General Nathan F. Twining
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 13th Air Force (13th AF)

Background
Nathan Farragut Twining was born October 11, 1897 to parents Clarence Walker Twining and Maize née Barber Twining in Monroe, Wisconsin. He went to school in Wisconsin and Oregon. He graduated from Lincoln High School class of 1917 in Portland, Oregon.

In June 1916, he enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard and was assigned to Company H of the Third Oregon Infantry (National Guard). After basic training he was promoted to the rank of corporal and served on the Mexican border until September 1916. In March 1917 recalled to active duty as a sergeant and the next month to a first sergeant.

In May 1917, after placing well in a competitive examination for members of the National Guard, he received an appointment to United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point and graduated in the class of 1919 after two years on a shortened program to produce more officers for the U.S. Army during World War I. After graduating in June 1919, he served in the postwar occupation force in Germany and toured battlefields in Belgium, French and Italy. In September 1919 he entered the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He graduated June 1920 and was assigned to the 29th Infantry Regiment.

In February 1922, assigned as aide to Brig. Gen. B.A. Poore and followed him to Camp Travis, Texas; Fort Logan, Colorado and Fort Sam Houston, Texas. During August 1923 began primary flight school at Brooks Field in Texas. Next, he attended advanced flying school at Kelly Field in Texas. In September 1924 he earned his wings then returned to Brooks Field as a flight instructor.

On July 2, 1926 became a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). On November 16, 1926 transferred to the Air Service. In September 1927 assigned to March Field as an instructor. During February 1929 assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group (18th PG) at Wheeler Field on Oahu in Hawaii. He served as adjutant, personnel officer, headquarters detachment commander then Commanding Officer (C.O.) of the 26th Attack Squadron.

Wartime History
At the start of World War II began in September 1939, he was assigned to the operations division on the Air Staff. On June 20, 1941 became part of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF).

On June 17, 1942 promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

During July 1942 Twining was sent overseas to Espirito Santo and became chief of staff for Major General Millard F. Harmon, Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces in the South Pacific (COMGENSOPAC).

On January 13, 1943 Harmon activates the 13th Air Force (13th AF) and its subordinate XIII Bomber Command and XIII Fighter Command to assume administrative control over all USAAF units in the South Pacific (SOPAC) under the command of Twining.

On January 27, 1943 passenger aboard B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2403 with fourteen crew and passengers aboard on a flight from Guadalcanal bound for Espirito Santo and ditched into the sea. Everyone aboard survived the ditching and deployed both life rafts and spent five days and six nights at sea. On February 2, 1943 spotted and rescued by PBY Catalina.


On February 5, 1943 promoted to the rank of Major General. On July 25, 1943 appointed as Commander, Aircraft, Solomon Islands (COMAIRSOLS) and placed in tactical control of all Army, Navy, Marine and Allied Air Forces in the South Pacific. This was one of the first joint air commands in American military history. Twining oversaw the aerial campaign during the New Georgia campaign and later the early phases of the landings at Torokina on western Bougainville.

On November 21, 1943 Twining was succeeded by Major General Ralph J. Mitchell, USMC as commander of COMAIRSOLS. Afterwards, he assumed command of the 15th Air Force (15th AF) in Italy. In January 1944 became commander of the Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Forces.

On June 5, 1945 promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General. On August 2, 1945 he became the commander of the 20th Air Force (20th AF) until the official surrender of Japan and the end of World War II.

Postwar
During October 1945 returned to the United States to Continental Air Force Headquarters at Bolling Field in Washington State. In December 1945 appointed commanding general of the Air Materiel Command at Wright Field, Ohio. On September 18, 1947 continued in the U.S. Air Force (USAF). On October 1, 1947, he became commanding general of the Alaskan Department; three weeks later he was appointed commander in chief of the Alaskan Command at Fort Richardson. On February 19, 1948 became a Major General in the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

In July 1950 he became deputy chief of staff for personnel in Washington, DC. On October 10, 1950 promoted to the rank of General and was appointed vice chief of staff of the Air Force. He was named chief of staff of the Air Force June 30, 1953. In 1956, During 1956, Twining was chosen by Eisenhower to head a delegation of senior officers to visit the Societ Union, the first exchange since the end of World War II and meets General Georgy K. Zhukov.

On March 26, 1957, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower nominated Twining to succeed Admiral Radford as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, effective August 15, 1957. The nomination was approved and between July 1 until August 15, he served as special assistant to Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson. On Aug. 15, 1957, General Twining was formally sworn in as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by Eisenhower in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

Twining was re-appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the second term in 1959. However, due to his deteriorating health condition after major surgery, Twining took an early retirement on September 30, 1960. Afterwards, worked at publishing firm Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Memorials
On March 29, 1982 at age 84 he died at Lackland AFB. On April 1, 1982 he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in section 30 site 434-2. His wife, Maude McKeever Twining died on October 31, 1999 at age 92 and was buried at the same grave on November 22, 1999.

In his hometown of Monroe, Wisconsin a city park is named after Twining. At Grand Forks AFB an elementary school is named in his honor and a amateur astronomy observatory facility in New Mexico.

Awards
For his World War II service, Twining earned the Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster. In 1965, Twining was the ninth annual recipient of the General William E. Mitchell Memorial Award.

References
American Aces in Greater Fighter Battles of WWII (1958) foreward by Nathan F. Twining
Neither Liberty Nor Safety: A Hard Look at U. S. Military Policy and Strategy (1966) by Nathan F. Twining
USSR vs USA: The ABM and the Changed Strategic Military Balance: A Study by a Special American Security Council Committee of 31 Experts (1969) by Nathan F. Twining
U.S. Air Force - General Nathan F. Twining (photo)
Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Nathan F. Twining (grave photos)
Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Maude M. Twining (grave photos)
FindAGrave - GEN Nathan Farragut Twining (photo, grave photo)
FindAGrave - Maude McKeever Twining (grave photos)

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?