William H. Tunner
United States Air Force general (1906–1983) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William Henry Tunner (July 14, 1906 – April 6, 1983) was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces.[1] Tunner was known for his expertise in the command of large-scale military airlift operations, first in Air Transport Command (ATC) during World War II, commanding The Hump operation, and later in Military Air Transport Service (MATS) during the Berlin Airlift in 1949–1951. He eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant general and commanded MATS itself.
William H. Tunner | |
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Birth name | William Henry Tunner |
Nickname(s) | Willie the Whip Tonnage Tunner |
Born | (1906-07-14)July 14, 1906 Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
Died | April 6, 1983(1983-04-06) (aged 76) Ware Neck, Virginia, U.S. |
Buried | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Air Force United States Army Air Forces United States Army Air Corps |
Years of service | 1928–1960 |
Rank | Lieutenant general |
Commands held | Ferrying Division, ATC India-China Division, ATC Combined Air Lift Task Force United States Air Forces Europe Military Air Transport Service |
Battles/wars | World War II, Korean War |
Awards | Distinguished Service Cross, German Great Cross of Merit with star |
Tunner appointed Nancy Love to the staff of his first major command in 1942 and was a key figure in the planning and creation of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Service.