Harrell, John W., 1919-1995

John W. Harrell, Jr. (b. Aug. 6, 1919, Birmingham, Ala.-d. March 10, 1995), Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force, graduated from West Point in 1942, finished flying training, and was transferred to the Air Corps. He flew with the 479th Fighter Group stationed in England beginning in 1944 as flight commander and squadron and assistant group operations officer. He completed 82 combat missions over occupied Europe and Germany. At the end of World War II, he earned a master's degree in electrical engineering and, later, attended the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project School where he commanded an atomic bomb assembly squadron and became Director of Training of a special weapons group including Army, Navy and Air Force units. Following a number of administrative and staff positions, General Harrell served as commander of the 39th Air Division in Japan and the 314th Air Division in Korea, as vice commander of the 21st Air Force, and as commander of the 438th Military Airlift Wing. He retired from Air Force service in 1970.

From the description of Harrell, John W., 1919-1995 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10615018