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First Name: Gabriel

Last Name: Disosway

Birthplace: Pomona, CA, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Air Force (1947 - present)



Middle Name: Poillon



Date of Birth: 11 June 1910

Date of Death: 23 February 2001

Rank: General

Years Served: 1933-1968
Gabriel Poillon Disosway

   
Graduate, U.S. Military Academy, Class of 1933

Engagements:
•  World War II (1941 - 1945)

Biography:

Gabriel Poillon Disosway
General, U.S. Air Force

Gabriel Poillon Disosway was born on 11 June 1910 in Pomona, CA. He graduated from Wichita Falls High School in Wichita Falls, TX, in 1927 and then attended Oklahoma University. He entered the U.S. Military Academy in July 1929, graduated and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery in June 1933. He completed Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, TX, and transferred to the Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, TX, from which he graduated in October 1934. He transferred from Field Artillery to the Air Corps in January 1935.

Disosway's first assignments were with the 71st Service and 55th Pursuit Squadrons at Barksdale Field, LA. He was transferred to Randolph Field as a primary flying instructor in March 1938 and remained there until January 1942, serving as an instructor and flight and stage commander.

He then went to Lake Charles Field, LA, as Director of Flying, and in June 1942, returned to Randolph as Director of Training. He was appointed Commander of Bryan Army Air Base, TX, in January 1943.

In April 1943, Disosway went to Panama as Commander of the 37th Fighter Group. He later served as Air Inspector and Deputy Commander of the 26th Fighter Command in Panama and trained the First Brazilian Fighter Group, which went to Italy. In September 1944 he was assigned as Commander of Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington.

In January 1945, Disosway was transferred to China as Operations Officer of the 312th Fighter Wing. He assumed Command of the 311th Fighter Group in May 1945, and in July of the same year took Command of the 312th Fighter Wing. In August he was named Army Air Force Liaison Officer with the Third Amphibious-Marine Corps in Tientsin, China.

Disosway returned to the U.S. in April 1946, to become Assistant Commander of Barksdale Field. He entered the Air War College at Maxwell Field, AL, in 1947. Upon graduation, he was appointed chief of the Training Division in the Directorate of Training and Requirements at Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Washington, DC.

In February 1951, he became Director of Training in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He was then appointed the Commander of Air Training Command's Flying Training Air Force in September 1952, with headquarters at Waco, TX. After nearly five years in this position, he assumed Command of the 12th Air Force, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base.

In January 1958, he became Deputy Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Advanced Operations Unit at Ramstein, becoming Commander of the 17th Air Force, also at Ramstein, in November 1959.

Returning to the U.S. during June 1960, Disosway was assigned duty as Senior Air Force Member, Military Studies and Liaison Division, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering). In mid-1961 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as Vice Commander, Tactical Air Command. Disosway became Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, in November 1962. This position was redesignated as Deputy Chief of Staff, Programs and Requirements in February 1963.

On 1 August 1963, he was promoted to the four-star rank of General and assumed Command of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Wiesbaden, Germany. Returning to the U.S. in July 1965 he assumed Command of the Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, VA.

General Disosway retired from the Air Force on 1 August 1968.

Medals and Awards

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3 Awards)
Bronze Star Medal
Air Medal
Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner
Chinese Order of Yun Hui
Brazilian Southern Cross

General Disosway was rated as a Command Pilot.

Death and Burial

General Gabriel Poillon Disosway died 23 February 2001 in Shreveport, LA, and is buried in Forest Park East Cemetery, Shreveport, LA, in Section 9.



Honoree ID: 704   Created by: MHOH

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