Originally Posted by
USMCFLYR
Dates of rank
First Lieutenant, Army Air Corps: March 12, 1935
Captain, Army Air Corps: January 26, 1940
Major, Army Air Corps: March 21, 1941
Lieutenant Colonel, Army of the United States: January 23, 1942
Colonel, Army of the United States: June 17, 1942
Brigadier General, Army of the United States: September 28, 1943
Permanent in the Regular Army: June 22, 1946
Major General, Army of the United States: March 3, 1944
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Pretty fast promotion track - but it doesn't seem that he went from O-2 to O-9 in only 4 years. THe part of the article below shows Captain to MajGen in 3 years, though some were temporary ranks it seems.
Promotions certainly could come fast in time of war - especially counting for battlefield promotions and when MAJORS were in command of B-17 units! I wonder if such fast promotion tracks were anywhere the norm except for maybe the most exceptional in the 50s and beyond?
USMCFLYR
Haha...I knew I would get called on that! It's semantics but he was still a 1LT for the first 25 days of 1940. Also, I said he went from 1LT to MAJ Gen (O-8)...not O-9. But we're splitting hairs here...it's still crazy to get that kind of fast track.
As was said it my other quote. Robin Olds was a Fighter Sq/CC as a major in his early 20s! Different times for sure! I remember when I was 22...I was still busy getting drunk and chasin tail in college!