Simler, George Brenner, Gen

 He was posthumously promoted to the grade of General effective August 16, 1972

U.S. Air Force General. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps in 1942 from the University of Maryland. He served two combat tours as an aviator in the European Theater during World War II, the 2nd of which he was shot down, evaded capture, and returned safely to Allied lines. After the war, he returned to the University of Maryland as the 1st professor of Air Science and Tactics in a military capacity. He reenrolled as a student at the University to finish his college courses and graduated in 1948. Afterward, he was assigned as the commander of the 86th Fighter-Bomber Group, the 355th Fighter Group, director of athletics at the United States Air Force Academy, commander of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kadena AB, Okinawa, and commander of the Tactical Fighter Weapons Center at Nellis AFB NV. In 1965 he was assigned as director of operations of the 7th Air Force in Southeast Asia, where he flew combat missions in all assigned tactical aircraft. In August 1967 he became the director of operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. In July 1969 he was assigned as the vice commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and then assumed command of Air Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base TX in September 1970. He was then selected to assume command of the Military Airlift Command (MAC) at Scott AFB IL, effective September 12, 1972. However, on 9 September 1972, he and his aide, Captain Gil L. Gillespie, were killed when their T-38 Talon jet trainer aircraft crashed on takeoff as they were departing Randolph AFB TX en route to Scott AFB IL to accept the new command. He was posthumously promoted to the grade of General effective 16 August 1972.