Evening star., 1942-11-19

U. 5. and European
Air Service Command
Chiefs Change Jobs
Fronk Coming Home to
Give Miller Chance for
Combat Experience
Assignment of Maj. Gen.
Henry J. F. Miller, Miami, Fla,
commanding general of the Air
Service Command, to head the
Air Service Command in the Eu-
ropean theater was announced
today by Secretary OF War
Stimson.
Gen. Miller succeeds Maj. Gen.
Walter H. Frank, Washington, who
will take over Gen. Miller's COM
mand in this country.
This exchange of ofiicers," said
the Secretary, "is intended to make
available to the headquarters, Army
Air Forces, the experience Of
commander fresh from a combat
zone and to give an opportunity to
another general officer to gain actual
combat experience"
The Air Service Command, both
in the United States and in combat
zones. is responsible for operation
OF air depots, the repair and main
tenance OF planes and equipment
and continual flow OF supplies and
parts to operating units.
Gen. Frank, born at Humphrey.
N. Y, April %, 1886, has held the
European Air Service Command
under Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz, COM
manding the Army Air Forces in
that theater since July. He is q 1910
graduate of West Point.
Gen. Miller AEF Veteran.
Gen. Miller. a 1915 graduate of
the Military Academy, was born in
Salem County, N. j., September 10,
1890. He participated in the puni-
tive expedition in Mexico in 1917,
and was in England during the
World War. Returning to the
United States in 1919, he partici-
pated that year in the victory loan
flying circus and the transconti-
mental reliability test flight.
Secretary Stimson also announced
formation Of an Austrian battalion
OF the United States Army. The
unit will be an infantry battalion
composed of citizens of Austria liv-
ing in the United States.
Mr.. Stimson indicated Army units
composed of nationals of other
countries living in the United States
who want ito fight the Japs and
the Nazis' may be organized a.vei
the Austrian unit goes into service.
The Secretary refused to disclose
the whereabouts of Capt. Eddie
Rlckenbacker, who is recuperating
somewhere in the South Pacific after
being rescued from a raft three
weeks after his plane sank in the
Pacific.
That's still secret. I don't want
him captured by Jap after his
escape from Neptune" Mr.. Stimson
said.
Mail Erom Africa m W.v
Letters from home were not for
gotten in the invasion of North
Africa, Mr.. Stimson reported, and a
complete Army postal organization
had been set up almost as soon as
the landings were made. Regular
mail from the soldiers already is on
its, way to thas~country,she said, and
regular mail from home is speeding
toward its destination in North
Africa.
!, Organization of the American
Typhus Commission for the pur-
pose of fighting typhus among the
Allied military forces and civilians
in war areas was announced simul-
taneously today by the War and
Navy Departments.
The commission will be composed
Of four outstanding typhus research
specialists and will be under the di-
rection of Rear Admiral Charles
S. Stephenson, Navy Medical Corps.
The other members are 1t. Col.
Harry .Plotz. Army Medical Corps;
Senior Surgeon Adolf Rumreich,
United States Public Health Service,
and Maj. John C. Snyder, Army
Medical Corps.