Edward Michael Powers – Major General, United States Air Force

Courtesy of the United States Air Force
Suggested By Russell C. Jacobs, June 2007

MAJOR GENERAL EDWARD M. POWERS
Died January 1, 1977.

Edward Michael Powers was born in 1892 at LeRoy, Illinois. During the World War, he served as Private First Class in the Aviation Section, Signal Corps Reserve, from November 30, 1917 until he was appointed a Second Lieutenant (temporary) in the Air Service on June 28, 1918. He was honorably discharged from the Army on August 23, 1919, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Air Service, Regular Army, on July 1, 1920.

Upon enlisting in the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps Reserve, he was assigned to the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, for ground instruction. He then received his flying instruction at Camp Dick, Dallas, Texas and Kelly Field, Texas until June 1918, when he was commissioned a second lieutenant. He then remained at Kelly Field, Texas as an instructor, and subsequently moved to Payne Field, Mississippi, where he served as an instructor until he was honorably discharged on August 23, 1919.

His first Regular Army assignment was to the Aviation Repair Depot, Dallas, Texas, as supply officer and acting quartermaster until March 1921, when he transferred to the San Antonio Air Intermediate Depot, San Antonio, Texas, as supply officer and assistant engineering officer. From July to September 1924 he served as engineering officer, San Antonio Air Intermediate Depot; then was ordered to duty at Camp Nichols, Rizal, Philippine Islands, where he served as assistant engineering officer and later engineering officer, 66th Service Squadron, until March 1927, when he joined the 28th Bombardment Squadron as assistant engineering officer and engineering officer, successively, at Camp Nichols.

Returning to the United States, he proceeded to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio for duty in the Field Service Section, Air Corps Materiel Division, from November 1927 until July 1929. During this tour of duty he was chief of the Repair Section for one year. His next assignment was to New York University, New York, New York, as a student officer until July 1930, when he returned to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, where he graduated from the Air Corps engineering School in June 1931. He then remained at Wright Field as test engineer, Power Plant Branch, Air Corps Materiel Division; and in July 1933 became chief, Power Plant Branch.

In August 1935 he was ordered to Maxwell Field, Alabama, where he graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School in June 1936. He again returned to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio as assistant chief of the Engineering Section, Air Corps Materiel Division, until August 1937 when he transferred to Washington, D.C. In June 1938 he graduated from the Army Industrial College. He then became chief, Equipment Branch, Air Corps Materiel Division, Wright Field, Ohio; and in May 1939 was designated assistant chief of the Production Engineering Section at that field. In October 1939 he was ordered to Washington, D.C. for duty in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, as chief of the Engineering Section, Materiel Division.

From September to November 1941 he was detailed to the Office of the Military Attach, London, England, as a military observer. Returning to the United States, he proceeded to Washington, D.C., and subsequently became chief of the Engineering Section, Materiel Division (redesignated Materiel Command). In May l942 he again was ordered to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, as Army Air Forces representative and as administrator, Aircraft Scheduling Unit, Army Air Forces Materiel Center. In October 1943 he moved to Washington, D.C. as an Army member, Joint Production Survey Committee, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. In June 1944 he was assigned to Headquarters Army Air Forces as deputy assistant chief of Air Staff, Materiel, Maintenance and Distribution; and in May 1945 became acting assistant chief of Air Staff, Materiel, Maintenance and Distribution. In August 1945 he became a member of the Joint-Army-Navy Board on Postwar Army-Navy Training in Industrial Mobilization, Washington, D.C. He was appointed assistant to the deputy chief of staff for Materiel at U.S. Air Force headquarters on October 10, 1947. He is rated a command pilot, combat observer, aircraft observer and technical observer.

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