Harold Mark McClelland (November 4, 1893 – November 19, 1965). Retrieved on November 15, 2009. was a

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 ...

(USAF) major general who is considered the father of Air Force communications.Air Force Network Integration Center
"Foundation Setters".
Retrieved on November 15, 2009. He founded and led the

19th Bombardment Group 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...

in the early 1930s, commanded

Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...

for a year then was groomed for higher leadership, becoming the inspector for the General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ) in 1937. Between 1934 and 1938, McClelland researched the technical and logistical aspects of long-range air communications, an effort which resulted in the establishment of the Army Airways Communications System. Following this, he worked in the Operations and Training Division of the War Department General Staff, and served as chief of the Aviation division. During

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 ...

, McClelland organized the largest communications system the world had yet seen. McClelland, rated a command pilot, served as the chief of communications for the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

in the early 1950s.Montague, Ludwell Lee. ''General Walter Bedell Smith as director of central intelligence, October 1950 – February 1953,'' p. 100. Penn State Press, 1992. In the USAF, an award is given annually in McClelland's name, for excellence in large unit communications.

Early career

Harold Mark McClelland was born in

Tiffin, Iowa Tiffin is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,512 at the time of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. F. W. Kent ...

, in 1893. His siblings included two sisters and a younger brother, Herbert. McClelland graduated from Kansas State Agricultural College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1916. He was commissioned as a regular second lieutenant August 18, 1917 and was promoted to first lieutenant at the same time. McClelland was assigned successively to the Army service schools at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His electronics-minded brother Herbert "Mac" McClelland was attending nearby Kansas State and the two young men built the first radio transmitter at the college in 1918, stringing an antenna from the Physics building to a water tower. The station 9YV transmitted in

Morse code Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one of ...

, and may have broadcast the first regularly scheduled weather reports in the U.S.McClelland Soun
History: 1920–1930.
Retrieved on January 14, 2010. On November 19, 1918, McClelland joined the 48th Infantry at Norfolk, Virginia. Detailed to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps, McClelland earned his wings by attending ground school at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

, flying gunnery and advanced fighter courses at

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

. Then followed an assignment at Roosevelt Field, New York, and in December 1918, he became commandant of training, commanding officer of the cadet detachment and assistant engineering officer at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. In July 1919, McClelland was stationed at London, England as assistant aviation officer, Headquarters of the Provisional District of Great Britain, at the rank of captain. In September, with fellow Air Service pilot Lieutenant Colonel James E. Chaney, he was made an honorary member of the Royal Aero Club of the UK. He also saw service in England with the U.S. Army Liquidation Mission, and collected some advanced "voice radio" equipment from France to take back home for a demonstration in Manhattan. McClelland sailed from London aboard the RMS ''Saxonia'' as an unmarried member of the ship's crew, arriving in New York on December 1, 1920.

Communications

In January 1921, McClelland attended the Air Service Communications School at

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

, Oklahoma, and after graduation, remained there as an instructor. In February 1922, he was assigned to the Signal Corps radio laboratory at

Camp Alfred Vail Fort Monmouth is a former installation of the Department of the Army in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The post is surrounded by the communities of Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Oceanport, New Jersey, and is located about from the Atlantic Ocean. ...

, New Jersey, as Air Service representative and from August 1922 to February 1924, was officer in charge of the laboratory. Transferred to Mitchel Field, New York, in September 1924, with the 9th Observation Group, McClelland was posted signal officer and instructor in communications at summer training camps. From September 1925 to May 1926, he attended a special radio course at Columbia University. While stationed in New York, McClelland agreed to fly a publicity stunt intended to bring more attention to the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), and aid the Citizens Military Training Camp.Poekel, Charlie (2007
''Babe & the Kid: The Legendary Story of Babe Ruth and Johnny Sylvester'', p. 26.
The History Press. Enthusiastic Air Corps booster Major Benjamin Foulois, commander of Mitchel Field, arranged for a USAAC pilot to fly over and drop

baseballs A baseball is a ball used in the sport of the same name. The ball consists of a rubber or cork center wrapped in yarn and covered with white natural horsehide or cowhide, or a synthetic composite leather. A regulation baseball is 9 to 9¼ inche ...

for Babe Ruth to catch. Ruth came out to Mitchel Field on July 23, 1926, dressed up in an Army uniform (he was in the Reserves) to keep his end of the bargain. In the sweltering heat and humidity of a

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

summer, in front of a row of newspaper and film cameramen, as well as radio and print reporters, McClelland flew over Ruth at a speed of and a height of about . Foulois recalled that the first two baseballs that McClelland dropped near Ruth "knocked him flat" but that the third ball was caught with a shout of pain and then handed to the major.Foulois, Benjamin Delahauf
''From the Wright brothers to the astronauts,''
p. 204. Ayer Publishing, 1980. , Foulois wrote in 1980: "The last I saw of the Babe that day he was slowly flexing his burning hand and trying to smile about it as he left in a big limousine." On October 1, 1927, McClelland began a four-year stint in the Training and Operations Division, Office of the Chief of the USAAC, at Washington, D.C. He then was given command of the

