Issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology ( Volume 101, No. 2 )

Major General Charles L. Wilson ( 1924 - March 27th, 2016 ) was born in Paris ( Texas, United States ). He graduated from Paschal High School ( Forth Worth, Texas ) in 1942 and attended Texas A&M University for 1 year. In May 1944, he graduated from Aviation Cadet Flying Training as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Charles L. Wilson then served 18 months in the Southwest Pacific as a C - 47 / C - 46 pilot and Operations Officer with the 403rd Troop Carrier Group. 

He left active duty in August 1946 and become a member of the Organized Reserve at Hensley Field ( Dallas, Texas ), where he was an active flier for 4 years while attending Southern Methodist University ( Dallas, Texas ). He graduated in 1950 with two bachelor's degrees, one in Science ( Mechanical Engineering ) and the other a double major in Business Administration ( Statistics and Industrial Production Management ). In May 1951, during the Korean war, Charles L. Wilson was called to active duty for 21 months as Operations Officer with the 443rd Troop Carrier Group, Donaldson Air Force Base ( South Carolina, United States ). 

Soon after his return to inactive duty, he accepted a regular Air Force commission on August 3rd, 1953, and then served 4 years with the U.S. Air Forces in Europe as a Group and Wing Operations Officer in the 465th and 317th Troop Carrier Wings. After one year in the Class of '58 at Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base ( Alabama, United States ), he served two years as a Plans Officer at Headquarters 1st Missile Division, Strategic Air Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base ( California, United States ). 

From July 1961 to July 1963, he was a graduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States ), where he received a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics. Charles L. Wilson next served 2 years as an Astronautical Engineer and Plans Officer in the Directorate of Plans at Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base ( Nebraska, United States ). He then attended the U.S. Army War College in the Class of '66 at Carlisle Barracks ( Pennsylvania, United States ). 

In July 1966, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as Chief, Strategic and Defense Branch, Directorate of Command Control and Communications. He later served 2 years in the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as Chief, Systems Division, Joint Command Control Requirements Group. In July 1970, he left Washington and began a 4 - year tour of duty in Air Force Systems Command. 

In August 1974, Charles L. Wilson assumed duties as Chief, Special Project Office, Static War Headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ( S.H.A.P.E., Belgium ) where for almost 4 years he was directly responsible to the Chief of Staff for coordinating and managing a $100 million international project for acquisition of a new protected underground command center for S.H.A.P.E. He assumed his duty as Vice - Commander of the Acquisition Logistics Division, A.F.L.C., in May 1978. 

( source : www.af.mil )