John D. Lavelle | |
|---|---|
 General John D. Lavelle | |
| Nickname(s) | Jack |
| Born | September 9, 1916 Cleveland, Ohio, US |
| Died | July 10, 1979 (aged 62) Fairfax, Virginia, US |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Army Air Corps United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1939–1947 1947–1972 |
| Rank | General (Retired as Major General) |
| Commands | Seventh Air Force Seventeenth Air Force |
| Battles / wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (4) Air Medal (2) |
John Daniel Lavelle (September 9, 1916 – July 10, 1979) was a United States Air Force general and commander of Seventh Air Force, with headquarters at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. Lavelle was removed from his position in 1972 and forced to retire due to alleged misconduct over bombing missions during the Vietnam War while serving as the Seventh Air Force commander. Since the ranks of general and lieutenant general are temporary ranks and linked to their corresponding position of assignment, federal law at the time required senatorial approval for an officer to retire at these higher ranks. Due to these allegations the Senate refused to confirm Lavelle's retirement as a four-star or three-star general. Lavelle was reverted and retired at his permanent two-star rank of major general.
On August 4, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Lavelle posthumously for promotion back to the grade of general on the Air Force retired list in light of the release of declassified information that showed that Lavelle had been authorized by President Richard Nixon to conduct the bombing missions.[1] Further, the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records found no evidence Lavelle caused, either directly or indirectly, the falsification of records, or that he was even aware of their existence.[1] Once he learned of the reports, Lavelle took action to ensure the practice was discontinued.[1] The nomination to restore his four-star rank was recommended by the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Air Force.[1][2] However, the Senate Armed Services Committee declined to vote on the nomination, allowing it to expire without action at the end of the legislative session.[3]
- ^ a b c d Lavelle Posthumously Nominated to General Archived 2010-08-28 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sharon Weinberger Contributor. "Vietnam-Era Gen. John Lavelle Cleared After Nearly 40 Years". Aolnews.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ David Zucchino (December 23, 2010), "Fight to vindicate general dies in the Senate", Los Angeles Times, retrieved 2011-01-05