Lieutenant General Bertram Cowgill Harrison is commander, Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force, Turkey.
General Harrison was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1917, and graduated from the Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, Ga., in 1933 and from the U.S. Military Academy in June 1938. He earned his pilot's wings at Kelly Field, Texas in 1939.
After service at Kelly Field and Midland, Texas, he became group commander at San Angelo Army Air Base, Texas in September 1942. General Harrison received B-24 training at Tucson, Ariz., and then led the Harrison Provisional Group to the China-Burma-India Theater in mid-1943. Returning to Kearns, Utah later that year, he became deputy commander of the 460th Bomb Group which he took to the Mediterranean Theater in January 1944. In June 1944 he was named deputy commander of the 55th Bomb Wing.
In December 1944, General Harrison transferred to Walla Walla, Washington, to become commander of the 423d Army Air Force Base Unit. He attended the Command and General Staff School from October 1945 to February 1946; then he returned to Walla Walla to command the 320th Wing.
The general's next assignment took him to Germany where he served as deputy and later as commander of the Munich Air Base. He also held the post of commander, 60th Troop Carrier Group, Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany. Before returning to United States in December 1948, General Harrison headed the initial group to participate in the Berlin airlift.
After his arrival in the United States, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College, completing the course in July 1949. He began a seven year tenure with the Strategic Air Command in November 1950. During this time he served either as commander or deputy commander of groups, wings or divisions at Fort Worth, Texas; Rapid City, S.D; El Paso, Texas; Loring, Maine; and Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico.
In 1957 he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force as deputy director of personnel procurement and training, and in June 1960 served as deputy commander of the Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area. In May 1962, he became director of systems inspection for the U.S. Air Force inspector general at Norton Air Force Base, Calif., and Feb. 1, 1963, he became the deputy inspector general, U.S. Air Force, also at Norton.
In July 1965, the general was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as director of manpower and organization, and in May 1968, was assigned to his current position.
General Harris is a command pilot and an observer.
His decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters and Croix de Guerre with palm (France).
(Current as of 1968)