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  • Gabriel P. Disosway
  • Gabriel P. Disosway

    Foil: 10 Panel: F100 Super Sabre Society Column: 1 Line: 57

    Wall of Honor Level:
    Air and Space Sponsor

    Honored by:
    Ms. Judith Malone

    General Gabriel Poillon Disosway (June 11, 1910 - February 23, 2001) was a noted United States Air Force four-star general and served as commander of the Tactical Air Command (1965-1968).

    A native of Pomona, California, Disosway graduated from Wichita Falls High School in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1927 and then attended Oklahoma University. He entered the United States Military Academy in July 1929 and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in June 1933. He entered Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas, and transferred to the Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, from which he graduated in October 1934 and transferred to the Air Corps in January 1935.

    Disosway's assignments included the 71st Service and 55th Pursuit Squadrons at Barksdale Field, Louisiana; Randolph Field as a primary flying instructor from March 1938 until January 1942; Lake Charles Field, Louisiana, as director of flying; and in June 1942, returned to Randolph as director of training. He was appointed commander of Bryan Army Air Base, Texas, in January 1943.

    In the 1940s, General Disosway went to Panama as commander of the 37th Fighter Group; was assigned as commander of Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington; transferred to China as operations officer of the 312th Fighter Wing; named Army Air Force Liaison Officer with the Third Amphibious-Marine Corps in Tientsin, China; returned to the United States in April of 1946 to become assistant commander of Barksdale Field; entered the Air War College at Maxwell Field, Alabama in 1947; and was appointed chief of the Training Division in the Directorate of Training and Requirements at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

    Disosway became director of training in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, commander of Air Training Command's Flying Training Air Force and assumed command of the 12th Air Force, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

    In January 1958, he became deputy commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Advanced Operations Unit at Ramstein.

    Returning to the United States during June 1960, General Disosway was assigned duty as senior Air Force member, Military Studies and Liaison Division, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering). General Disosway became deputy chief of staff, operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, in November 1962.

    In August 1963, he assumed command of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany. Returning to the United States in July 1965 he assumed command of the Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. He retired from the Air Force on August 1, 1968, and died on February 23, 2001.

    Disosway received numerous awards and decorations including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner, Chinese Order of Yun Hui and Brazilian Southern Cross.

    General Disosway's son, John F Disosway later flew many of the airplanes developed by his father. He flew the F-100D, F-105D/G, F4D, F15A, and is a member in good standing with the Super Sabre Society of the F-100.

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