BRIGADIER GENERAL ROSS G. HOYT Ross G. Hoyt was born in Travers City, Mich., on March 12, 1893. He attended Olivet College, Mich., and enlisted in the Coast Artillery Corps, Regular Army, on Sept. 9, 1914. He served as private and radio sergeant, completing the course at the Radio School and the Electrical School at Fort Monroe, Va. On Aug. 7, 1917, he was appointed a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps, Regular Army. His first commissioned service was at Fort Monroe, Va., where he was an instructor at the Coast Artillery School until April 1918. He was then detailed with the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps and assigned to the Army Balloon School, Fort Omaha, Neb., where he graduated as an Aerial Observer in June 1918. He then was assigned to the Balloon School detachment of Coast Artillery target practice. He remained at Fort Monroe as Commanding Officer of the 29th Balloon Company until May 1919, becoming Commanding Officer of the 22nd Balloon Company, Fort Hancock, N.J. In July 1919 he again was named Commanding Officer of the 29th Balloon Company at Fort Story, Va., accompanying this unit to Lee Hall, Va., where he also served as Commanding Officer of the Balloon School. He was in command of the 30th Balloon Company, Lee Hall, Va., from September until November 1920. He then transferred to the Hawaiian Department, serving with the 21st and 4th Balloon Companies, and the 4th Observation Company at Fort Ruger. He served as Airplane Observer at Wheeler Field, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, from August until September 1922. He became Professor for Military Science and Tactics, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii, from September 1922 until February 1923, when he moved to Luke Field, Hawaii. The following April he became Commanding Officer of the 76th Bombardment Squadron at Luke Field. In March 1924 he returned to the United States and went to Brooks Field, Texas, where he took Ground School and flying instruction. In September 1924 he moved to Kelly Field, Texas, for advanced flying, which he completed in March 1925. He was then assigned to the Office of the Chief of Air Service, Washington, D.C. In January 1929 he was refueling pilot for the Air Corps record-breaking plane, 'Question Mark,' in southern California. He performed 27 refueling contacts of the total 43 made, ten of which were made during hours of darkness and often in the face of adverse flying conditions. All contacts were successfully accomplished without accident. In May 1929 he was transferred to Langley Field, Va., and during this tour of duty established a record solo flight, flying night and day with a lapsed time of 48 hours from New York City to Nome, Alaska, in July 1929. In this period he also established a night-flight record of 1,100 miles from Minneapolis, Minn., to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with a pursuit-type airplane. He graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School, Langley Field, Va., in June 1920, and then was transferred to Selfridge Field, Mich., commanding the 17th Pursuit Squadron at that post. In February 1931 he led the 17th Pursuit Squadron of 18 planes in a formation night flight from Selfridge Field, Mich., to Washington, D.C., and return: the first time this had ever been attempted. The time from Selfridge Field to Washington, D.C., was two hours. He also led the 17th Pursuit Squadron during the East Coast maneuvers from May to June 1931. He retained command of the 17th Pursuit Squadron until November 1932, and then served as Operations Officer of Selfridge Field until June 1933. He transferred to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, Washington, D.C., for duty in the Training and Operations Division. From February to June 1934, he acted as Assistant Chief of the Air Corps in charge of Plans and Training for Mail Operations. He then served as Chief of the Operations Section in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps until July 1936, becoming Chief of the Public Relations Section of the Air Corps. In June 1937 he was assigned as Commanding Officer of the 20th Pursuit Group at Barksdale Field, La. He was detailed to take the special Naval Operations Course at Maxwell Field, Ala., in January 1939, then returned to Barksdale Field, La. In December 1939 he accompanied the 20th Pursuit Group to Moffett Field, Calif., and in January 1941 he was assigned to the 10th Pursuit Wing at Hamilton Field, Calif. The following April he became Commanding Officer of the Air Base at Oklahoma City, Okla. He was assigned to Headquarters Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C., in September 1941, and the following June became the Commanding Officer of the Army Air Base, Luke Field, Ariz. He was designated Commanding Officer of the Fighter Wing in the European Theater of Operations in February 1943, and the following May assumed command of an Air Defense Wing (redesignated Fighter Wing). He is rated a command pilot, combat observer, balloon observer and technical observer. PROMOTIONS First lieutenant, Aug. 7, 1917; captain (temporary), Dec. 22, 1917; transferred to the Air Service on July 1, 1920; captain (permanent), July 1, 1920; major, Aug. 1, 1935; lieutenant colonel (temporary), Aug. 26, 1936; lieutenant colonel (permanent), Aug. 7, 1940; colonel (temporary), Oct. 16, 1940; brigadier general (temporary), June 24, 1943.