U N I T E D S T A T E S A I R
F O R C E
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BRIGADIER GENERAL MONRO MACCLOSKEY
Retired
July 01, 1957
Died January 29, 1983
Courtesy of Enrico Barbina
Monro MacCloskey at his desk in Rosignano May 1945
Monro MacCloskey was born in Fort Worden,
Wash., in 1902. After graduating from Western High School in Washington, D.C.,
in 1920, he entered the U.S. Military Academy where he graduated and was
commissioned a second lieutenant of Field Artillery on June 12, 1924.
He
resigned his commission on August 13, 1924 and on Aug. 2, 1926 was appointed a
first lieutenant in the Ordnance Reserve, from which he was honorably discharged
on September 10, 1929. On November 19, 1934 he was appointed a first lieutenant of Air
Corps in the National Guard of the United States.
After resigning his
Regular Army commission, General MacCloskey was a salesman and building manager
in the real estate and insurance business in Chicago until recalled to active
duty in February 1941. He graduated from the Edgewater Flying School at Chicago
in 1931 and from the extension school of the Army's Command and General Staff
School in 1935. The general received his commercial pilot's license in March
1934 and his pilot's rating from the Air Corps on April 23, 1934.
Recalled to active duty on February 3, 1941, his first assignment was as operations
officer of the 108th Observation Squadron at Chicago, Illinois. In July 1941 the
general was assigned to the Operations Section at Army Air Force headquarters in
Washington, D.C.
General MacCloskey was transferred to headquarters of
the U.S. Army in the European Theater in August 1942 for duty in connection
with plans for the invasion of North Africa and the organization of the
Twelveth Air
Force. In September 1942 he was appointed deputy to the assistant chief of staff
for operations of the Twelveth Air Force in the North African Theater. The following
January he was named chief of the organization, training and equipping section
of the North African Air Force.
In March 1943 the general became a
member of the joint planning staff of the Mediterranean Air Command, in which
capacity he helped to plan operations in that theater. In January 1944 he was
named assistant director of air plans for the Mediterranean Allied Air Force and
during March and April he planned the equipping and training of heavy bomb
squadrons of the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy for supply dropping operations.
The following month General MacCloskey assumed command of the 122nd Bomb
Squadron that was engaged in supply dropping operations in Italy and in June
became commander of the 885th Bomb squadron, also engaged in the same operation. In January 1945, the general was appointed commander of the 15th Special Group
and two months later was named commanding officer of the 264lst Special Group. These two units also were engaged in supply dropping operations in Italy.
Returning to Army Air Force headquarters at Washington, D.C., in July of
1945, General MacCloskey was appointed assistant to the deputy chief of the
Commitments Division; a month later assumed duty as deputy chief of the Flight
Operations Division, and in March 1946 was named deputy chief of the Reserve and
National Guard Division.
Entering National War College in August 1947,
upon graduation the following June he returned to Air Force headquarters to
become chief of the Air Intelligence Policy Division. In August 1949 he was
named Air Attach at Paris, France.
Joining the Military Air Transport
Service headquarters at Washington, D.C., in September 1952, General MacCloskey
served as commander of the Air Resupply and Communications Service.
Going to the Air Defense Command on April 15, 1954, he assumed command of the
28th Air Division at Hamilton Air Force Base, Calif., with additional duty on
January 15, 1957 as commander, Continental Air Defense Force, Western Continental
Air Defense Region, and commander, 28th Continental Air Defense Division, both
at Hamilton Air Force Base. (Relieved of additional duty on April 1, 1957.)
His decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished
Flying Cross, Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, the French Croix de Guerre
with palm and the Legion of Honor. He is rated a command pilot, aircraft and
technical observer.