Carlyle Howe Ridenour was born on April 8, 1893, at Denver, Colorado. He was graduated from California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1918. He enlisted as a flying cadet on February 8, 1918, and was commissioned a second lieutenant (temporary) in the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, on June 22, 1918. On July 1 1920 he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Service, Regular Army.
SERVICE
He entered the School of Military Aviation, Berkeley, California, in February 1918, and the following April transferred to Rockwell Field, Coronado, California, where he continued his flying training and made his first flight on April 13, 1918. His first commissioned service was at March Field, California, in September 1918, where he served as an instructor until he was transferred to Mather Field, California, in July 1919 to fly the first Forest Patrol. In October 1919 he was assigned to the 91st Aero Squadron which moved to Rockwell Field, California, until November 1920. He then was transferred to the Rockwell Air Depot, California, and remained there until August 1921 when he was assigned to the Engineering Division, McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, as a student in the Air Corps Engineering School. Upon graduation he was assigned to the Power Plant Section, Engineering Division, McCook Field, and eventually became Section Chief in August 1922.
He was transferred to Crissy Field, California, in October 1928 on temporary duty with the 91st Observation Squadron and the following November was ordered to Luke Field, Hawaii, as Engineering Officer of the 65th Service Squadron. He moved to Wheeler Field, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, in November 1927, and joined the 19th Pursuit Squadron as Engineering Officer. He became Commanding Officer of the 19th Pursuit Squadron in July 1928.
He returned to the United States in November 1929, and was assigned to the Material Division, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, in January 1930 where he became Assistant Chief of the Power Plant Section. In October 1931 he was assigned to the Office, Chief of Air Corps, Washington, D.C., for duty in the Inspection Division, where he served for a brief period. He then was assigned to Rockwell Air Depot Control Area, in San Diego, California, as Technical Supervisor.
In February 1934 he was named Zone Technical Supervisor, Western Zone, Army Air Corps Mail Operations, stationed at Headquarters in Western Zone, Salt Lake City, Utah. The following May he returned to Rockwell Field, California, as Squadron Commander in the 19th Bombardment Group. He served as Advance Supply Officer of the “Alaska Flight,” United States Army Air Corps, Fort Mason, California, and points in Alaska, from July to September 1934. He then became Inspection and Engineering Officer, and Squadron Commanding Officer in the 19th Bombardment Group at Rockwell Field, California. He joined the 7th Bombardment Group, Hamilton Field, San Rafael, California, as Intelligence and Operations Officer in May 1935. He was named Commanding Officer of the 11th Bombardment Squadron at Hamilton Field, California, in September 1936.
He was assigned to the Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell Field, Alabama, in September 1937, and was graduated in June 1938. The following September he entered the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Following his graduation in June 1939 he was assigned to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, as Chief of the Maintenance Branch.
He became Inspection Officer and Assistant District Supervisor, Central Air Corps Procurement District, Dayton, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan, in October 1940, serving in that capacity until March 1942 when he was named Assistant District Supervisor and Army Air Forces Representative at the Glenn L. Martin, Baltimore, Maryland. In July 1942 he was assigned to the Eighth Air Force, and the following month went to Great Britain with the Eighth Air Force. Subsequently he was assigned to the Twelfth Air Force, and went to North Africa with the initial invasion. In February 1943 he became Commanding Officer of the 47th Bombardment Wing, Twelfth Air Force. A year later he was assigned to Headquarters, Fifteenth Air Force, in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. In March 1944 he returned to the United States and was assigned to Headquarters, Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C. That same month he served successively as Deputy Chief, Maintenance Division, Air Service Command, Patterson Field, Ohio, and Air Inspector, Air Technical Command, Wright Field, Ohio. On March 31, 1945, he retired in the rank of Brigadier General.
General Ridenour died on August 27, 1971, in Marietta, Georgia.
He was rated a Command Pilot, Combat Observer, and Aircraft Observer.
PROMOTIONS
Private 1st Class, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, Enlisted Reserve Corps, February 8, to June 21, 1918; Second Lieutenant, Air Service, N.A., June 22, 1918, to September 23, 1920; Second Lieutenant, Air Service, July 1, 1920; First Lieutenant, July 1, 1920; Captain, November 1, 1933; Major (temporary), May 29, 1935, to June 16, 1936; Major (temporary), August 26, 1936; Major, June 1, 1940; Lieutenant Colonel (temporary), March 15, 1941; Lieutenant Colonel, A.U.S., September 5, 1941; Colonel (temporary), January 5, 1942; Colonel, A.U.S., February 1, 1942; Lieutenant Colonel, October 4, 1942; Brigadier General, A.U.S., June 2, 1943; retired, disability in line of duty, with rank of Brigadier General, March 31, 1945.
DECORATIONS
Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, World War I Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal.