Harris B. Hull – Brigadier General, United States Air Force

Courtesy of the United States Air Force

BRIGADIER GENERAL HARRIS B. HULL
Retired August 1, 1964, Died January 29, 1993

Brigadier General Harris B. Hull was special assistant to the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C.

General Hull was born in 1909, in Williamsburg, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of science degree in 1930 and completed the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1952.

He received his commission through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and, from August 1934 to January 1942, performed reserve duty in New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C. General Hull entered active duty in January 1942 and served in England and the Mediterranean area as a combat intelligence officer during World War II.

In July 1945 he was assigned to Headquarters Army Air Forces in Washington, D.C., as chief of the Analyses Division. From November 1945 to November 1946, the general was a special project officer in the Intelligence Directorate’s Executive and Field Divisions.

General Hull served as the executive officer for the director of information at Army Air Forces headquarters in Washington, D.C., from November 1946 to June 1947. When the Air Force became a separate service in 1947, he served in a similar position on the Air Force Information staff.

Transferring to the Office of the Air Force Inspector General, General Hull served as the executive officer, from January 1948 to April 1950. After brief service as an Air Inspector for the 3894th School Squadron, with duty at the 1009th Special Weapons Squadron in Washington, D.C., the general was named chief of the Current Intelligence Branch, Intelligence Directorate, at Air Force headquarters. Following graduation from the Air War College in June 1952, he joined Headquarters Command’s 1007th Air Intelligence Service Group as an intelligence staff officer.

The general became deputy for intelligence, Directorate of Intelligence, Headquarters Far East Air Forces, Fuchu Air Station, Japan, in June 1956. In July 1957 when the command became Pacific Air Forces and was relocated to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, General Hull was assigned as assistant chief of staff for intelligence.

Upon returning to the continental United States in August 1960, the general became deputy chief of staff for intelligence at North American Air Defense Command headquarters at Ent Air Force Base, Colo. He returned to Washington, D.C., in August 1963 as special assistant to the assistant administrator for technical policy, utilization and plans, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He assumed his current duty in May 1964.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

He was promoted to brigadier general May 4, 1960, with date of rank March 23, 1960.

General Hull was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2, Grave 4799.

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