Class of 1936, receiving a commission of second lieutenant in the Field Artillery on June 12, 1936. He transferred to the Air Corps on October 1, 1937.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. 1937, Student, Air Corps Primary Flying School, Randolph Field and the Air Corps Advanced Flying School (Attack Course), Kelly Field, Texas
2. November 1937–March 1940, Operations Officer, 19th Pursuit Squadron, Wheeler Field, Hawaii
3. March 26, 1940–October 10, 1940, Commanding Officer of the 9th Air Base Squadron, Moffett Field, Calif.
4. October 11, 1940–May 26, 1941, Commanding Officer of the 34th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), Hamilton Field, Calif.
5. May 27, 1941–October 5, 1941, Operations Officer, 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), Hamilton Field, Calif.
6. October 6, 1941–December 1, 1941, Executive Officer, 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), Hamilton Field, Calif.
7. December 2, 1941–March 15, 1942, Commanding Officer of the 35th Pursuit Group (Interceptor), Hamilton Field, California; from February 1, 1942, Brisbane, Australia; from March 1942, New Delhi, India
8. March 16, 1942–November 4, 1942, Executive Officer, Karachi Air Base Training Center (later, Karachi American Air Base Command), India
9. November 12, 1942–December 31, 1942, Assistant Chief of Staff, A-3, China Air Task Force, Kunming, China
10. January 1, 1943–March 9, 1943, Executive Officer, China Air Task Force, Kunming, China
11. March 10, 1943–May 27, 1943, Acting Chief of Staff of the Fourteenth Air Force, Kunming, China
12. May 28, 1943–December 9, 1943, Commanding Officer of the Forward Echelon of the Fourteenth Air Force, Eastern China
13. December 10, 1943–December 13, 1944, Commanding General of the 68th Composite Wing, Kunming, China; from December 23, 1943, Kweilin, China; from September 15, 1944, Liuchow, China; from November 7, 1944, Luliang, China
14. March 1945–July 1945, Commanding General of the 30th Flying Training Wing, Turner Field, Ga.
15. August 1, 1945–October 1945, Commanding General of the 29th Flying Training Wing, Napier Field, Ala.
16. October 31, 1945–December 19, 1945, Commanding General of the 32d Flying Training Wing, Randolph Field, Texas
17. January 26, 1946–June 30, 1946, Commanding General of the Iceland Base Command, Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command, Keflavik Airport, Iceland
18. July 1, 1946–August 4, 1946, Temporary duty to Headquarters Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command
19. August 1946–July 15, 1948, Instructor in the Air Tactics and Operations Division, Air University, Maxwell Field (later, AFB), Ala.
20. July 16, 1948-April 19, 1949, Instructor in the Personnel and Administration Division, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
21. April 19, 1949–April 9, 1952, Commanding Officer, later Commanding General of the 25th Air Division (Defense), Western Air Defense Force, Silver Lake, Washington; from September 14, 1951, McChord AFB, Wash.
22. April 10, 1952–July 1953, Deputy Chief of Staff for Material, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, Colo.
23. August 1953–June 1955, Vice Commander of the Western Air Defense Force, Hamilton AFB, Calif.
24. June 1955–July 5, 1955, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, Colo.

On July 5, 1955, General Vincent died of a heart attack at Ent AFB, Colorado.

He was rated a Command Pilot and Aircraft Observer.

On October 12, 1956, Yuma Air Force Base, New Mexico was renamed Vincent AFB in honor of the late general. The base was transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1959, and in 1962, to the U.S. Marine Corps. It is currently Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

NOTES
Brig. Gen. Vincent received official credit for shooting down six Japanese aircraft in World War II while flying with the 23rd Fighter Group in China (November 11, 1942, May 8, 1943, July 7, 1943 [2 victories], July 23, 1943, August 26, 1943).

Brig. Gen. Vincent was 29 years old when promoted to brigadier general, A.U.S., on June 2, 1944. He reverted to the rank of colonel on June 30, 1946. He was again promoted to brigadier general (temporary) on July 28, 1951, with date of rank July 15, 1951.

Brig. Gen. Vincent was immortalized by cartoonist Milton Caniff as Colonel Vince Casey in his Terry and the Pirates comic strip and later as General “Shanty” Town in his Steve Canyon comic strip.

PROMOTIONS
Cadet, U.S. Military Academy, July 1, 1932 Second Lieutenant, Field Artillery, June 12, 1936; transferred to the Air Corps, October 1, 1937; First Lieutenant, June 12, 1939; Captain, A.U.S., September 9, 1940; Major (temporary), November 15, 1941; Lieutenant Colonel, A.U.S., February 26, 1942; Colonel, A.U.S. (Air Corps), January 1, 1943; Colonel, A.U.S., May 5, 1943; Brigadier General, A.U.S., June 2, 1944; Captain, June 12, 1946; terminated Brigadier General, A.U.S., June 30, 1946; Colonel, A.U.S., May 5, 1943; Lieutenant Colonel, July 1, 1948; Colonel, July 27, 1950; Brigadier General (temporary), July 28, 1951, with date of rank July 15, 1951.

DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, Commendation Ribbon, Distinguished Unit Citation, American Defense Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Chinese Golden Air Hero Medal, Chinese Collar Order of Yun Ma, Chinese Special Necklet of the Precious Tripod, Chinese Special Breast Order of Yun Hui (Cloud and Banner), Knight Commander of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon, Chinese Air Force Pilot Wings