Roger Maxwell Ramey was born in Emblem, Texas, on September 9, 1903. He attended North Texas Teachers College and then entered the United States Military Academy in 1924, was graduated and commissioned a second lieutenant in the Regular Army on June 9, 1928.
That Fall General Ramey entered the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas, and was graduated from the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, in September 1929. He was then assigned to Selfridge Field, Michigan, with the 27th Pursuit Squadron, and in October 1930 was made operations officer of the squadron. Becoming operations officer of the 17th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Michigan, in August 1932, General Ramey was made commanding officer of the 38th Pursuit Squadron and post photographic officer there a year later. In July 1934 he was transferred to Randolph Field, Texas, as a flying instructor at the Primary Flying School and three years later became assistant to the basic stage commander.
Going to Wheeler Field, Hawaii, in March 1939, General Ramey served as intelligence officer of the 18th Pursuit Group, was named commanding officer of the 19th Pursuit Squadron that July, and the following April became executive officer of the 18th Pursuit Group there. Transferring to Hickam Field, Hawaii, in October 1940, General Ramey assumed command of the 42nd Bomb Squadron and in January 1942 became plans and training officer of the VII Bomber Command. The following February he was named Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the Seventh Air Force at Hickam Field.
General Ramey transferred to the Fifth Air Force in October 1942. The following January he was appointed commanding officer of the 43rd Bomb Group, going with it to the Southwest Pacific where he assumed command of the V Bomber Command in June 1943. Assuming command of the 38th Flying Training Wing at Kirtland Field, New Mexico, that December, the following May he was transferred to Peterson Field, Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he assumed command of the 314th Bomb Wing. In June 1944 General Ramey was named Chief of Staff of the XXI Bomber Command, and that November moved with it to the Pacific.
Assuming command of the 58th Bomb Wing in India in January 1945, General Ramey took it to the Marianas that April, was transferred with it to the Continental Air Forces at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., in September 1945, and two months later moved with it to Fort Worth Army Air Base, Texas. During June and July 1946 General Ramey commanded Task Force 1.5, the Army Air Force portion of the combined Army-Navy operations at Bikini Atoll.
When the Eighth Air Force was reactivated, the 58th Wing, under General Ramey was incorporated with the remnants of the Eighth, and headquarters was established at Fort Worth Army Air Base on November 1, 1946. For a few weeks General Ramey was Chief of Staff of the Eighth, and in January 1947 assumed command of the Eighth.
In June 1950 General Ramey became Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Air Force headquarters, Washington, D.C. and the following month, when the Directorate of Plans and Operations split into two directorates under the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, General Ramey was appointed Director of Operations.
General Ramey assumed command of the Fifth Air Force, Far East Air Forces, Korea, in May 1954.
His decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit, and Distinguished Flying Cross. He is rated a command pilot.
PROMOTIONS
He was commissioned a second lieutenant (permanent) June 9, 1928; promoted to first lieutenant (permanent) September 1, 1934; to captain (permanent) June 9, 1938; to major (temporary) January 31, 1941; to lieutenant colonel (temporary) January 5, 1942; to colonel (temporary) March 1, 1942; to brigadier general (temporary) July 1, 1943; to major (permanent) June 9, 1945; to major general (temporary) October 29, 1947; to colonel (permanent) April 2, 1948; to brigadier general (permanent) June 11, 1948; to major general (permanent) July 21, 1952; to lieutenant general (temporary) June 1954.
Up-to-date as of December 1955