George Kenney passed away on August 9, 1977.
George Churchill Kenney was a significant figure in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Born on August 6, 1889, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, Kenney grew up in Massachusetts and later attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He began his military career in the Engineering Corps but transferred to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps in 1917, where he became a pilot.
Kenney’s most notable contributions came during World War II when he served as the commander of the Allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific Area under General Douglas MacArthur. He was known for his innovative tactics, including the skip-bombing technique used against Japanese ships. His leadership played a crucial role in the air campaigns that helped to turn the tide of the war in the Pacific.
After the war, Kenney continued to serve in the Air Force, which had become a separate branch of the U.S. military. He was promoted to the rank of General and took on various roles, including the head of the Strategic Air Command and the Air University. Kenney retired from the military in 1951 but remained active in the aviation community, writing books and advocating for air power.
His legacy is marked by his strategic brilliance, his ability to inspire and innovate, and his significant impact on aerial warfare tactics. Kenney’s contributions to the air campaigns of World War II are still studied by military historians and strategists today.