Herbert Miller Kidner – Brigadier General, United States Air Force

Courtesy of the United States Air Force

BRIGADIER GENERAL HERBERT M. KIDNER
Retired March 1956, Died July 18, 1992

Herbert Miller Kidner was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, in 1901. He graduated with honor from Harvard University with a bachelor of laws degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1926. He was commissioned a captain in the judge advocate general reserve on inactive status on June 15, 1933.

General Kidner practiced law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, until April 1941, when he was called to active duty with the Army, with the rank of major. He was assigned as a reviewer in the Military Justice Division of the Judge Advocate General’s Office.

In February 1942, General Kidner was transferred to the Judge Advocate General’s School at Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he served as assistant commandant and as chief of the Military Justice Department until December 1943. He then was reassigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Office to work on cases requiring presidential confirmation. In May 1944, he was appointed deputy air judge advocate at Army Air Forces  headquarters. He was relieved from active duty April 16, 1946; but was recalled the following December and appointed assistant staff judge advocate in the Office of the Judge Advocate.

General Kidner went to Tokyo, Japan, in June 1947, as assistant staff judge advocate for the Far East Air Forces. In August 1947, he was appointed staff judge advocate for the Fifth Air Force in Japan. He received his regular commission June 19, 1947. He returned to the United States in August 1948, for duty in connection with the organization of the Judge Advocate General’s Office at Air Force headquarters. In October 1948, he was appointed assistant judge advocate general for military justice.

General Kidner was assigned to the Central Control Group at Washington, D.C., in June 1950, for duty with the Interdepartmental Working Group for the Manual for Court Martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He was appointed assistant judge advocate general of the Air Force December 22, 1950, and promoted to the rank of
brigadier general.

In February 1953, General Kidner was named judge advocate general of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters at Wiesbaden, Germany.

General Kidner has been awarded the Legion of Merit and Army Commendation Ribbon.

General Kidner was buried with full military honores in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemretery.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard