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| Information > Biographies > BRIGADIER GENERAL ORRIN LEIGH GROVER |
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BRIGADIER GENERAL ORRIN LEIGH GROVER
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Retired Sep. 1, 1957.
Died Jan. 13, 1969.
Orrin Leigh Grover was born in Ripley, N.Y., in 1904 and graduated from high school there in 1923. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on June 14, 1927 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps.
That September General Grover entered Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas and graduated from Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas in October 1928. Assigned with the First Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Mich., he was transferred to the Air Corps on Jan. 22, 1929 and that July joined the 17th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge. In September 1930 General Grover became a flying instructor at Brooks Field, later serving in that capacity at Randolph Field, Texas.
Going to the Panama Canal Zone in September 1934, the general assumed command of the 74th Pursuit Squadron at Albrook Field. Two years later he moved to Barksdale Field, La., as commander of the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Third Wing, assuming command of the 77th Pursuit Squadron there in July 1937. Entering the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala., in August 1939, General Grover graduated that December and became executive officer of the 35th Pursuit Group at Moffett Field, Calif.
Assuming command of the 20th Pursuit Squadron at Moffett Field in February 1940, General Grover took it to Hamilton Field, Calif., that August and to Nichols Field in the Philippines two months later. He assumed command of the 24th Pursuit Group at Clark Field, Philippine Islands in July 1941 and on May 2, 1942 was appointed director of Pursuit of the Fifth Air Force in Australia.
That October General Grover was named acting operations officer at the School of applied Tactics, Orlando, Fla., and a month later was appointed executive officer of the Air Defense Department there. On Aug. 1, 1943 he was designated assistant commandant of the Air Defense Department and commanding officer of the Fighter Command, and three months later was given additional duty as commander of the Tactical Air Division at Orlando. Assigned as assistant deputy commander of Operations for the Tactical Air Command at Orlando in February 1944, that June General Grover became director of operations for the Tactical Air Center there.
Returning to the Pacific Theater in September 1944, General Grover was designated executive officer of the Seventh Fighter Wing, becoming its chief of staff the following January. He joined the Eighth Fighter Command in the South Pacific as chief of staff in August 1945.
Moving to Maxwell Field, Ala., that December, General Grover was named acting assistant to the chief of staff for operations, Air University, becoming assistant to chief of staff, operations in July 1946. Entering the Air War College at Maxwell in August 1947, he graduated the following June and was assigned as chief of the plans and training branch, Psychological Warfare Division at Air Force headquarters, Washington, D.C., becoming chief of the division in February 1949.
Transferred to Saudia Arabia in June 1952, the general was designated commanding general of Dhahran Air Field, with additional duty as chief of the Military Assistant Advisory Group in Saudi Arabia. He assumed command of the Second Air Division, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, on March 1, 1954, with additional duty as commander of the 1414th Air Base Group there.
Joining the Air Training Command in June 1955. General Grover took command of the 3430th Tactical Training Wing at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Relieved of this duty on June 10, 1956, General Grover then reported to Washington, D.C. for duty with the Joint Middle East Planning committee, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Central Control Group, Office of the Joint chief of staff.
His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal. He is rated a command pilot, combat and aircraft observer.
(Up to date as of December 1957)
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