Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders

    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      Engage On
        
        BRIGADIER GENERAL CLARENCE P. KANEClarence P. Kane was born in San Francisco, Calif., in April 1890. He attended San Francisco Law School and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Infantry Reserve on April 28, 1917. He was accepted as a flying cadet on Dec. 2, 1917, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Aviation Section, Signal Corps Reserve on Feb. 21, 1918.
From June until August 1917, General Kane attended Officers Training Camp at the Presidio of San Francisco and was then commissioned. He attended the Signal Corps Adjutants School at Ohio State University, Columbus. Upon entering the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps in December 1917, he went to Selfridge Field, Mich., for instruction, and in July 1918 was assigned to the Office of the Director of Air Service in Washington, D.C., for duty in the Supply and Property Sections. In November 1920 he went to Ross Field, Calif., to enter the Balloon School and graduated in April 1921.
General Kane then became engineer officer at Ross Field, and in December 1922 he became the field's commanding officer. In July 1926 he moved to Tokyo, Japan, as a language student. He returned to the United States in July 1928 and was assigned to Rockwell Air Depot, Calif., as a supply officer. He went to Salt Lake City, Utah, in February 1934 for duty as supply officer of the Western Zone for the Army Air Corps Mail Operations. In June 1934 he returned to Rockwell Air Depot as supply officer, and in March 1935 he went to the Hawaiian Air Depot at Luke Field as contracting and purchasing officer.
General Kane returned to the United States in May 1937 and was assigned to the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps in Washington, D.C., for duty in the Supply Division, becoming assistant chief of that division in July 1937. He entered the Army Industrial College in Washington in 1937 and graduated in June 1938. He then went to Wright Field, Ohio, as chief of the Administrative Branch, Field Service Section in the Air Corps Materiel Division there until 1941, and was at Air Materiel Command until 1942. He was assistant chief of the Supply Division at Air Service Command in 1943. From 1943 to 1944 General Kane was commanding general of Rome, then, Fairfield Air Service Command, and then served with Air Service Command at U.S. Strategic Forces Europe in 1944. From December 1944 to June 1945, he was commanding general of Air Technical Service Command Europe, then Atlantic Overseas Service Command from July 1945 to July 1946. 
He is rated a balloon observer.
He was promoted to first lieutenant on Oct. 3, 1918; first lieutenant in the Air Service of the Regular Army, July 1, 1920; captain, March 4, 1931; major (temporary), June 16, 1936; major (permanent), July 1, 1939; lieutenant colonel (temporary), April 18, 1941; lieutenant colonel (permanent), Nov. 4, 1941; colonel (temporary), Feb. 1, 1942; brigadier general (temporary), June 25, 1943.
His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, French Croix de Guerre with palm; French Legion of Honor; Chinese Special Collar Order, Yun Hui; Commander of the Order of the British Empire. 
(Biography compiled from information in the Biographical Dictionary of World War II Generals and Flag Officers by R. Manning Ancell with Christine M. Miller, and USAF Historical Study No. 91: Biographical Data on Air Force General Officers 1917 to 1952.)
  Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil