AIRMAN'S PROGRESS

Principal take-offs and landings in General Vandenberg's flight to the top of the U.S. Air Force:

Vital Statistics: Born Jan. 24,1899, in Milwaukee, where his well-to-do father was a traction and power company executive. Grew up in Lowell, Mass., where' his family moved when he was seven; made regular winter trips with his family to Florida. Was always a great favorite of his father's brother, the late Arthur Vandenberg, U.S. Senator from Michigan (1928-51).

Education: Shifted frequently (to the detriment of his report card) between schools in Massachusetts and Florida; at West Point was strong on sports (polo, hockey), weak on studies (especially calculus); graduated in 1923, 240th in a class of 261. In 1924, took advanced flight training at Kelly Field, later worked as instructor. Went to Air Corps tactical school in 1934; Command and General Staff school 1935; Army War College 1938.

Family: Married December 1923, in Texas, to Gladys Rose, now a handsome, forceful grandmother who looks much younger than her years; one son, Air Force Lieut. Hoyt Jr. (West Point '51), now engaged to marry the daughter of Air Force Major General Leon Johnson, Commander of the Continental Air Command; one daughter, Mrs. Gloria Rose Miller, wife of Lieut. Colonel Robert Miller; one granddaughter, Susan Miller, 4.

Professional Career: First command: 6th Pursuit Squadron, Hawaii, 1929, where he won a reputation as one of the service's best aerial gunners. In 1927 he was assigned to fly as Richard Arlen's double in the crash sequence of Wings. In 1939 he went into the Air Corps plans division, where General Carl ("Tooey") Spaatz was his "boss; was awarded the DSM three years later for his work on World War II air plans; became a brigadier general. In 1943, appointed Chief of Staff of the Northwest African Strategic Air Forces, won the DFC and Silver Star for combat missions over the Mediterranean; finally was grounded by Spaatz, who had just been grounded by Eisenhower. In 1943, went to Moscow as Chief of the U.S. Air Mission, tried to make the Russians understand the demands of strategic warfare so that they would grant the U.S. bomber bases; attended the Quebec, Cairo and Teheran conferences. In 1944, with his second star, became commander of the Ninth Air Force, supported General George Patton in his sweep across France, and helped General Omar Bradley turn the Battle of the Bulge. Vandenberg got his third star in 1945; after the war he changed into civvies to run the Central Intelligence group. He returned to the Air Forces in 1947 as Deputy Commander and Chief of the Air Staff, became (at 48) a full general; was appointed Air Force Chief of Staff in 1948.

Private Life: For relaxation, likes golf (low 80s), dancing, gin rummy, canasta ; likes a Martini or a Scotch & soda; smokes cigarettes, pipes, and especially expensive Panatella cigars. Hates dealing with household chores; likes loud sport clothes, good automobiles (he drives a Cadillac), science-fiction and westerns, comic strips (his favorite: Dick Tracy), and movies with happy endings.

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