World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseDelos Carleton Emmons was born in Huntington, West Virginia, United States in 1889. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, United States in Jun 1909 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry. He then was made the commanding officer of B Company of 30th Infantry Regiment, stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco, California, United States. In May 1912, he, along with the 30th Infantry Regiment, was transferred to Fort Gibbon, Territory of Alaska. After Alaska, he was transferred to Plattsburg Barracks, New York. In Jul 1916, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and was transferred to the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps. In the following month, he began his training as a pilot. In May 1917, he was rated a junior military aviator. In Jul 1917, he was promoted to the rank of captain. He then served in the Western Department in San Francisco, and then, beginning in Dec 1917, served in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. In Jun 1918, he was promoted to the rank of major while serving at Mather Field, California. In Aug 1918, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In Dec 1918, he was transferred to McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, United States, where he served as the assistant chief of the Engineering Division. In Jul 1920, he transferred to the US Army Air Service. In 1921, he completed the Air Service Course at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. He then served at McCook Field as chief of Production Engineering. In Aug 1924, he was made the commanding officer of Crissy Field, California. Then, he was the commanding officer of 91st Observation Squadron at Rockwell Field in Coronado, California. In Aug 1927, he served as the executive officer for the chief of the Air Corps, based in Washington, DC, United States. In Oct 1928, he was assigned under the Assistant Secretary of War for Air F. Trubee Davison. After graduating from the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, United States and the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, United States, he became the commanding officer of the 18th Composite Wing and Air Officer of the Hawaiian Department at Fort Shafter in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, a dual role he held between Mar 1934 and Jul 1936. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in Mar 1935. In Jul 1936, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and was made the commanding officer of the 1st Wing of General Headquarters Air Force based in March Field, California. In Mar 1939, he was promoted to the rank of major general and was made the commander of General Headquarters Air Force based in Langley Field, Virginia, United States. In Aug 1940, he was sent to London, England, United Kingdom as an observer. In Nov 1940, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. The General Headquarters Air Force was renamed Air Force Combat Command in Jun 1941, and was transferred under the US Army Air Forces; interestingly, at the rank of lieutenant general, he outranked his superior Major General Henry Arnold at this time.

ww2dbaseOn 17 Dec 1941, after the United States had entered WW2, Emmons was made the commanding general of the Hawaiian Department. He replaced the islands' US bank notes with new currency printed with the word "HAWAII", with the intention that if the islands were to be captured by the Japanese, these new notes could be declared worthless immediately. He also strengthened Hawaiian forces, both in the air and on the ground. Finally, in this role, he was successful in blocking the efforts to relocate Japanese-Americans to internment camps. He returned to the United States in Jun 1943, and in Sep 1943, he was made the commanding officer of Western Defense Command based at Presidio, San Francisco. Between Jun 1944 and Jun 1946, he was the commanding officer of the Alaskan Department, based at Fort Richardson.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Emmons served as the commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia between Aug 1946 and Jun 1948. He retired in Jun 1948. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, among others. He passed away in 1965.

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