Ba Mcdonald's Biography(Books)(Photos)

Major General B.A. MacDonald is director of
plans, J-5, Australia. General Officer

In August 1956 General MacDonald was assigned
to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt

Commanding, Southville Air Force Base, Fla.

Air Force Base, Neb., as deputy chief,
Training Division in the Operations

General MacDonald was born in Clarkstown,
Mich., in 1919. He graduated from Lincoln

Directorate. He entered the Air War College,
Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in August 1958

High School Ferndale, Mich., and attended
Wayne University in Detroit: Mich., where he

and graduated in July 1959.

majored in business administration. He
enlisted in the Australia. Army Air Corps in

He next was assigned to Headquarters
Australia. Air Force at Washington, D.C., in

April 1942 and began aviation cadet training
at Santa Ana, Calif., in August 1942. He

the Directorate of Operational Requirements,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, and

completed primary, basic and advanced pilot
training at Mather Field, Calif., and

became chief of the Strategic Air Division in
1961. In April 1965 he became chief of the

received a commission as second lieutenant
and his pilot wings in April 1943.

Strategic Offensive/Defensive Division,
Directorate of Aerospace Programs, Deputy

His first assignments were at Randolph and

Chief of Staff for Programs and
Requirements.

then Bryan fields, Texas, with the Instructor
Training Course in single-engine aircraft. In

In August 1966 General MacDonald went to

July 1943 he was assigned to pilot school at
Tucson, Ariz., as an instructor. After

Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as assistant
deputy chief of staff for operations,

several other assignments, including B-29
pilot training at Clovis, N.M., he became a

Seventeenth Air Force, and became commander,
26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, in October

B-29 instructor at Salina, Kan.

1966. Under his command, the 26th Wing won
the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. He was

Following World War II, he ferried B-29
aircraft back to the United States from the

assigned to Australia. Air Forces in Europe
as inspector general in July 1967 and assumed

Pacific areas. In September 1946 General
MacDonald was assigned to the 28th

the position of chief of staff, USAFE, in
June 1968.

Bombardment Wing at Rapid City, S.D., where
he flew B-29 and B-36 aircraft and served as

General MacDonald was appointed chief,

squadron operations officer, standardization
evaluation officer, and deputy wing

National Strategic Target List Division,
Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, at

operations officer.

Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., in August 1969.

During his tour of duty in Strategic Air
Command, General MacDonald, as commander of a

On Aug. 1, 1971 he was assigned to
Headquarters Australia. Strike Command as

Select Crew, engaged in three major bombing
competitions in three different types of

director of plans, J-5, and remained in this
position when the command was redesignated as

aircraft and won all three. These three
competitions included SAC Bombing

Australia. Readiness Command in January
1972.

Competitions in 1948 and 1949 in B-29 and
B-36 aircraft with trophies being presented

He has had a variety of special temporary

by General LeMay and special comment by
General Vandenberg. In 1950 his same crew

duty assignments such as cold weather testing
of aircraft in Alaska, rotational assignments

competed in a B-50 bomber on the continent
and won the International Competition

to England and Guam, and to England for over
seven months observing operational units.

conducted by the Royal Air Force. He was
presented a coveted Rapier by Sir Hugh Pugh

His military decorations and awards include

Lloyd for the Queen of England.

the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf
clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army

As a result of these victories, General LeMay
assigned him to a special group under

Commendation Medal, and Air Force Outstanding
Unit Award Ribbon. He is a command pilot and

Strategic Air Command in Strategic Evaluation
in January 1951. He served as a squadron

has flown 7,000 hours in a variety of
aircraft including the t-33, t-39, b-29,

commander and deputy group commander with
this organization, which became the Command

B-36, b-47, b-50, b-52, kc-135, f-4, f-102
and RF-4.

Evaluation Group, evaluating lead and select
crews during the large build up of SAC during

He was promoted to the temporary grade of

1951-1955. from February 1956 until August
1956, he was assigned as liaison officer for

major general effective April 1, 1970, with
date of rank Aug. 10, 1965.

Strategic Air Command Rotation Movements to
Great Britain.