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SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
Allen, Jesse Milton, Maj Gen USAF(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Mode, Illinois
Last Address Biloxi, Mississippi
Date of Passing Mar 04, 2012
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Maj. Gen. Jesse M. Allen, 86, of Biloxi, MS died Sunday, March 4, 2012 in Biloxi. Maj. Gen. Jesse M. Allen retired as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Intelligence, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. General Allen was born in Mode, Ill., in 1925, and graduated from high school in Fisher, Ill., in 1942. He enlisted in the Army of the United States in December 1943 during World War II and served until 1946, attaining the grade of Technical Sergeant. He had a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from The George Washington University. He has attended the Armed Forces Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. General Allen was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in 1948 after completing a series of competitive examinations while at the University of Illinois. He entered on active duty in April 1950. After attending pilot training at Connally Air Force Base, Texas, and Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., he received his pilot wings in May 1951. From August 1951 to February 1953, during the Korean War, he served successively as a jet fighter pilot, Flight Commander, Squadron and Group Operations Officer with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Korea. He flew 151 combat missions in the F-80 Shooting Star. General Allen returned to the United States in February 1953 and was appointed Gunnery Instructor at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Later he attended Instrument Pilot Instructors School and became Assistant Operations Officer with the 3626th Flying Training Group at Tyndall Air Force Base. In October 1953 he was transferred to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., where he served until September 1956 as an F-84 Thunderstreak pilot, instructor pilot, Squadron Operations Officer and Group Operations Officer. From September 1956 to June 1958, he was Chief, Special Functions Section for the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations for Crew Training Air Force at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and later became Chief, Operations Branch. In June 1958 General Allen was assigned to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing at Bentwaters Air Station, England. In March 1959 he was transferred to Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, as Operations Officer, and later served as Commander of a NATO Special Training Detachment. He returned to the United States in January 1962 to attend the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. From July 1962 to August 1965 he was an Operations Staff Officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. He next was assigned to the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base, Calif., as Director of Operations. In September 1966 he again went overseas, this time to be commander of the 555th Tactica1 Fighter Squadron at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. While on this assignment he flew 87 missions in F-4 aircraft. General Allen returned to the United States and was assigned in August 1967 as a member of a special study group for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C. From July 1968 until August 1969 he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He received a Master's degree from The George Washington University during this period. In August 1969 he was transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Research and Development, as Chief, Advanced Systems Branch, in the Directorate of Operational Requirements and Development Plans. General Allen went to England Air Force Base, La., in July 1970 to command the 4410th Combat Crew Training Wing, which was later replaced by the 4403d Tactical Fighter Wing. In June 1971 General Allen was named Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for plans at Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, and in April 1972 he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for plans. General Allen assumed duties as Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Intelligence, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, June 15, 1974. His military decorations and awards included the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with "V" Device and Oak Leaf Cluster. He was promoted to the grade of Major General July 1, 1974, with date of rank Feb. 2, 1972. Major General Allen was preceded in death by his first wife, Thelma Allen; and two daughters, Nancy and Emily Allen. Survivors include his wife Barbara Allen; daughter, Susan Klasing; son, Steven Allen; three grandchildren, Charmaine, Samantha and Jillian; and sisters, Jean Birkey and Mary Rohlfing. A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 pm on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at the Biloxi Yacht Club on the third floor in the banquet room. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery with Full Military Honors. The Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Published in The Sun Herald on March 7, 2012
Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/SunHerald/obituary.aspx?n=Jesse-Allen&pid=156335380#storylink=cpy
Aircraft/Missile Information
From Wikipedia: The F-4 Phantom was designed as a fleet defense fighter for the U.S. Navy, and first entered service in 1960. By 1963, it had been adopted by the U.S. Air Force for the fighter-bomber role. When production ended in 1981, 5,195 Phantom IIs had been built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft.[7] Until the advent of the F-15 Eagle, the F-4 also held a record for the longest continuous production with a run of 24 years. Innovations in the F-4 included an advanced pulse-doppler radar and extensive use of titanium in its airframe.[8] Despite the imposing dimensions and a maximum takeoff weight of over 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg),[9] the F-4 had a top speed of Mach 2.23 and an initial climb of over 41,000 ft per minute (210 m/s).[10] Shortly after its introduction, the Phantom set 15 world records,[11] including an absolute speed record of 1,606.342 mph (2,585.086 km/h), and an absolute altitude record of 98,557 ft (30,040 m).[12] Although set in 1959?1962, five of the speed records were not broken until 1975 when the F-15 Eagle came into service.[11] The F-4 could carry up to 18,650 pounds (8,480 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and unguided, guided, and nuclear bombs.[13] Since the F-8 Crusader was to be used for close combat, the F-4 was designed, like other interceptors of the day, without an internal cannon;[14] In a dogfight, the RIO or WSO (commonly called "backseater" or "pitter") assisted in spotting opposing fighters, visually as well as on radar. It became the primary fighter-bomber of both the Navy and Air Force by the end of the Vietnam War. Due to its distinctive appearance and widespread service with United States military and its allies, the F-4 is one of the best-known icons of the Cold War. It served in the Vietnam War and Arab?Israeli conflicts, with American F-4 crews achieving 277 aerial victories in South East Asia and completing countless ground attack sorties.[15] The F-4 Phantom has the distinction of being the last United States fighter to attain ace status in the 20th century. During the Vietnam War, the USAF had one pilot and two WSOs,[16] and the USN one pilot and one RIO,[17] become aces in air-to-air combat. It was also a capable tactical reconnaissance and Wild Weasel (suppression of enemy air defenses) platform, seeing action as late as 1991, during Operation Desert Storm.[4][5] The F-4 Phantom II was also the only aircraft used by both of the USA's flight demonstration teams.[18] The USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the USN Blue Angels (F-4J) both switched to the Phantom for the 1969 season; the Thunderbirds flew it for five seasons,[19] the Blue Angels for six.[20] The baseline performance of a Mach 2-class fighter with long range and a bomber-sized payload would be the template for the next generation of large and light/middle-weight fighters optimized for daylight air combat. The Phantom would be replaced by the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon in the U.S. Air Force. In the U.S. Navy, it would be replaced by the F-14 Tomcat and the F/A-18 Hornet which revived the concept of a dual-role attack fighter.[21]
