Charles Franklin Born (April 24, 1903 – May 24, 1979) was a major general in the United States Air Force and an All-American football player.

Biography

Born was born in

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

, to Frank and Martha (née: Madera) Born. His father was born in Germany, and was a city of Racine fireman. He had two younger brothers, Captain Howard and Admiral Arthur Born, who were naval officers, and a younger sister, Grace. He graduated from St. John's Military Academy in 1924, where he was chosen as honor graduate, and West Point in 1928. On May 4, 1949, in Arlington, Virginia, he married the former Miss Eleanor Mae Moller. He died on May 24, 1979, in Phoenix, Arizona and was laid to rest at West Point Cemetery. With his first wife, Florence née: Fountain, he had 3 children; Charles Jr., JoAnne, and Charlotte. His brothers are buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

United States Military Academy

Born graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1928. While there, he was an All-American member of the

Army Black Knights The Army Black Knights are the athletic teams that represent the United States Military Academy, located in West Point, New York. In sports contexts, since 2015, the teams are commonly referred to as Army. The Black Knights compete at the Nation ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and lacrosse team. He was also a member of the ice hockey team. He was selected as a first-team end by the All-America Board for the

1925 College Football All-America Team The 1925 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1925. Walter Camp died in March 1925, marki ...

. He was also named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press. He died on May 24, 1979, in Phoenix, Arizona, and was buried in West Point Cemetery.

Military career

Upon graduation he was assigned to the

Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

. In 1934, he transferred to the Air Corps. He was given command of the 50th Observation Squadron in 1936. In 1937, he was named an instructor at the United States Military Academy. During World War II, he took command of the Antilles Air Command and assistant chief of staff for operations and training of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force before being named assistant chief of staff for operations and training and eventually deputy commander of the

Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Force ...

. Following the war, he was given command of the Second Air Force and the Fifteenth Air Force. In 1947, he was appointed chief of staff of

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

. Later, he would become deputy chief of staff for operations of the United States Air Forces in Europe. In 1951, he was named deputy for operations of

Air Training Command Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Ai ...

. His retirement was effective as of January 1, 1955.

Assignments

* 1928-XX-XX – 1933-XX-XX – Lieutenant, US Army,

4th Cavalry Regiment The 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against American Indians on the Texas frontier. Today, the regiment exis ...

Fort Meade, South Dakota Fort Meade is a former United States Army post located just east of Sturgis, South Dakota. The fort was active from 1878 to 1944; the cantonment is currently home to a Veterans Health Administration hospital and South Dakota Army National Guard ...

* 1933-02-XX – 1933-XX-XX – Pilot trainee, Air Corps Primary Flying School,

Randolph Field, Texas Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas, Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States A ...

* 1933-XX-XX – 1934-02-XX – Student, Air Corps Advanced Flying School,

Kelly Field, Texas Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

* 1934-02-XX – 1934-04-XX – 72nd Bombardment Squadron, Luke Field, Hawaii * 1934-08-XX – 1936-XX-XX – Assistant Supply Officer, Assistant Engineering Officer, Luke Field, Hawaii * 1936-XX-XX – 1937-06-XX – Commanding Officer, 50th Observation Squadron, Luke Field, Hawaii * 1937-06-XX – 1939-05-XX – Instructor, general military law, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York * 1939-05-XX – 1939-08-XX – Student, Air Corps Tactical School,

Maxwell Field, Alabama Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

* 1939-08-XX – 1940-06-XX – Instructor, general military law, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York * 1940-06-XX – 1941-08-XX – Commanding Officer, 5th Bombardment Squadron,

Mitchel Field, New York Mitchel Air Force Base also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed later ...

* 1941-08-XX – 1941-12-XX – Commanding Officer, 9th Bombardment Group, Rio Hato, Panama * 1941-12-XX – 1942-05-XX – Operations Officer,

VI Interceptor Command The Trinidad Wing, Antilles Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Antilles Air Command at Waller Field, Trinidad. It was disbanded on 15 March 1944. History Engaged in antisubmarine operations. ...

, Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico * 1942-08-21 – 1942-10-07 – Commanding Officer 36th Fighter Command, Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico * 1942-10-08 – 1942-10-16 – Commanding Officer

25th Bombardment Group Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...

, Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico * 1942-10-17 – 1943-05-11 – Commander Trinidad Detachment, 6th Fighter Command,

Antilles Air Task Force The Antilles Air Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, where it was inactivated on 25 August 1946. Engaged in antisubmarine operations, 1941� ...

, Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico * 1943-05-20 – 1943-06-30 – Commanding General Trinidad Detachment,

, Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico * 1943-05-20 – 1943-06-30 – Commanding General 6th Fighter Command,

, Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico * 1943-07-29 – 1943-09-30 – Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations & Training (A-3), II Bomber Command, Hq 2nd Air Force, Spokane, Washington * 1943-10-01 – 1944-10-07 – Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations & Training (A-3),

15th Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Force ...

, Tunis, Tunisia, Italy * 1944-10-08 – 1945-03-07 – Deputy Commanding General,

, Tunis, Tunisia, Italy * 1945-04-XX – 1945-11-25 – Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations & Training, Continental Air Forces, Bolling Field, Washington D.C. * 1945-09-07 – 1945-12-31 – Director of Separation, Continental Air Forces, Bolling Field, Washington D.C. * 1945-11-26 – 1946-03-16 – Chief of Staff, Continental Air Forces, Bolling Field, Washington D.C. * 1946-03-19 – 1946-03-31 – Commanding General,

2nd Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

, Colorado Springs AAB, Colorado * 1946-03-31 – 1947-04-15 – Commanding General

, Colorado Springs AAB, Colorado * 1947-04-21 – 1947-09-03 – Chief of Staff,

, Langley AFB, Virginia * 1947-09-04 – 1948-10-03 – Deputy Commanding General Indoctrination Division,

, Lackland AFB, Texas * 1947-09-04 – 1948-10-03 – Chief of Staff, Indoctrination Division, Air Training Command, Lackland AFB, Texas * 1948-10-16 – 1949-04-07 – Commanding General of the Indoctrination Division,

, Lackland AFB, Texas * 1949-05-01 – 1951-01-11 – Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations,

US Air Forces in Europe The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, Wiesbaden, Germany * 1951-01-26 – 1952-11-XX – Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations,

, Scott AFB, Illinois * 1952-11-01 – 1953-08-XX – Commanding General 3600th Flying Training Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona * 1953-08-XX – 1953-10-XX – Vice Commanding General Crew Training Air Force,

, Randolph AFB, Texas * 1953-10-XX – 1955-01-01 – Commanding General Crew Training Air Force,

, Randolph AFB, Texas * 1955-01-01 – Retired Awards he received include the Distinguished Service Medal, the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with two oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster. Born was also an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath of the United Kingdom.

Decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Born, Charles F. 1903 births 1979 deaths American football ends Army Black Knights football players Army Black Knights men's lacrosse players Army Black Knights men's ice hockey players United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II United States Military Academy alumni United States Military Academy faculty United States Air Force generals All-American college football players Recipients of the Air Medal Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Military personnel from Wisconsin Players of American football from Wisconsin Sportspeople from Racine, Wisconsin