Viccellio, Henry, 1911-1978

Henry Viccellio (1911-1978) was born in Chatham, Virginia, and attended the College of William & Mary. He enlisted as a Private in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1934, and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1937 after completing flight training at Randolph and Kelly Fields, Texas. Viccellio's World War II service included several assignments and commands in the Pacific Theatre, including at the Fiji Islands, Guadalcanal, and Espiritu Santu in the New Hebrides. He participated in over 30 combat missions and logged over 100 combat hours of flying time. In 1943, he was reassigned to U.S. Army Air Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He served in various administrative and command roles for the 19th Air Force in both the United States and Europe for the next decade. In July, 1955 he assumed command of the 19th Air Force at Foster AFB, Texas. He also served in command roles for the 26th Air Division, the 26th NORAD Region, the Air Defense Command, and the U.S. Strike Command. On August 1, 1966, he was designated as Commander of the Continental Air Command. Lt. General Viccellio retired from active duty on August 1, 1968. His military honors included the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Army Commendation Medal.