Air Force General Estes Jr. passes away

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SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  The general who once led the command charged with re-supplying deployed U.S. forces passed away July 2 at his home in Bethesda, Md.

From July 1964 until he retired in August 1969, retired Gen. Howell M. Estes Jr. was the commander of the Military Air Transport Service, later known as the Military Airlift Command, during the Vietnam War. 

"General Estes exemplified the meaning of service through his leadership, professionalism and commitment to the United States Air Force and our nation, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley of his valuable leadership was during the Vietnam conflict. "Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and loved ones during their time of loss."

In addition to his responsibilities of supporting U.S. forces fighting communism in the jungles of Southeast Asia, he had oversight of a global military airlift system, now known as Air Mobility Command, to include aeromedical evacuation operations, air rescue, air weather, photography and mapping services throughout the world.

The son of an Army officer, the Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., native graduated in 1936 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and was assigned to the cavalry before he entered pilot training school in June 1939. Upon graduation he transferred to the Army Air Corps and subsequently was assigned as a flight instructor at Brooks Field, now Brooks City-Base, in San Antonio in April 1940.

In August of that same year he was appointed commandant of cadets at the Brooks Field Advanced Flying School. He became director of flying for the school in July 1942 and was re-designated director of training the following year. In February 1944 he assumed command of Blackland Army Air Base in Waco, Texas. With the closing of Blackland, he assumed command of Lubbock Army Air Field at Lubbock, Texas, in July 1944.

In 1947, he was transferred to the newly created U.S. Air Force.

During the Korean War, General Estes was on temporary duty overseas from March to July 1951 as vice commander of the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command. During that time, he flew 25 combat missions over Korea with a total of 328 hours in the B-29.

General Estes was presented the General H.H. Arnold Trophy, the highest military honor given by the Arnold Air Society, April 26, 1967, for outstanding contributions to military aviation and aerospace programs.

His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (Air Force), Distinguished Service Medal (Army), Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster.

General Estes was 92 years old. 

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