Fred William Vetter Jr. (August 13, 1921 – August 8, 2002) was a
brigadier general in the
United States Air Force.
Vetter was born in
Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,098 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Snohomish River, southeast of Everett and northwest of Monroe. Snohomish lies at the intersection of U.S. Rou ...
in 1921. He graduated from
Washington High School in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. Vetter died on August 8, 2002.
Career
Vetter was commissioned an officer in the
United States Army Air Forces in 1943. He would serve in the final months of
World War II. Later he served in the
Korean War. In 1955, he was assigned to
The Pentagon. After graduating from the
Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1963 he was named Chief of the Programs and Policy Division and Deputy Chief of Staff of Plans of the
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Force's ...
. In 1965 he was reassigned to The Pentagon and was later selected to become Military Assistant to Secretary of the Air Force
Harold Brown. He was later assigned to the Office of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1969, he was given command of the
436th Military Airlift Wing
The 436th Airlift Wing is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force, and is based at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
Known as the "Eagle Wing", the 436th consists of the operations, ...
. His retirement was effective on August 1, 1970.
Awards he received include 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
oak leaf cluster, the
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and the
Presidential Unit Citation/Distinguished Unit Citation with oak leaf cluster.
Upon his retirement from the United States Air Force, Brigadier General Vetter was named secretary of the Delaware Department of Public Safety. He also served as Associate Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and in the Office of the Federal-States Coordinator for 55 mph Programs under NHTSA Administrator Joan Claybrook. Vetter was a strong supporter and vociferous defender of the 55 mph National Maximum Speed Limit for saving lives and conserving energy.
["Safety Problems, Progress Get Conference Attention." ''Wisconsin Traffic Safety Reporter'', May 1978, pp. 1-2.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vetter, Fred W. Jr.
1921 births
2002 deaths
United States Air Force generals
United States Army Air Forces officers
United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War
Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni
People from Snohomish, Washington
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Military personnel from Milwaukee