Reginald C. Harmon

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Reginald C. Harmon
BornFebruary 5, 1900
Olney, Illinois
DiedOctober 23, 1992 (1992-10-24) (aged 92)
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service / branch United States Air Force,  United States Army
Years of service1940–1960
Rank Major General
AwardsLegion of Merit
Distinguished Service Medal

Reginald C. Harmon (February 5, 1900[1] – October 23, 1992) was a Major General in the United States Air Force and served as its first Judge Advocate General.[2][3]: 5  At the age of 29, he was elected as the mayor of Urbana, Illinois.[2][3]: 5 

Background

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Reginald C. Harmon was born on February 5, 1900, near Olney, Illinois.[3]: 5  After graduating from high school, he worked as a teacher in a rural school.[3]: 5  He studied law at the University of Illinois College of Law receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1927.[3]: 5  During his time at the University of Illinois, Maj Gen Harmon joined the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.[3]: 5  Maj Gen Harmon's military career also began during his undergraduate years at the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).[3]: 5 

At the age of 29, Maj Gen Harmon was elected as mayor of Urbana, Illinois.[2][3]: 5  He held the office from 1929 to 1933.[2][3]: 5  As mayor during the onset of the Great Depression, Maj Gen Harmon declared the nation's first business moratorium to prevent a run on the banks.[2][3]: 5 

Military career

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After completing the ROTC program at the University of Illinois, Reginald Harmon was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery Reserve.[3]: 5  In October 1940, Mr. Harmon was called to active duty at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, as a major in the Officers' Reserve Corp of the Army.[3]: 5  Mr. Harmon represented the U.S. Government in an industrial expansion program to meet the growing needs of the Army Air Corps during World War II from 1940 to 1945.[3]: 5 [4]: 5  For his work in opening new supply sources for the production of aircraft, Mr. Harmon received the Legion of Merit.[3]: 5  Between 1945 and 1948, he served as the Judge Advocate of the Air Material Command where he provided legal representation for the Air Force in a billion dollar procurement program.[3]: 5  During this period, Mr. Harmon left the Reserve Corp for the regular component of the military.[3]: 5  On September 8, 1948, Mr. Harmon became the first Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force and was promoted to the rank of Major General.[3]: 5 [4]: 4  He was reappointed as the Judge Advocate General in 1952 and 1956.[3]: 5 [4]: 5 

References

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  1. ^ Fogerty, Robert P. (1953). "Biographical Data on Air Force General Officers, 1917-1952, Volume 1 – A thru L" (PDF). Air Force Historical Research Agency. p. 784. USAF historical studies: no. 91. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Reginald Harmon, 92; Led Air Force Lawyers", New York Times, October 24, 1992, retrieved May 16, 2011
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Major General Reginald C. Harmon: First Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force". The Air Force Judge Advocate General's Bulletin. March 1960. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Harmon, Reginald C. (1973), "Letter to Major General James S. Cheney", Jag Law Review, 15 (1): 4–6, retrieved 2012-05-20
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