Rowland, Robert R. (Robert Richard), 1917-2003

Robert Richard Rowland (1917-2003) was born in Lodi, Ohio, and attended local schools before entering the Ohio State University and later the University of Maryland, where he majored in sciences. He entered the Army Air Corps in 1938, and attended primary flying school at Randolph Field, Texas, and graduated from the pursuit course at Kelly Field, Texas on February 1, 1939. Early assignments included service at Selfridge Field, Michigan, and Albrook Field, Canal Zone. He became a flight instructor at the Advanced Flying School at Craig Field, Alabama, and at Tuskegee Army Flying School in Tuskegee, Alabama. In February, 1943, he was transferred to the 348th Fighter Group at Providence, Rhode Island, as the Group Executive Officer. He accompanied the group when it deployed to New Guinea in May, 1943, and assumed command in November, 1943 until he returned to the U.S. in June, 1945. During his service in the Pacific Theater, he flew 203 combat missions and logged over 400 combat flight hours, achieving the rank of ¿Ace¿ by destroying eight confirmed enemy aircraft. His wartime experience included service in nine major campaigns in the New Guinea, Philippine Islands, Solomon Islands, and South China regions. After the war, Rowland served in operational and command roles at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., and the newly formed Strategic Air Command. By 1951, he had graduated from both the Air Command and Staff School, and the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. In June, 1952, he was assigned briefly to the Central Intelligence Agency, and later assumed command of the 21st Fighter Bomber Wing, under the direction of the Tactical Air Command at George AFB, California. Under his direction, the unit flew the first goodwill jet tours through Central and South America in 1954. Rowland accompanied the 21st to a NATO assignment in France in December, 1954, and was later transferred to Ramstein, Germany as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, 12th Air Force. He would later serve as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Following assignments with Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Rowland served as Chief of the Air Force Section, Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam. He developed policy, programming, and training for the Vietnamese Air Force, and commanded combat missions against Viet Cong insurgents. General Rowland left Vietnam to become Chief of Staff, Pacific Air Forces, effective September 1, 1965. He retired from active duty on June 1, 1968.