Richard H . Ellis General Richard Hastings Ellis ( July 19 , 1919 – March 28 , 1989 ) was commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command and director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff with headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base , Nebraska . He was also director of the Joint Strategic Connectivity Staff . Biography . Ellis was born in Laurel , Delaware , where he completed elementary and high school . He received his bachelor of arts degree in history from Dickinson College , Carlisle , Pennsylvania in 1941 and juris doctor degree from Dickinson School of Law in 1949 . He was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree from Dickinson College in 1961 ; honorary doctor of laws degrees from Dickinson School of Law in 1974 , from the University of Akron in 1979 , and from the University of Nebraska , Omaha , in May 1981 . Ellis entered active military duty in September 1941 as an aviation cadet at Maxwell Field , Alabama . He received his commission and pilot wings at Turner Field , Georgia , in April 1942 . During World War II he served with the 3rd Bombardment Group in Australia , New Guinea and the Philippines , and flew more than 200 combat missions in the Western Pacific area . He served as a pilot , commander of the 90th Bombardment Squadron , group operations officer and , from September 1944 , as group commander . In April 1945 General Ellis was assigned as deputy chief of staff , United States Far East Air Forces , in the Philippine Islands and Japan . He requested release from active duty , became a member of the Air Force Reserve and entered Dickinson School of Law in 1946 . He graduated in 1949 and , after admission to the Delaware Bar , practiced law in Wilmington , Delaware . He was recalled to active duty in October 1950 and assigned first to Headquarters Tactical Air Command , Langley Air Force Base , Virginia ; then as deputy for operations , 49th Air Division , Sculthorpe , England ; and later as chief , Air Plans and Operations Section , Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe . From January 1956 to May 1958 , Ellis was deputy chief of staff , operations , Headquarters Nineteenth Air Force , Foster Air Force Base , Texas . He was then assigned to the Directorate of Plans , Headquarters U . S . Air Force , Washington , D . C . , first as chief , Weapons Plans Branch , then as assistant director of plans for war plans , and later as assistant director of plans , joint matters . In July 1961 Ellis become executive to the chief of staff , U . S . Air Force . From August 1963 to June 1965 , he commanded the 315th Air Division , Tachikawa Air Base , Japan . He returned to Washington , D . C . , and served as deputy director , J - 5 ( Plans and Policy ) , with the Joint Staff . In August 1967 he returned to the Air Staff , this time as director of plans . He assumed command of 9th Air Force with headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base , South Carolina , in September 1969 . He was appointed vice commander in chief of U . S . Air Forces in Europe in September 1970 . General Ellis become commander , 6th Allied Tactical Air Force , with headquarters at Izmir , Turkey , in April 1971 ; and commander of Allied Air Forces , Southern Europe , with headquarters at Naples , Italy , in June 1972 . He assumed additional duty as commander , Sixteenth Air Force , Torrejon Air Base , Spain , in May 1973 . He served as Vice Chief of Staff , U . S . Air Force , from November 1973 to August 1975 . He was then appointed commander , Allied Air Forces Central Europe , and commander in chief , U . S . Air Forces in Europe . He assumed command of SAC in August 1977 . Ellis was a command pilot and earned the Master Missile and the Parachutist badge s . He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross , Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with three oak leaf cluster s , Silver Star , Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters , Distinguished Flying Cross , Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters , Purple Heart and Grand Officer of the Italian Republic . He was awarded the State of Delaware Distinguished Service Medal by Governor Walter W . Bacon in 1946 . In September 1980 he was presented the Air Force Association ' s highest honor , the H . H . Arnold Award for significant contributions to national defense . As the recipient of this award he was also named as the association ' s National Aerospace Man of the Year . General Ellis received the Korean Order of National Security Merit , First Class ( Tong Il Jang ) on May 13 , 1981 , at the Korean Ministry of National Defense in Seoul . This award , the highest honor given by the Republic of Korea to a foreign military leader , was presented to the general for his important contributions to national defense of the Republic of Korea . He was promoted to General on November 1 , 1973 , with date of rank September 30 , 1973 . He retired from the Air Force August 1 , 1981 and died March 28 , 1989 at the age of 69 .