Matthew Kemp Deichelmann – Major General,United States Air Force

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Courtesy of the United States Air Force

MAJOR GENERAL MATHEW K. DEICHELMANN
Died March 15, 1989

Matthew Kemp Deichelmann was born in Binghamton, New York, in 1905. After attending high school at Binghamton, he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated from the academy and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps on June 14, 1927.

From September 1927 to February 1928, he took basic flying training at Brooks Field, Texas. He then became a battery officer at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and in July 1930 joined the 60th Coast Artillery at Fort Mills, Philippine Islands.

General Deichelmann returned to the United States in June 1932 and the following September entered the Coast Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Upon completion of the Battery Officer’s Course the following June, he was named commanding officer of the Forestry Camp and Civilian Conservation Corps Company at Dyer, Tenn. In November 1933 he was assigned to the 69th Coast Artillery at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

Returning to the Philippine Islands in July 1935, the general was assigned to the 59th Coast Artillery at Fort Mills. Two years later he returned to the United States to enter the Coast Artillery School at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where he completed the Advanced Technical Course in July 1938. He then entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama, and upon graduation the following May joined the 61st Coast Artillery at Fort Sheridan, Illinois.

In September 1939 General Deichelmann was assigned to the Fourth Coast Artillery at Fort Amador, Panama Canal Zone. Two months later he was appointed assistant chief of staff for operations of the Panama Anti-Aircraft Command at Quarry Heights, Canal Zone. Transferred to the Caribbean Air Force in August 1941, the general became assistant operations officer. That December he was made anti-aircraft officer and then executive officer of the 26th Fighter Command at Albrook Field.

Returning to the United States in October 1942, General Deichelmann was named head of the Anti-Aircraft and Airdrome Defense Section of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics at Orlando, Florida. He was transferred to Headquarters Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C., in November 1943 as deputy special assistant for anti-aircraft.

Going to the European Theater of Operations in February 1945 the general was named operations officer of the IX Air Defense Command and in September 1945 was appointed chief of staff of that command, becoming its commander the following December.

General Deichelmann returned to the United States in March 1946 and the following month was assigned to the staff and faculty of the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Field, Alabama. In August 1946 he became an instructor in air defense there and in August 1947 was named deputy commandant of the school.

Entering the National War College at Washington, D.C. in August 1949, from which he graduated in June 1950, two months later General Deichelmann was named director of education at the Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

On May 1, 1952 the general became special assistant for Air Force ROTC to the Commanding General of the Air University, with duty also as commandant of the Air Force ROTC (Provisional). He was designated commandant of the Air Force ROTC there in August 1952.

Reassigned to the Far East late in October 1956, General Deichelmann assumed duties as senior member, United Nations command component of the Military Armistice Commission in Korea on November 1, 1956.

Relieved of duty as senior member, U.N. Military Armistice Commission (U.N. Command Component) on May 1, 1957, the general became special assistant to the commander, Headquarters Far East Air Forces, Tokyo, Japan, and on July 1, 1957 when Far East Air Forces headquarters moved to Hawaii and was redesignated Pacific Air Force, he became deputy chief of staff, administration and logistics.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm, Belgian Order of Leopold with Palm, and French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He is rated an aircraft observer.

SPECIAL HONORS

In June 1953 the general was presented an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Notre Dame, the first Air Force officer to be so honored by that institution. In the fall of 1954 he was also named an honorary member of the National Society for the Study of Communication. In August 1956 the Air Force Association awarded General Deichelmann the Citation of Honor.

His younger son, Steven Travis Deichelman, Captain, United States Air Force, was killed in a mid-air collision over Vietnam in 1971 and buried with his parents.  His older son, Samuel Mackal Deichelmann, Major, United States Air Force, was killed over Vietnam in 1968 but his body was not recovered.  The Major has a memorial stone in Arlington National Cemetery.

NOTE: His Father-in-law, Samuel T. Mackall, Colonel, United States Army, is also buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

DEICHELMANN, LOUISE M

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 12/14/1909
  • DATE OF DEATH: 08/26/2001
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 10/03/2001
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 3  SITE 4466LH
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF DEICHELMANN, MATTHEW KEMP – MAJ GEN US AIR FORCE

DEICHELMANN, MATTHEW KEMP
MAJ GEN   US AIR FORCE

  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 12/24/1905
  • DATE OF DEATH: 03/15/1989
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 03/23/1989
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 3  SITE 4466LH
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

DEICHELMANN, STEPHEN T
CPT USAF

  • VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 09/19/1944
  • DATE OF DEATH: 09/27/1971
  • DATE OF INTERMENT: 09/30/1971
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 3  SITE 4466 LH
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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