Fred William Vetter Jr. (August 13, 1921 – August 8, 2002) was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

. 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 Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, and attended the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

. Vetter died on August 8, 2002.

Career

Vetter was commissioned an officer in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

in 1943. He would serve in the final months of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Later he served in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. In 1955, he was assigned to

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

. 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 The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

. 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