George
Clement McDonald was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1892.
He received his schooling in his native city. He was associated
with aviation in its early pioneering days, and had experience
with the Wright and Bleriot types of airplanes.
During
World War I, he enlisted as a flying cadet in the Aviation
Section, Signal Corps. He received ground school training
at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and flying training
at Rich Field, Waco, Texas, being appointed a second lieutenant
in the Aviation Signal Corps Reserve May 14, 1918.
He
served briefly as flying instructor at Rich Field and
at Payne Field, Miss., and in July, 1918, joined the First
Provisional Wing at Garden City, Long Island, N.Y., serving
with that organization at various fields until October
1918, when he was placed in charge of flying at Hazelhurst
Field, Long Island. His next station was Mitchel Field,
N.Y., where he joined the Fifth Aero Squadron.
During
1919, he was placed on temporary duty with Army Intelligence
and the Department of Justice for seven months. It resulted
in the apprehension and conviction of Grover Cleveland
Bergdoll and associates, America's World War I number
one draft dodger. General McDonald was officially recognized
as the one who organized and effected Bergdoll's arrest.
On
July 1, 1920, he was appointed a second lieutenant of
Air Service in the Regular Army and that same date was
promoted to first lieutenant.
In
March 1921, he went to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., for
duty as student armament officer. At the same time he
functioned as test pilot for the drop tests of bombs being
developed for General Billy Mitchell's bombing of battleships
off the Virginia Capes and Cape Hatteras. The following
May he joined the 94th Squadron at Langley Field, Va.,
and participated in the actual bombing of battleships.
In
September 1921, he was assigned to the Army School of
Aerial Photography at Langley Field and, upon graduation
in June 1922, remained at the field for duty with the
50th Observation Squadron. He assumed command of the 20th
Photographic Section at Langley Field in August 1922,
and served in that capacity for four years.
Assigned
to duty at France Field, Panama Canal Zone, he served
as post and group photographic officer of the Sixth Composite
Group until July 1927, when he assumed command of the
l2th Photo Section at France Field, at the same time functioning
in fighter and bomber operations.
Upon
completing his tour with the Panama Canal Department,
he assumed command of the Second Photo Section at Langley
Field, Va., and served in this capacity from September
1929, to August 1930, when he was assigned as a student
at the Air Corps Tactical School at Langley Field.
Upon
graduation in June 1931, he became adjutant of the Second
Bombardment Group and commanding officer of Headquarters
Squadron at Langley Field. In February 1932, he was ordered
to Washington, D.C. for duty in the Training and Operations
Division at Air Force headquarters.
In
April 1933 he went to Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio,
for a two month tour of duty at the Joint Anti-Aircraft-Air
Corps exercises as intelligence officer. From February
to June 1934, he served at Headquarters Army Air Corps
Air Mail Operations as intelligence officer and then became
photographic-observation-attack officer in the Training
and Operations Division. From August to October 1935,
he was assistant to the chief of the Training and Operations
Division, and subsequently became assistant chief of the
Operations and Training Section, War Plans and Training
Division.
In
February 1936 he was transferred to Mitchel Field, N.Y.,
where he assumed command of the 97th Observation Squadron.
In August of the following year he was assigned as a student
at the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth,
Kan., and upon graduation in June 1938, was assigned to
Langley Field as plans and operations officer of the Second
Wing. In addition, he served as intelligence officer of
the Second Wing until February 1939. He then transferred
to Maxwell Field, Ala., for the special Naval Operations
course at the Air Corps Tactical School.
In
April 1939, he became assistant air attache at the American
Embassy at London, England. He became assistant military
attache in September 1939, and from July to October 1940,
served concurrently as assistant military attache and
assistant air attache.
General
McDonald was named assistant to the Assistant Chief of
Air Staff for Intelligence at Air Force headquarters in
July 1941, and the following October was named as member
of the Military Mission in the Office of the Coordinatory
of Information (later renamed Office of Strategic Services)
in Washington. In January 1942, he became a member of
the Military Mission of the Board of Analysts in the Office
of the Coordinator of Information, and the following March
was assigned to the War Department General Staff.
In
September 1942, he was assigned to the European theater
as intelligence officer of the Eighth Air Force. In December
1942, he intelligence officer of the 12th Air Force and
headquarters of the Northwest African Air Forces, Allied
Air Forces in North Africa and the Mediterranean. In February
1944, he became director of intelligence, U.S. Strategic
Air Forces in Europe.
Following
V-E Day, he became director of intelligence of the U.S.
Air Forces in Europe.
He
returned to the United States in January 1946, and was
assigned to Air Force headquarters as assistant chief
of air staff for intelligence. Under the National Defense
Act, he became director of intelligence for the U.S. Air
Force in October 1947.
In
June 1948, he became chief of the Air Section of the U.
S. Military Commission at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
He
returned to the United States in June 1950, for duty at
Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the following
month was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Personnel at that headquarters.
McDonald
retired on October 1, 1950. He died on May 1, 1969.
En
1947, alors qu'il enquête sur la nature des ovnis,
le FBI demande à l'USAF si certains de ses projets
secrets pourraient expliquer ce phénomène.
Le 5 Septembre, celle-ci répond par la négative,
sous la plume du général Schulgen : ni l'US
Army ni l'US Navy n'ont le moindre projet de recherche
en matière de construction aéronautique
pouvant être apparenté aux disques volants.
10 jours plus tard cependant, le responsable du FBI de
San Francisco intercepte un message confidentiel de l'USAF
indiquant que l'armée doit s'occuper des témoins
crédibles et laisser au FBI les cas douteux et
les affaires de sièges de W-C. Hoover, patron du
FBI, s'étrangle alors de colère et envoie,
furibond, une lettre au général George C.
McDonald, du Pentagone, dans laquelle il annonce au nom
du Bureau cesser définitivement toute enquête
sur le sujet. A partir de ce jour, le FBI niera officiellement
toute implication dans les enquêtes sur les ovnis.
Cette décision sera officialisée le 1er
Octobre, par le biais du bulletin du FBI n° 59 : toutes
informations relatives aux ovnis doivent être adressées
à l'USAF. Cet automne-là, McDonald recommande
que la T-2 ne s'occupe plus que des questions de renseignements.
Sources:
http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/106278/major-general-george-c-mcdonald/