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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      060608-F-JZ507-139.JPGEngage On
        
        060608-F-JZ507-139.JPGBrigadier General PAUL L. BARTONBrig. Gen. Barton is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Class of 1934. His first assignment was with the 26th Infantry Regiment. He next served with the 35th Infantry Regiment in Hawaii before entering the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga., in 1936. This same year he was promoted to first lieutenant. He graduated from Infantry School in 1938 and was assigned to the 8th Infantry Regiment.
While with the 8th Infantry Regiment in 1939, he requested pilot training. He received this training at Randolph and Kelly fields, San Antonio, Texas and was presented his pilot wings upon graduation May 11, 1940. On Sept. 9, 1940 he was promoted to captain.
During the early days of World War II he was base commander at Wendover Field, Utah and at Walla-Walla, Wash. Promotion to major became effective July 23, 1941 and less than one year on Jan. 23, 1942, he became a lieutenant colonel.
He went overseas as commander of the 483rd Bomb Group. From the group's base in Italy, he flew 35 combat missions in B-17's over Europe. During this time, Feb. 7, 1944 he was promoted to colonel.
He was awarded the Silver Star on April 15, 1944 when as a colonel, he led his group in the destruction of an enemy rail center in Yugoslavia. Although severely wounded in the arm, he refused first aid, made the attack and brought his group home successfully. He was also awarded the Purple Heart for this mission.
His Legion of Merit was awarded for duty between May 10 and June 11, 1944 when he aided in the successful planning, administration and execution of the first Allied Task Force sent into Russia.
The General, still in Italy, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for action July 14, 1944 in which he led his group through extremely heavy antiaircraft fire to attack and destroy important enemy oil refining and storage installations in Hungary.
After the war, he served as commander of the Air Force Base at Alexandria, La., prior to returning to Europe in 1946 as commander of the 305th Bomb Group in Germany. He later served as deputy commander of the Air Force Depot at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
In 1947 General Barton returned to the United States as commander of the 22nd Bomb Group at Salina, Kan. The following year he attended the Air War College and in 1950 was a member of the 18th Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.
In 1951 General Barton became commander of the Officer Candidate School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and the following year was made deputy commander of the base.
General Barton went to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as deputy commander July 15, 1953, following his graduation from the National War College. He was named commander of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on Oct. 15, 1953.
The general became a senior pilot May 11, 1945 and received command pilot wings May 11, 1955.
On July 10, 1957 General Barton was promoted to his present rank and Sept. 9, 1957 he arrived at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan to assume command of the Northern Air Materiel Area, Pacific.
On Aug. 19, 1960 General Barton was named director of logistics plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff/Materiel, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. On July 1, 1961 the Directorate of Logistics Plans was redesignated the Office of the Assistant for Logistics Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff/Systems and Logistics.
Paul L. Barton is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence W. Barton of Plymouth, Vt. He was born there in 1911. He attended elementary school and high school at Ludlow, Vt. Prior to entering West Point in 1930, he attended Norwich University at Northfield, Vt. for one year.
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