Dany, George B. (George Bernard), 1910-2001

George Bernard Dany (1910-2001) was born in the Philippine Islands as the son of a U.S. Army officer. Having attended schools in San Diego, California, including the San Diego Army-Navy Academy, Dany entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1930. He would graduate and receive his commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1934. He trained as a pilot at Kelly and Randolph Army Air Fields in Texas, and received his pilot''s wings in 1935. He would go on to become one of the first triple-rated officers in the U.S. Army Air Corps, having also been awarded bombardier and navigator wings. In the late 1930s and early years of World War II, Dany organized the first navigation school in the Gulf Coast Training Command, and also commanded navigation schools at bases in Hondo Field, Texas and Selman Field, Louisiana. He also gained experience with bombardier groups and became an effective instructor and combat aircraft operator. He was instrumental in the development of the combat crew concept used by the Air Corps in the war. In 1945, Dany was sent overseas to assume the role of Chief of Plans, 8th Air Force in the Pacific Theater. He served in command roles with the 8th during the occupation of Japan, and later served as commanding officer of the Kadena Army Air Base, Okinawa. Upon his return to the U.S., he served as Chief of Staff, Flying Division, Air Training Command at Randolph Field, Texas, before graduating from the Air War College in 1950. He then served a three year tour of duty at the Pentagon at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. In 1954, Dany graduated from the National War College. He was instrumental in the establishment and growth of McGuire AFB, New Jersey, activating and directing the 1611th Air Transport Wing there. He was named Air Lift Task Force Commander at the outset of the Hungarian Airlift during the winter of 1956-1957, which safely transported 9,700 refugee Hungarians from behind the Iron Curtain in ¿Operation Safe Haven.¿ For his role in the airlift, Dany was the recipient of an oak leaf cluster to his Legion of Merit. In August, 1958, Dany was appointed Commander of the U.S. Forces, Azores. In 1961, he returned to the U.S. and was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Headquarters, Military Air Transport Service. In 1963, he assumed command of the Western Transport Air Force at Travis Air Force Base, California. In 1966, he was assigned as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Southern Command at Quarry Heights, Canal Zone. General Dany received numerous awards during his career, including the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and the Portuguese Distinguished Service Medal. He retired from active duty on August 1, 1969.

From the description of Dany, George B. (George Bernard), 1910-2001 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10679537