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| Information > Biographies > MAJOR GENERAL ALVIN R. LUEDECKE |
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MAJOR GENERAL ALVIN R. LUEDECKE
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Died Aug. 9, 1998.
Alvin Roubal Luedecke was born at El Dorado, Texas in 1910. Graduating from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in 1932 with a bachelor of science degree, he was commissioned a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in the Reserve Corps.
General Luedecke was first assigned to Reserve Officers' Training Corps duty at Camp Bullis, Texas, for a short period in June 1932. The following February he entered the Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas, and graduated from the Advanced Flying School in February 1934.
Serving as a flying cadet pilot at March and Hamilton fields, Calif., until February 1935, General Luedecke joined the 11th Bombardment Squadron, also at Hamilton, and a year later was assigned to the Seventh Bombardment Group at Hamilton Field as group operations and intelligence officer. In October 1938 he was transferred to the 25th Bombardment Squadron at France Field, Canal Zone.
Named assistant military attach for Air at San Jose, Costa Rica in January 1940, in August 1942 the general became executive air officer at the field office of the Military Intelligence Services, Quarry Heights, Canal Zone. Returning to the United States he served as chief of the Operations Branch, Air Control Group, American Intelligence Command, Miami Beach, Fla., until February 1943 when he was made chief of the Latin American Branch, American Intelligence Command.
A month later General Luedecke was appointed deputy commander of the 39th Bombardment Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Ariz., later becoming executive officer of the 16th Bombardment Operation Training Wing, also at Davis-Monthan.
Going overseas in August 1943, the general was designated assistant chief of Air Staff for Operations, Plans, Training and Intelligence for the Army Air Force in the India-Burma Sector of the China-Burma-India Theater. In November 1944 he was made deputy chief of the Air Staff for the Army Air Forces in the India-Burma-Theater, becoming assistant chief of Air Staff for Plans, Operations, Training and Intelligence in the China Theater in July 1945.
Again returning to the United States in February 1946, General Luedecke was named senior Army Air Force member of the Joint War Plans Committee in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Plans, Army Air Force headquarters, Washington, D.C. On Oct. 10, 1947 he was assigned to the Office of the Director of Plans and Operations at Air Force headquarters, with duty as the U.S. Air Force member of the Joint War Plans Committee. Later that month the general was transferred to the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to become a member of the Joint Strategic Plans Group.
In June 1949 General Luedecke was appointed executive secretary of the Military Liaison Committee to the Atomic Energy Commission of the Central Control Group, Office of the Secretary of Defense, where in February 1951, he assumed additional duty as deputy to the chief of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project. The following month he was relieved of duties as executive secretary and named deputy chief of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project. The general became chief of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project in June 1953, and on April 1, 1957 assumed additional duty as commander, Headquarters Joint Task Force 7, Washington, D.C. This task force is responsible for planning and conducting the atomic tests in the Pacific. Relieved of duty as chief of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project on June 10, 1957, he was assigned primary duty as commander of Task Force 7.
His decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Service Medal and the Bronze Star. His foreign decorations include the Cruz de Boyaca, Republic of Colombia, the Chinese Cloud and Banner Medal and the Chinese Air Force Chien Yuan. He is rated a command pilot.
(Up to date as of June 1957)
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