MAJOR GENERAL ROCKLY TRIANTAFELLU
Major General Rockly Triantafellu is assistant chief of staff for intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
General Triantafellu was born in 1917, in Daytona Beach, Fla., and completed his basic education there. He is a graduate of Opportunity Business Accounting School of that city; Duval Aircraft Engine School, Jacksonville, Fla.; and attended Sacramento State College, Sacramento, Calif.
He began his military career in 1937 when he enlisted in the Florida National Guard as a member of the 365th Antiaircraft Artillery Battery. He entered extended active duty as an aviation cadet in March 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in December 1942.
During World War II, he served as a B-24 aircraft lead crew bombardier 25 missions including the first daylight attacks on Rome in July 1943 and Berlin in March 1944. On his fifth mission, an attack on Ploesti, Rumania, his crew crash-landed in Turkey. All survivors were interned, but General Triantafellu escaped and returned to England to complete his combat tour. During this period, he served as squadron and then group bombardier of his original unit, the 389th Bombardment Group. Following his return to the United States in August 1945, he entered Bombardier Instructors School at Midland, Texas, and later became squadron commander.
During his next assignment, from March 1946 to July 1950, at Mather Air Force Base, Calif., he held several key positions including supervision of curriculum development for the integrated bombing-navigation-radar school which produced the first triple rated navigators for the new B-47 aircraft. He graduated from the school in August 1948 and subsequently supervised the bombing and radar training departments of the school.
General Triantafellu was next assigned to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as radar-navigation bombing officer; and then chief, Radar Bombing Branch. From June 1954 until June 1955, he served as director of intelligence for Headquarters Eighth Air Force at Fort Worth, Texas, and moved with the organization when it was relocated at Westover Air Force Base, Mass.
He became senior representative of Strategic Air Command at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, in Paris, France, during September 1955, and when he returned to the United States in March 1956, assumed his previous position as director of intelligence at Eighth Air Force, Westover Air Force Base, Mass.
In July 1962 he was assigned as deputy for intelligence at Headquarters Tactica1 Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va., and occupied that position during the Cuban Crisis and during the many contingency deployments and large-scale joint exercises of that period.
General Triantafellu arrived in the Republic of Vietnam in March 1965 as a member of a Headquarters U.S. Air Force fact-finding team. He volunteered to return for a tour of duty and in April 1965 assumed duties as deputy for intelligence, Headquarters 2nd Air Division, Tan Son Nhut Air Base. He continued these duties when the division was redesignated Seventh Air Force in April 1966, and remained there until July 1966.
In August 1966 he was assigned to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, as deputy chief of staff for intelligence, and remained in that position until July 1969 when he became deputy assistant chief of staff for intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. In November 1969 he became assistant chief of staff for intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
General Triantafellu is a rated master navigator. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, French Croix de Guerre with silver star, and the Vietnamese Air Order Second Class.
His hometown is Daytona Beach, Fla.
He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective March 1, 1969, with date of rank Dec. 11, 1964.
(Current as of Jan. 15, 1970)
General Triantafellu was born in 1917, in Daytona Beach, Fla., and completed his basic education there. He is a graduate of Opportunity Business Accounting School of that city; Duval Aircraft Engine School, Jacksonville, Fla.; and attended Sacramento State College, Sacramento, Calif.
He began his military career in 1937 when he enlisted in the Florida National Guard as a member of the 365th Antiaircraft Artillery Battery. He entered extended active duty as an aviation cadet in March 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in December 1942.
During World War II, he served as a B-24 aircraft lead crew bombardier 25 missions including the first daylight attacks on Rome in July 1943 and Berlin in March 1944. On his fifth mission, an attack on Ploesti, Rumania, his crew crash-landed in Turkey. All survivors were interned, but General Triantafellu escaped and returned to England to complete his combat tour. During this period, he served as squadron and then group bombardier of his original unit, the 389th Bombardment Group. Following his return to the United States in August 1945, he entered Bombardier Instructors School at Midland, Texas, and later became squadron commander.
During his next assignment, from March 1946 to July 1950, at Mather Air Force Base, Calif., he held several key positions including supervision of curriculum development for the integrated bombing-navigation-radar school which produced the first triple rated navigators for the new B-47 aircraft. He graduated from the school in August 1948 and subsequently supervised the bombing and radar training departments of the school.
General Triantafellu was next assigned to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as radar-navigation bombing officer; and then chief, Radar Bombing Branch. From June 1954 until June 1955, he served as director of intelligence for Headquarters Eighth Air Force at Fort Worth, Texas, and moved with the organization when it was relocated at Westover Air Force Base, Mass.
He became senior representative of Strategic Air Command at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, in Paris, France, during September 1955, and when he returned to the United States in March 1956, assumed his previous position as director of intelligence at Eighth Air Force, Westover Air Force Base, Mass.
In July 1962 he was assigned as deputy for intelligence at Headquarters Tactica1 Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va., and occupied that position during the Cuban Crisis and during the many contingency deployments and large-scale joint exercises of that period.
General Triantafellu arrived in the Republic of Vietnam in March 1965 as a member of a Headquarters U.S. Air Force fact-finding team. He volunteered to return for a tour of duty and in April 1965 assumed duties as deputy for intelligence, Headquarters 2nd Air Division, Tan Son Nhut Air Base. He continued these duties when the division was redesignated Seventh Air Force in April 1966, and remained there until July 1966.
In August 1966 he was assigned to Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, as deputy chief of staff for intelligence, and remained in that position until July 1969 when he became deputy assistant chief of staff for intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. In November 1969 he became assistant chief of staff for intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
General Triantafellu is a rated master navigator. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, French Croix de Guerre with silver star, and the Vietnamese Air Order Second Class.
His hometown is Daytona Beach, Fla.
He was promoted to the temporary grade of major general effective March 1, 1969, with date of rank Dec. 11, 1964.
(Current as of Jan. 15, 1970)