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  • MajGen William Dumont Greenfield
  • Foil: 17 Panel: 2 Column: 2 Line: 96

    Wall of Honor Level:
    Air and Space Friend

    Honored by:
    M. Gen W. D. Greenfield

    Major General William Dumont Greenfield, a native of Dayton, Ohio, graduated from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio in 1936. He was in class 40B at Randolph Field, Texas, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1940. He served initially with the 8th Pursuit Group, Langley Field, Virginia flying the P-36.

    Early in 1941, he and twelve other pilots went on a special mission to learn the latest fighter tactics flying Spitfires with some of the "hottest" pilots in the British Royal Air Force. In April 1942 he was sent with the 80th Pursuit Squadron to fly combat missions in New Guinea. In November 1942 he commanded the 313th Fighter Squadron flying P-47s. Later, in 1944, he commanded the 50th Fighter Group in England where he and his pilots provided fighter cover for the first wave of landing forces on the Normandy beachhead.
    Returning briefly to civilian status in 1945, he flew for Trans-World Airlines before accepting a regular Army commission in 1946.
    He next served in the Operations Division at Army Air Force Headquarters, Washington, DC. He was appointed Chief of the U.S. Air Force Mission to Venezuela in 1949. He subsequently held numerous command assignments in Air Defense Command (ADC), including command of the 316th Air Division (Defense) in Rabat, Morocco. In July 1964 he was named Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters ADC, before becoming the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters ADC, in January, 1965. He assumed command of the 10th Air Force in July 1967, and retired as a major general on May 1, 1970.
    General Greenfield's decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, Croix de Guerre with Palm (Belgium), Croix de Guerre with Palm (France), and Air Force Cross (Venezuela). He flew 112 combat missions, and was a command pilot, with over 4,000 hours.
    He married the former Nancy Clark Pribe of Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 21,1942. They have three children, William D. Jr., Linda, and Ann, seven grandchildren (Geoff, Amelia, Ara, Monica, Luke, Kate, and Maggie), and five great grandchildren (Aidan, Emma, Robin, Lauren, and Arwen).

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    Foil: 17

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