George Howard Brett | |
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Born | Cleveland, Ohio | 7 February 1886
Died | 2 December 1963 Orlando, Florida | (aged 77)
Place of burial | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1910–1946 |
Rank | ![]() |
Service number | 0-2764 |
Commands | 19th Composite Wing US Army Air Corps Caribbean Defense Command |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands) Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (United Kingdom)[1] |
George Howard Brett (7 February 1886 – 2 December 1963) was a United States Army Air Forces General during World War II. An Early Bird of Aviation, Brett served as a staff officer in World War I. In 1941, following the outbreak of war with Japan, Brett was appointed Deputy Commander of a short-lived major Allied command, the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), which oversaw Allied forces in South East Asia and the South West Pacific. In early 1942, he was put in charge of United States Army Forces in Australia, until the arrival of Douglas MacArthur. Brett then commanded all Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area. In November 1942, he was appointed commander of the US Caribbean Defense Command and remained in this post for the rest of the war.