BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM J. CRANDALL

Retired July 01,1975

Brigadier General William J. Crandall is deputy chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

General Crandall was born in Ada, Okla., in 1920 and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1939. He attended Oklahoma A&M College until November 1941 when he entered active military service as an aviation cadet. He completed pilot training at Luke Field, Ariz., and received his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant in May 1942.

He then served for three years as an instructor pilot at Lemoore Army Air Base, Calif. In June 1945 he was transferred to Pacific Overseas Air Service Command with headquarters at Nichols Field, Manila, Philippine Islands, where he later became a staff judge advocate.

General Crandall was released from active duty in January 1947 and became a member of the Air Force Reserve. His Reserve assignments have been varied and cover a span of more than 17 years, including short tours of active duty with Headquarters Squadron, Fourteenth Air Force, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.; Air Reserve Center, Fort Worth, Texas; and Pilot Training Squadron, Hensley Field, Texas. He has served as flight commander, operations officer, training commander, instructor pilot, squadron commander and group commander.

In 1958 General Crandall became an Air Reserve Technician and was a pilot with the 69th Troop Carrier Squadron at Dallas, Texas. In March 1962 he was transferred to the ART position of director of operations and training with the 434th Troop Carrier Wing at Bakalar Air Force Base, Ind.

In September 1963 General Crandall returned to active duty as Reserve Assistant to the commander, Twelfth Air Force, Waco, Texas. He was assigned to Tactical Air Command headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va., in June 1966, as Reserve adviser to the commander of TAC. A year later, he was transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as assistant for Reserve affairs in the Directorate of Plans. In January 1969 he was named chief of the Operations and Training Division, Office of Air Force Reserve.

General Crandall returned to ART status in the Air Force Reserve and assumed command of the 459th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., in June 1970. While commander, the wing was converted from C-124 Globemaster to C-130 Hercules aircraft and reorganized as a tactical airlift wing. During this period, he completed the National Security Management Course at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

In June 1973 General Crandall was ordered to active duty to serve as deputy to the chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Combat Readiness Medal, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon. He has served as a member of the Air Force Reserve Forces Policy Committee, the Military Airlift Command Policy Committee, and resident secretary of the Tactical Air Command Policy Committee.

He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general effective July 16, 1971.

William is survived by his Daughter Judith Ann and Grandson James Everett Mills (Kim) and Grandchildren who resides in Broad Run, VA.

Internment will take place in Arlington National Cemetery, with his Wife, Mary Ann, at a later date.

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