Talk:Muir S. Fairchild

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Muir Stephen Fairchild was born to Harry Arson and Georgia Ann "Crockett" Fairchild on September 2, 1894. His father was born in Ontario, Canada, but moved to the United States and eventually settled in Bellingham, Washington in 1884, where he became a prominent attorney. The Fairchild family moved to the state capitol of Olympia when, in 1905, Muir's father was appointed chairman of the state's Railroad Commission and its successor, the Public Service Commission. He served in that position until his death in 1911.

Fairchild attended public schools in Bellingham and Olympia; in 1913, he enrolled in the University of Washington in Seattle. While in college he enlisted in the Washington National Guard and, in 1916, served as a radio platoon sergeant on the Mexican border. Muir left the university in 1917 without ever completing his requirements for a diploma.

In 1917, Fairchild became a flying cadet at Berkeley, California. He later went to Europe to complete his training in France and Italy, and received his wings and commission in the Aviation Section in January 1918. He flew bombers in World War I, including night missions over the Rhine with the French forces.

He returned home in December 1918 and served at McCook Field, Ohio; Mitchel Field, New York, and Langley Field, Virginia, chiefly in engineering assignments. Between December 21, 1926 and May 2, 1927 he flew to South America in the Pan American Goodwill Tour, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He completed the course in the Air Corps Engineer School at Wright Field, Ohio, in June 1929 and went to Santa Monica, California, as the Air Corps representative to Douglas Aircraft Co. He was promoted to captain in January 1931.

Muir was a student at the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama in 1934-35; a student at the Army Industrial College in Washington, D.C., in 1935-36, and a student at the Army War College at Washington Barracks, D.C., in 1936-37. He was promoted to major in June 1936 and returned to Maxwell Field as an instructor. During 1937–38, he was Chief of the Air Force Section of the Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell Field and rose to Instructor in the Department of Air Tactics and Strategy at the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field in 1938-39. He became Director of Air Tactics and Strategy in July 1939, with a promotion to lieutenant colonel in November 1940.

In 1940, Fairchild became Assistant Executive Officer of the Plans Division, Office of the Chief of the Air Corps, Washington, D.C., and, in June 1941, he rose to Secretary of the Air Staff, Headquarters U.S. Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C. Two months later, Fairchild was advanced two grades to brigadier general and named Assistant Chief of the Air Corps, Headquarters U.S. Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C.

Fairchild became Director of Military Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C., in March 1942, and was promoted to major general in August. In November 1942, he became a member of the Joint Strategic Survey Committee, Office of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. with additional duties as member of the U.S. Delegation to the Dumbarton Oaks Conference (August 21 to October 7, 1944), Washington, D.C. and military advisor on the U.S. Delegation to the San Francisco United Nations Conference (April 25 to June 26, 1945). In January 1946 he was named Commandant of the Air University, Maxwell Field (later, AFB), with a promotion to lieutenant general.

On May 27, 1948, he became Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., with the rank of four-star general. On March 17, 1950, while on active duty as Vice Chief of Staff, General Fairchild died in his official residence at Fort Myer, Virginia.

General Fairchild had recently completed a thorough physical examination at the Army and Navy Hospital at Hot Springs, Arkansas, and had been declared to be in good health. However, a short time later he became ill. His wife, Florence Alice "Rossiter" Fairchild, formerly of Omaha, Nebraska, was with him when he was stricken. At the time of his death, he was attended by Brigadier General Dan C. Ogle, the Air Force Deputy Surgeon. Muir and Florence were married on April 24, 1924.

General Muir Stephen Fairchild was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery and Florence, who died on September 23, 1989, is buried next to him. Both were survived by their daughter, Betty Anne Calvert who died October 20, 2010.

Some of this material is redundant and all of it is uncited and out of step with the text already present—out of order chronologically or any other -logically. I'm bringing it here in case somebody wishes to take portions of it and integrate them better, with cites. Binksternet (talk) 01:47, 15 December 2010 (UTC)