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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Roger Schmidt

George Daniel Gilbreath, born on May 16, 1921 in Birmingham, AL, was involved with aviation during his career, which he devoted to the U.S. Air Force. He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in September 1942, as World War II was on-going. He was assigned training in military communications at Yale University, New Haven, CT. At Yale, he received his commission as 2nd Lieutenant in November 1943, and was assigned to direct the communications training for B-17 bomber crews at Ardmore Army Air Base, Ardmore, OK.

In 1944, 2ndLt Gilbreath received his promotion to 1stLt. After the end of WWII, Lt Gilbreath remained on active military duty as the U.S. Air Force was separately established. Lt Gilbreath was then assigned as Communications Officer for a C-54 Air Transport Squadron in the Panama Canal Zone. The squadron was subsequently sent to Germany where he participated in the Berlin Airlift during 1948.

In 1949, Lt Gilbreath served the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as Communications Inspector, Office of the Command Inspector General, Salina, KS. In 1951 he received his promotion to Captain, and became Communications Instructor and Assistant Department Director in the Fundamentals Department of the Communications/Electronics School at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS until 1953.

Early in 1954 Capt Gilbreath was transferred to Germany as Telephone Systems Officer in support of HQ USAF, Europe. In 1958 he was promoted to Major and was re-assigned as an Instructor and Assistant Director of the USAF Communications/Electronics Staff Officer course at Keesler Air Force Base, MS.

In 1959 Maj Gilbreath was transferred to HQ, Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, TX to serve as Staff Communications/Electronics Officer.

In 1961 George was sent to Tainan, Taiwan, where he was assigned to the Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG), an advisory team serving with the Chinese Air Training Command Communications/Electronics Staff. In 1962 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1963, LtCol Gilbreath was assigned as the Director of Material for a Communications Control Group, US Tactical Air Command, Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. In 1965, he retired from active military duty in South Carolina.

LtCol (Ret) Gilbreath subsequently accepted employment in the Civil Service with the U.S. Army Communications Command at the Pentagon. In 1982, George Gilbreath retired from his Civil Service occupation.