Loran Dale Briggs was born on December 13, 1917, at Bountiful, Utah. He was graduated from Davis County High School in 1935 and entered Utah State Agricultural College at Logan, Utah, in the fall of 1935. In 1939 he was graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and received a commission in the Coast Artillery Reserve. General Briggs entered the Air Corps immediately upon graduation from college in June 1939, as an aviation cadet. In March 1940, he received his pilot’s wings at Kelly Field, Texas.

General Briggs’ early experience included assignments at Mitchel Field, New York, and Langley Field, Virginia, in the 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, flying B-18 aircraft. In early 1941, he was sent to Wright Field, Ohio, to service test the B-25. When World War II broke out, he was assigned to Westover Field, Massachusetts, in the Antisubmarine Command, flying B-25, B-17 and B-18 aircraft. His squadron was transferred to Langley Field, in early 1942, where they were the first tactical squadron flying aircraft equipped with radar.

Later in 1942 he went back to Mitchel Field and then to Antisubmarine Command headquarters at 90 Church Street, New York City. In September 1943, General Briggs was assigned to Mitchel Field for the third time, this time as assistant director of operations for the I Bomber Command, which was responsible for all heavy bombardment training on the East Coast. He subsequently became director of operations of that command.

In December 1944, General Briggs went to Pratt Army Airfield, Kansas, for transition to the B29 prior to going to Guam with the 29th Bombardment Group, where he flew the second B-29 to land on that island while the runways were still being completed. With the 29th Bombardment Group, he served as group operations officer and group commander, and flew 25 combat missions before returning to the United States in 1946.

Upon returning to the United States, General Briggs was assigned to Colorado Springs, Colorado, as chief of the bombardment training division of the Fifteenth Air Force headquarters for one year prior to going to MacDill AFB, Florida, in March 1947, as group operations officer of the 307th Bombardment Group, which was the original Strategic Air Command B-29 transition school. In August 1948, he assumed command of the newly organized 306th Bombardment Group, also at MacDill AFB, equipped with B-29s, which was one of the first new combat units organized under the 70-Group Air Force authorized by Congress.

In May 1950, General Briggs was assigned as chief of the operations division, headquarters Fifteenth Air Force, which had been relocated to March AFB, California. While serving in this position, he was promoted to colonel, served for seven months as director of operations for the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, and flew 15 combat missions over Korea.

He then served as deputy commander and commander of the 106th Bombardment Group at March AFB, California, then equipped with B-29 aircraft, which was inactivated in June 1952, and replaced by the 320th Bombardment Wing in December 1952. He took command of the wing at that time, which transitioned from B-29s to B47 jet bombers in 1953. General Briggs completed B-47 combat crew training at Pinecastle AFB, Florida, in May 1953. He was then assigned as chief of the operations plans division, operations directorate, headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, in May 1954, and remained there until April 1957, when he was assigned as commander of the 28th Bombardment Wing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Shortly after assuming command of the wing, General Briggs completed B-52 combat crew training at Castle AFB, California, in July 1957.

From January 1959 to July 1959, he served the dual role of 28th Bombardment Wing commander and 821st Air Division commander. He was promoted to brigadier general on July 24, 1959, and relinquished command of the 28th Bombardment Wing to take command of the 821st Air Division, which position he held at the time of his death from a heart attack at the Ellsworth AFB hospital on February 19, 1960.

General Briggs was rated a Command Pilot with over 5,500 flying hours to his credit of which 1,800 hours was jet time. He had over 1,000 hours in the B-52.

General Briggs was awarded the Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Commendation Medal. The second Oak Leaf Cluster to his Distinguished Flying Cross was presented by General Thomas S. Power, Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Air Command, on October 18, 1958, at March AFB, California, during the annual SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition. The award recognized then Colonel Briggs’ superb airmanship in successfully landing a B-52D after the fifth attempt when the elevator controls became locked in the full back, nose-up position during takeoff on a training mission at Ellsworth AFB on September 9, 1958.

General Briggs, who played football in high school, was an avid golfer who shot in the low 80s. During his youth in Utah, he was an outstanding archer and held the junior archery championship for the state of Utah. He enjoyed hunting and fishing when time permitted. He was an honorary member of the Rapid City Rotary Club.

(Adapted from news article, “Heart Attack Claims Gen. Briggs in Hospital Office at Ellsworth,” published in the Rapid City Daily Journal, Rapid City, South Dakota, Feb. 19, 1960, Friday, pp. 1 & 2)