Millard Harmon was presumed to have perished in February 1945 on a flight when the plane carrying him disappeared in transit.
18 Facts About Millard Harmon
2.
Millard Harmon was born on January 19,1888, at Fort Mason, California.
3.
Millard Harmon was from a military family; his father Millard F Harmon.
4.
Millard Harmon graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1912 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry, serving with the 28th and 9th Infantry Regiments.
5.
Millard Harmon was the Commanding Officer at France Field, Cristobal Canal Zone.
6.
Millard Harmon was part of a hunting party operating in the interior of Panama near the Chepo River.
7.
Millard Harmon placed first among his fellow officers in pistol shooting competition at France Field.
8.
Millard Harmon commanded a formation of DH-4s and flew the California Lieutenant-Governor on a flight to Blythe for the official opening of the new bridge across the Colorado River.
9.
Millard Harmon taught military science and tactics at the University of Washington in Seattle, was assigned as an instructor in the Command and General Staff School, and served with the War Department General Staff for two years.
10.
Millard Harmon commanded Barksdale Field and the 20th Pursuit Group for four years.
11.
In July 1942, General Millard Harmon was appointed Commanding General of US Army Forces in the South Pacific Area, an area that was under Navy command.
12.
On February 2,1943, Millard Harmon was promoted to lieutenant general.
13.
Millard Harmon wanted his command of AAFPOA to be more than an administrative, service, and coordinating agency.
14.
Millard Harmon lobbied Headquarters AAF for operational control of all USAAF combat operations in the Pacific Ocean Area and partial operational control of the B-29 operations against Japan, from his headquarters on Guam.
15.
The issue came to a head in February 1945 when Harmon clashed with Major General Curtis E LeMay, the new commander of the XXI Bomber Command, over command of five long-range fighter groups assigned to the Twentieth Air Force as escorts for strategic bombers, with LeMay prevailing.
16.
Millard Harmon objected, contending that the result would be a seriously inefficient use of the forces.
17.
Millard Harmon was declared dead on February 27,1946, one year after he disappeared.
18.
Millard Harmon field was returned to the government of Guam, and has since become an industrial park.