Thomas D . White General Thomas Dresser White ( August 6 , 1901 – December 22 , 1965 ) was the fourth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force . White was born in Walker , Minnesota , in 1901 . Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy on July 2 , 1920 , he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and immediately promoted to First Lieutenant . Entering the Infantry School at Fort Benning , Georgia , White graduated in July 1921 , and was assigned duty with the 14th Infantry Regiment at Fort Davis , Panama Canal Zone . In September 1924 , he entered Primary Flying School at Brooks Field , Texas . He graduated from Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field , Texas , in September 1925 , and was assigned duty with the 99th Observation Squadron at Bolling Field , Washington , D . C . . In June 1927 , White was assigned to duty as a student of the Chinese language in Peking , China . Four years later , he returned to the United States for duty at Headquarters Air Corps , Washington , D . C . White was named assistant military attache for air to Russia in February 1934 . A year later , he was appointed assistant military attache for air to Italy and Greece , with station at Rome . White graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field , Alabama , in May 1938 . He then entered Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas . Upon completion of this training , he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps , Washington , D . C . In April 1940 , White became military attache to Brazil and the following August was named chief of the U . S . Military Air Mission to Brazil . Returning to the United States in March 1942 , White was appointed assistant chief of staff for operations of the Third Air Force at MacDill Field , Tampa , Florida , and subsequently named chief of staff . Reassigned to Air Force Headquarters in January 1944 , he became assistant chief of air staff for intelligence . Proceeding to the Southwest Pacific in September 1944 , White assumed duty as the deputy commander of the Thirteenth Air Force , taking part in the New Guinea , Southern Philippines and Borneo campaigns . The following June , he assumed command of the Seventh Air Force in the Marianas and immediately moved with it to Okinawa . In January 1946 , he returned with the Seventh Air Force to Hawaii . That October , he was appointed chief of staff of the Pacific Air Command in Tokyo , Japan . One year later , in October 1947 , White took command of the Fifth Air Force in Japan . Transferred to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in October 1948 , White became director of the Legislation and Liaison . He was appointed , in May 1950 , Air Force Member of the Joint Strategic Survey Committee in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He was assigned as director of Plans , Headquarters U . S . Air Force , in February 1951 , and in July 1951 , assumed duties of deputy chief of staff of operations for the Air Force . White was promoted to the rank of general on June 30 , 1953 , and designated Vice Chief of Staff at that time , becoming Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force on July 1 , 1957 . He retired June 30 , 1961 . His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal , Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster . He died on December 22 , 1965 of leukemia and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery .