BRIGADIER GENERAL DARRELL STUART CRAMER

Brigadier General Darrell Stuart Cramer is vice commander, Seventeenth Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

General Cramer was born in Ogden, Utah, in 1922, where he graduated from Weber High School and attended Weber College. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in January 1942 and received his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant in September 1942 at Luke Field, Ariz.

He received combat crew training at Edwards and Santa Ana Air Bases, Calif. During World War II in November 1942, he was sent to the South Pacific area as a P-38 pilot assigned to the 339th Fighter Squadron of the Thirteenth Air Force. He participated in the campaigns of Guadalcanal, New Guinea and Northern Solomons and completed his tour of duty with credit for destruction of a Japanese Zero fighter and Betty bomber aircraft. In December 1943 he returned to the United States and was assigned to a P-47 combat training school in Abiline, Texas.

In June 1944 General Cramer was assigned to the European Theater of Operations and flew P-51 aircraft with the 55th Fighter Group. During that tour of combat duty, he served as wingman and finished the tour in February 1945 as squadron commander with a total of 300 flying hours in 60 missions and credit for destruction of 11 German aircraft.

At the end of World War II, in June 1945, he returned to the United States, and in November 1945, he left active duty in order to enter into business with his father. In 1947 he joined the Utah Air National Guard. He was attending Air Command and Staff School for Air Reserve and Air National Guard officers at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., when the Berlin Airlift began in June 1948. He was recalled to active duty in November 1948 for Operation Vittles (Berlin Airlift). In January 1949 he went to Germany and was assigned to the 48th Troop Carrier Squadron at Fassberg which he later commanded. The squadron flew airlift missions until the end of the operation in September 1949.

General Cramer then returned to the United States and served as director of flying in the Advanced Flying School at Williams Air Force Base, Ariz. In September 1951 he returned to Europe and became commander of the 53d Fighter Squadron, 36th Fighter Bomber Wing in Germany.

He was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C., in July 1954, where he served in the Directorate of Personnel Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel. He went to George Air Force Base, Calif., in July 1957, where he became deputy commander for operations, 831st Air Division; in September 1959 assumed command of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing; and later returned to the 831st Air Division as deputy commander for operations.

In August 1960 General Cramer became chief, Operations Branch, U.S. Air Force Group, Joint U.S. Military Mission for Aid to Turkey, at Ankara. In February 1963 he returned to George Air Force Base and became commander of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing. As commander, he spent three months on temporary duty in the Republic of Vietnam.

In March 1966 he became director of fighter operations under the deputy chief of staff, operations, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. Be attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C., from August 1967 to June 1968. He then returned to George Air Force Base as commander of the 831st Air Division.

General Cramer went to Southeast Asia in June 1969 and assumed command of the 432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. In February 1970 he moved to Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Republic of Vietnam, as director of combat operations, Headquarters Seventh Air Force.

In February 1971 General Cramer became vice commander, Seventeenth Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with 21 oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem with two oak leaf clusters, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with oak leaf cluster. He is a command pilot.

His hometown is Ogden, Utah.

He was promoted to the temporary grade of brigadier general effective Feb. 6, 1970, with date of rank Jan. 20, 1970.

(Current as of Aug. 15, 1971)