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This information comes from the biographical file for pilot George, CG-203000-01, et seq., reviewed by me in the archives of the National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC.

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Your copy of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. Or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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http://www.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifThe Congress of Ghosts is an anniversary celebration for 2010.  It is an historical biography, that celebrates the 5th year online of www.dmairfield.org and the 10th year of effort on the project dedicated to analyze and exhibit the history embodied in the Register of the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ. This book includes over thirty people, aircraft and events that swirled through Tucson between 1925 and 1936. It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders. Order your copy at the link.

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Military Aircraft of the Davis Monthan Register, 1925-1936 is available at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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Harold Lee George is a founding member of the Order of Daedalians.

For a brief biography of Harold Lee George, see this link.

For a reference to a 1970 oral history deposition given by Lt. Gen. George, see this link.

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HAROLD LEE GEORGE

H.L. George was Born July 19, 1893 at Somerville, MA and died February 24, 1986, in California at age 92. According to ancestry.com, he registered for the draft during WWI on June 5, 1917, below.

H.L. George, Draft Registration, June 5, 1917 (Source: ancestry.com)
H.L. George, Draft Registration, June 5, 1917 (Source: ancestry.com)

Relatively early in his career he was photographed, below, in the cockpit of a Martin MB-2, or NBS-1. This photo appeared in the Summer 1988 issue of the Journal of the American Aviation Historical Society at the link.

H.L. George in Martin Bomber, Ca. Early 1920s (Source: Link via Woodling)
H.L. George in Martin Bomber, Ca. Early 1920s (Source: Link via Woodling)

The caption for the photo states, "The “front office” of an MB-2, or NBS-1, with Lt. Harold Lee George, who as a Lt. General commanded the Air Transport Command during WWII."

Harold Lee George, ca. 1940s (Source: NASM)

 

Pilot George landed five times at Tucson between 1926 and 1934. Interestingly, he signed in as a rank of Captain in 1927-29, but his promotion to that rank was officially listed as December 31, 1931.

He flew a variety of aircraft, including Observation, Pursuit and Bomber models. Only once, in 1929, did he carry a passenger.

His entries of home base and destinations map nicely with his official record of assignments. For example, he was assigned in August, 1925 to Washington, DC as an assistant in the War Plans Division, Office of the Chief of Air Service. His landing on February 10, 1926 lists his home base and destination as Washington.

One of his flights through Tucson, September 7, 1928, was captured on motion picture film that you can view at the link. On that flight, eight Keystone LB-5A bombers arrived en masse from Langley Field, Hampton, VA, signing in at 1:30PM. He probably looked something like in the photograph below.

 

Lt. Gen. Harold Lee George (Source: NASM)

 

He was enrolled in the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, AL in September, 1931. He remained at Maxwell Field as an instructor until January 1936. His landing on July 29, 1934 lists his home base as Maxwell. George was a founding member of the Order of Daedalians. He was that organization’s first Wing Commander in 1934.

In February 1938 and November 1939 he took part in the Army goodwill flights to South America. He received the Order of the Southern Cross (Knight) from the Government of Brazil for his part in the South American Flight in November.

The 1940 U.S. Census placed George at age 46 living at Langley Field, VA with his wife, Violette H. (35). His occupation was listed as a Major in the Air Corps. He earned $5,000 per year in his assignment , a good salary in 1940. Violette was a stenographer, earning $1,440 per year. Their children were not listed on the form (see below).

As WWII approached, in 1940 he became Commanding Officer of the 2nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field, VA, and in January 1941 added the duties of Executive Officer of the 2nd Bombardment Wing there. In July 1941 he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff for Plans. As Lt. Col. during WWII he co-authored the Air War Plans Division white paper on the AAF scope and mission for Hap Arnold. He was promoted to Lieutenant General on March 16, 1945.

One of his jobs was to decorate fellow Register pilots Nancy Harkness Love and Robert Love. Please direct your browser to her page to see an image of her and Bob receiving their Air Medals. Photograph, below, of another photo opportunity with Nancy Harkness.

Lt. Gen. H.L. George and Nancy Harkness Love, Date Unknown
George Confering Air Medal on Nancy Harkness Love and Robert Love

The Circleville Daily Herald (OH) of June 26, 1947 descrbed a post-war business that George formed, below.

Circleville Daily Herald (OH), June 26, 1947 (Source: Woodling)
Circleville Daily Herald (OH), June 26, 1947 (Source: Woodlng)

The article above explains why, on May 25, 1948, he and his family traveled from Lima, Peru to Washington, DC. It is difficult to tell if the airplane was scheduled, chartered or military, since it is not identified on the immigrations form, below. All his children were old enough to have been listed on the 1940 Census form, but they were not. Only one other person, a Peruvian student, traveled with his family. The airline went out of business in 1949. One of his daughters, Mary Suzanne George, married a Peruvian (she was 16 at the time).

Immigration Form, May 25, 1928 (Source: ancestry.com)
Immigration Form, May 25, 1928 (Source: ancestry.com)

A professional biography can be found at his findagrave.com page at the link. His obituary from the Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1986, is below.

H.L. George Obituary, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1986 (Source: Woodling)
H.L. George Obituary, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1986 (Source: Woodling)

Violette died April 21, 2003. Her obituary, from the Orange County Register, April 25, 2003, is below.

Orange County Register, April 25, 2003 (Source: Woodling)
VIOLETTE H. GEORGE Age 94, died 4/21/2003 in Laguna Woods and was the widow of Lt. General Harold Lee George. Beloved mother of Loretta Palmer; Sidney George; Suzanne George and Francis George; loving Grandmother of 25; Great Grandmother of 48 and Great Great Grandmother of 8. Memorial Services will be held Saturday, 4/26/2003 ....

Note both obituaries mention their son. I found no information about him.

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Dossier 2.2.47

UPLOADED: 09/22/05 REVISED: 02/13/08, 04/18/18, 05/22/18, 06/14/18, 11/18/18

 
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I'm looking for photographs and additional information about pilot George to include on this page. If you have some you'd like to share, please use this FORM to contact me.

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Winners' Viewpoints: The Great 1927 Trans-Pacific Dole Race is available at the link. What was it like to fly from Oakland to Honolulu in a single-engine plane during August 1927? Was the 25,000 dollar prize worth it? Did the resulting fame balance the risk? For the first time ever, this book presents the pilot and navigator's stories written by them within days of their record-setting adventure. Pilot Art Goebel and navigator William V. Davis, Jr. take us with them on the Woolaroc, their orange and blue Travel Air monoplane (NX869) as they enter the hazardous world of Golden Age trans-oceanic air racing.

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Clover Field: The First Century of Aviation in the Golden State. With the 100th anniversary in 2017 of the use of Clover Field as a place to land aircraft in Santa Monica, this book celebrates that use by exploring some of the people and aircraft that made the airport great.

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Art Goebel's Own Story by Art Goebel (edited by G.W. Hyatt) is written in language that expands for us his life as a Golden Age aviation entrepreneur, who used his aviation exploits to build a business around his passion.  Available as a free download at the link.

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Thanks to Guest Editor Bob Woodling for help researching this page.

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