Frank Fort Everest (November 13, 1904 – October 10, 1983) was a four-star general in the United States Air Force (USAF). He commanded both United States Air Forces in Europe and

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 ...

Biography

He was born in

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha–Council Bluffs ...

, in 1904. He graduated from the United States Military Academy on June 9, 1928, and was commissioned a second lieutenant of

Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

. Entering Primary Flying School at

Brooks Field, Texas Brooks may refer to: Places ;Antarctica *Cape Brooks ;Canada *Brooks, Alberta ;United States *Brooks, Alabama * Brooks, Arkansas *Brooks, California *Brooks, Georgia *Brooks, Iowa *Brooks, Kentucky * Brooks, Maine *Brooks Township, Michigan *Br ...

, Lieutenant Everest graduated from Advanced Flying School at

Kelly Field 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 ...

, Texas, in September 1929, with initial assignment to the

8th Attack Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

at Fort Crockett, Texas. After completing the armament course at the Air Technical School at Chanute Field, Illinois, in March 1933, he held several assignments at Maxwell Field, Alabama. Everest was promoted to first lieutenant in 1934, and to captain a year later. Captain Everest graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell in June 1937. He then served in Hawaii at Wheeler Field with the

18th Pursuit Group 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. In mathematics * Eighteen is a composite number, its divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect numb ...

, moving to Lowry Field, Colorado, in September 1939 as an instructor in the Air Corps Technical School. Everest was promoted to major in January 1941. The following August Major Everest was assigned to Headquarters, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), for duty in the Plans and Training Division. He became a lieutenant colonel in January 1942 and in March joined the Operations and Planning Division of the War Department General Staff. He also became a colonel in March. In August 1942 Colonel Everest was assigned to Headquarters, United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area, where he served successively as liaison officer to the commander, aircraft, South Pacific; commanding officer of the 11th Heavy Bomb Group at New Hebrides Islands and

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

; and Army air officer on the staff of the commander of the South Pacific Theater. For combat action Everest earned a number of awards including the Silver Star for a key mission from Guadalcanal against the Japanese on February 13, 1943. Colonel Everest was reassigned to USAAF Headquarters as Air Force director of the Joint War Plans Committee in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Plans in January 1944, and became a brigadier general in June. He joined the special organizational planning group at USAAF Headquarters in November 1945. Two months later he was designated Air Force member of the Joint Staff Planners of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and in August 1946 he assumed additional duties as deputy assistant chief of air staff for plans at USAAF Headquarters. Everest assumed command of the Yukon Sector, Alaskan Air Command, with headquarters at Ladd Field, Alaska, in January 1947 and remained there until June 1948, when he was named assistant deputy chief of staff for operations at United States Air Force (USAF) Headquarters in Washington. He became a major general in April 1948. In March 1950 he assumed the additional duty of senior USAF member on the Military Liaison Committee to the Atomic Energy Commission. Everest became commanding general of the Fifth Air Force, Far East Air Forces, during the Korean War in May 1951. Through his efforts, the Fifth Air Force was able to attain, and maintain, air superiority over the enemy. Everest became a lieutenant general in December 1951. In mid-1952 he was appointed deputy commander of

(TAC) at

Langley Air Force Base Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News, Virginia, Newport News. It was one of List of airfields of the Training Section of the United States Army Air Service, thirty-two ...

, Virginia. He was named director of the Joint Staff in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, in April 1953. One year later he was designated deputy chief of staff for operations at USAF Headquarters, a post he held until July 1, 1957, when he was appointed commander-in-chief of United States Air Forces in Europe and promoted to a full general. Returning to the United States on August 1, 1959, General Everest was assigned duty as commander of TAC at Langley AFB. He retired from the United States Air Force on September 30, 1961. Everest was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

, 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 ...

, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, Honorary Companion of the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Republic of Korea Military Merit Taeguk Medal, World War II Victory Medal. He died on October 10, 1983. General Everest was not related to General

Frank Kendall Everest Jr. Brigadier General Frank Kendall "Pete" Everest Jr. (August 9, 1920 – October 1, 2004) was a U.S. Air Force officer who is best remembered as an aeroengineer and test pilot during the 1950s. Early years Everest was born August 9, 1920, i ...

Biography

References

See also