MAJOR GENERAL HAROLD MARK MCCLELLAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300500023-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 6, 2000
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: September 1, 1949
• Content Type: BR

Approved For, Release 2000/06130 CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300500023-5
'DEPARMENT `~OF DEFENSE,
OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
PRESS BRANCH
MAJOR- GENERAL HAROLD MARK MCCLELLAND
H. M,: McClelland was born in .Tiffin, Iowa, November 4, 1893. He
was. graduated from Kansas State. Agricultural College 'as a Bachelor of`
S'e1ence, in 1916. He was commissioned. as.-a Regular second lieutenant
August 8, 1917, and was promoted to first lieutenant at the same time.
11is Initial duty assignment was at the Army' Service Schools, Fort
Leavenworth, IKansas, 'and 'on November- 19, 1918, he joined the 48th Infantry
at Norfolkr Virginias
Detailed to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps, he earned his
w Ings by attending ground school at the University of Texas, flying gunnery
and advanced fighter, courses at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California.
Then followed assignments at Garden City,. New. York; and Roosevelt Field,
New York and in. December, of 1918 he became commandant of. training,
comrnandirig 'officer of the cadet detachment and assistant engineering
In July 1919 he was stationed at London, rknglanci, as Assistant nviation
Officer:, 'Headquarters of the Provisional District of Great Britain. He also
saw service in England with the U. S. Army Liquidation Mission.
1Zeturnrng to the United States in January; 1921, he attended the Air
Service Coi imunications School at i~'ort Sill, Oklahoma, and after 'graduation
remained, 'there as instructor. Ih ,February, 1922, he. was assigned to the
Signal. Corps Radio laboratory at Carrie Alfred ,Vail, ew Jersey, as Air
Service Representative, and. from., August, 1922, to February, 1924,. was
officer in charge of the laboratory.
Transferred to Mitchel Field, New Yolk, in -September, '1924, with
the 9th. Observation. Group, he was postal sigtial officer and' instructor in
communications at summer. training camps; From. September; 1925,' to May,.
1926, .he attended 'a special; radio coiir"se at Columbia. t,'Iniversfty, `
He left. Mitchel Field :October 1, 1927 to serve the next four years
in the Training and Operations Division., Office of the Chief of Air Corps,
at. Washington, D.. C.. He then was given command of. the 19th Bombardment
Group, which he organized in 1931; and commanded until 1934,
He drew two unusual assignments in 1934.. When th6' Air Corps took
over flying the air mail, General McClelland acted as: Zone ? Communications
Officer at Salt Lake City. Later in the year, he was Communications and
Meteorological Officer for General H, H. Arnold's Alaskan flight which was
to do much in shaping the trend of air communications. MORE
OSD DECLA F T jP NejVAjWq/bQyPC1P BM-00001 R000300500023-5
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In October, '1934 he+.was '.given command of Rockwell Field' and
which saw him
s of courses
s a
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h
,
e
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e bega
Rock well Air Depot. n 1 V5
ir `Corps ~i actical Scriooi, the C he iical Warfare School,
gr aciuated from the'
A
and the Co: nnaand acid Gcner,41 Staff School. 14 1937 .e . became inspector'
for the General H.eadquartei`s Air. 'c,% ax., gley; Field, Virginia.
Division of the War- D part hunt General .Staff', Washington, D.'. C., and
becamE. Chief of Avia ion !,,B'raaibh..of that division on February 21,;1941. - In
May, 1941, he was. assigned < s Assistant Chief of Staff `for Operations : and
?.raining cif . f fie Spoca al . Army Observer, Group, an .London, England; arid. upon
World War II he was . Assista it Chief of
entry o the Unit :d States., in
Staff, Ta.ining and Operations, European Theatre.
He ret'.rned t'o?. t DTs S. in- 11-11y, 1 1 , and was assigned . -to Head
quarters, Army Air.Fa:rces;, W shington, D. C.,, where' he was Director
of.Technical Service$,Uhtii March, 1943. After a e v.ing:th~..next"several
months' as Deputy Assistant Chief of 'Air`. Staff,. Operations, Headquarters,
'Arm or" Air Forces, he became the Air, - Corr.~xr uric ations Officer JA Jul , , .1.943.
On April 8, 1946 he. b6caiYi6 the - Coiiii anding General of .the Airways
Air Communications - Service.
n the 'creation of. the.-Military Air Transport,.. Service, June 6,
U
po
1948, General McClelland was 'Rimed Depu~y~ Commands, Services. These
services ' included Airways '&, .Air Commanications 'Service, Air Weather
Service, Air' Fescue Service, Flight Service and National, Interest Bases. In
addition to 'his tew duties, he :coritinued.'as Commanding General of Airways
& Air". Communications Service until September 19, 1948..
he, was appointed Director- of Communications-
On -August .0,k 1949
,
Electronics in the Department of Defense, with station at Washington, D. C ,.
He has been arwded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of
C ri m der' O-rder of tho -.British tmp:ire.- ::-;liis DSM
d i~
a
Mesa, an . ,
citation reads,'` `` `**as Air Communications O icer, Headquarters Army-41:r
Forces from July 1942 .te ,t ugust.,1945, (Gen. T~/IcClell'arid) sup v sed the
Army Airways Corfimunication8... System which' furnished communications and
navigational' aids along tie military air routes, 'throughout the world. He
pioneered .in `military eloctr:bnics., .analysed the enemy'$- scientific research in
this field and instituted; radio and-radar countermeasures-."
General McClelland is rated as a Command, Pilot.
PROMOTIONS
He was promoted -to eaptain (temporary) June 17, 1918; captain (perm-
anent) July 1, 1920; lieutenant colonel (temporary) April 20, 1935; major (perm-
anent) August 1, 1935; lieutenant colonel (permanent) August 8, 1940; colonel
{ 2 MORE
Approved For Release 2000/06/30 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300500023-5
 Approved For Release 2000/06/30 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300500023-5
(temporary) November 16, 1940; brigadier general (temporary) April 18,
1942; major general (temporary) June 3, 1945; colonel (permanent) August 1,
1946; and brigadier general (permanent) on February 19, 1948, with date of
rank -,.s of April 18, 1942.
Up to date as of 1 September 1949.
Approved For Release 2000/06/30 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300500023-5