BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM H. LUMPKIN Brigadier General William Hiram Lumpkin is the assistant judge advocate general, U.S. Air Force. He performs the duties of the judge advocate general when that officer is absent or disabled. The mission of the Judge Advocate General's Department is to provide essential professional legal services to help maintain the highest degree of effectiveness of the U.S. Air Force. General Lumpkin was born in Centre, Ala., in 1915. He graduated from Cherokee County High School in 1932; received his bachelor of arts degree from Southwestern College, Memphis, Tenn., in 1936; and was granted a bachelor of law degree from the University of Alabama in 1939. General Lumpkin was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Alabama in 1939 and practiced law in Centre, Ala., until he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in February 1942. After completing a course in the aviation cadet program in October 1942, he was commissioned a second lieutenant and rated as an aerial observer-bombardier. He served in the North African Theater of Operations until October 1943, where he participated in the North African, Sicilian and Italian Campaigns, and completed 55 aerial combat missions. In November 1945, he was released from active duty and returned to his private law practice in Centre, Ala. He served as the city attorney and was elected to the post of county solicitor for Cherokee County, Ala. In July l947, he accepted a regular commission appointment as a first lieutenant (Air Corps) and shortly thereafter was transferred to the Judge Advocate General's Department of the Air Force. Since then General Lumpkin has served in numerous assignments as a judge Advocate at the following locations: Langley Air Force Base, Va.; Rhein-Main Air Base, Frankfurt, Germany; Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Craig Air Force Base Ala.; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; and Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Assigned to the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in 1957, he served as a member of the Legislative Division, later becoming chief of the division, and from June 1960 to July 1963, he was the executive officer to the judge advocate general. He was then assigned as the staff judge advocate, Headquarters Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. In June 1965, he assumed his present position. General Lumpkin's decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal. (Current as of Feb. 15, 1967)