, which he organized in 1931 and commanded until 1934. He drew two unusual assignments in 1934. When the USAAC took over flying the air mail, McClelland acted as zone communications officer at Salt Lake City. Later in the year, he was communications and meteorological officer for General Henry H. Arnold's Alaskan flight, which was to do much in shaping the trend of air communications. In October 1934, McClelland was given command of

and Rockwell Air Depot. In 1935 he began a series of courses, which saw him graduate from the Air Corps Tactical School, the Chemical Warfare School and the Command and General Staff School. In 1937 he became inspector for the General Headquarters Staff School. In 1937 he became inspector for the General Headquarters Air Force at Langley Field, Virginia. At the request of General Arnold, from 1934 to 1938, McClelland worked to devise a permanent airways communication system. In 1938, McClelland's efforts yielded the establishment of the Army Airways Communications System, a group that would develop into the Air Force Network Integration Center. In August 1938, McClelland was assigned to the Operations and Training Division of the War Department General Staff, Washington, D.C. at the rank of lieutenant colonel, and became chief of Aviation Branch of that division February 21, 1941. In May 1941, McClelland, now colonel, was assigned as assistant chief of staff for operations and training of the Special Army Observer Group in London, England, and after the direct participation of the United States in

he retained the same role as assistant chief of staff, training and operations, but within the new European Theater of Operations, United States (ETOUSA), and at the rank of brigadier general. McClelland returned to the U.S. in July 1942 and was assigned to Headquarters Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C., where he was director of technical services until March 1943. He worked with

Fred Terman Frederick Emmons Terman (; June 7, 1900 – December 19, 1982) was an American professor and academic administrator. He was the dean of the school of engineering from 1944 to 1958 and provost from 1955 to 1965 at Stanford University. He is widel ...

to determine how best to conduct radio frequency searches and jamming of enemy communications. After serving the next several months as deputy assistant chief of Air Staff, operations, Headquarters Army Air Forces, he became the air communications officer in July 1943.

Postwar

McClelland wrote an article for ''Bell Telephone Magazine'' in 1945, entitled "In The Air," describing military communications as used by Air Force units in the successful prosecution of the war. In January 1946, McClelland reported for newspaper and radio audiences that the recent radar contact with the Moon could well be an "opening step" in the search for life in space. On April 8, 1946, McClelland became the first commanding general of the Airways and Air Communications Service, the group he had originally formed in 1938 as the Army Airways Communications System. On April 24, 1946, he was made commander of the Airways and Air Communications Service Alumni Association. Upon creation of the Military Air Transport Service, June 6, 1948, McClelland was named deputy commander, services. These services included Airways and Air Communications Service, Air Weather Service, Air Rescue Service, Flight Service and National Interest Bases. In addition to his new duties, he continued as commanding general of Airways and Air Communications Service until September 10, 1948. McClelland authored an essay about how radar affected the recent war—a work which was included in ''Volume 7: Bombs Away—Your Air Force in Action'' of the ''Pictorial History of the Second World War'', published in 1948. On August 7, McClelland read over the CBS Radio Network a 15-minute speech he had prepared for the radio series ''Adventures in Science''. McClelland's broadcast was entitled "Thunder and Lightning Flying." McClelland stepped down as commander of AACS Alumni Association on September 9, 1948. On August 30, 1949, McClelland was appointed director of communications-electronics in the United States Department of Defense for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with station at Washington, D.C. In 1951, a sharp increase in diplomatic tensions was seen by the

(CIA) as the precursor to war. A greater volume of communications required a stronger system, and CIA Director Walter Bedell Smith hired McClelland as chief of CIA communications, a position known as "Assistant Director, Communications", on September 10, 1951. There, McClelland oversaw the technical development and implementation of a secure global communications system. He served the CIA for 14 years until his death in Washington, D.C. in 1965. McClelland was survived by his wife Doris C. McClelland, and by their son Alan J. McClelland of

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

.Air Force Historical Studies Office letter in response to information request sent t
AFHSO The Research Branch.
"Dear Sir: Major General Harold M McClelland died 19 November 1965 in Washington, DC and it buried at Arlington National Cemetery. General McClelland was survived by his wife Doris C., a son Alan J., of Houston, Texas; two sisters, Ms Vera McClelland and Mrs Joseph James both of Norfolk, VA and a brother Herbert of Wichita, Kansas." Received January 14, 2010. McClelland's brother Herbert "Mac" McClelland continued to thrive as the founder and president of McClelland Sound in Wichita, Kansas, with clients that included McConnell Air Force Base and area businesses Boeing and Learjet.

Recognition

McClelland was awarded 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 ...

and Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His DSM citation reads, "... as air communications officer, Headquarters Army Air Forces from July 1942 to August 1945, esupervised the Army Airways Communications System which furnished communications and navigational aids along the military air routes throughout the world. He pioneered in military electronics, analyzed the enemy's scientific research in this field and instituted radio and radar countermeasures." In 1951, the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...

(IEEE) awarded McClelland the Pioneer Award. In honor of his work in military communications, the "Air Force Communications and Information Major General Harold M. McClelland Award" is given annually to the large USAF unit (301 or more members) which has demonstrated "sustained superior performance and professional excellence while managing core communications and information functions and for contributions that most improved communications and information support to Air Force and (or) DoD operations and missions."Air Force Communications and Information Annual Awards Program and Air Force Darryl G. Winters Award. Interim Policy Guidance for Calendar Year 2005 Award Cycle.
Retrieved on November 15, 2009. McClelland Hall, used by the 333rd Training Squadron on

Keesler Air Force Base Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler Jr., a Mississippi nati ...

, is named in his honor.

References

External links

USAF Biography: Major General Harold M. McClelland
{{DEFAULTSORT:McClelland, Harold M. 1893 births 1965 deaths People from Johnson County, Iowa Columbia University alumni Kansas State University alumni Aviators from Iowa Aerial warfare pioneers United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Air Corps Tactical School alumni United States Air Force generals Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Legion of Merit Honorary Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army Air Forces generals United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II Military personnel from Iowa