Major General John R. Gilchrist

US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual, 2004

MAJOR GENERAL JOHN R. GILCHRIST

Retired June 26, 1957. Died Jan. 1, 1972.

John Raymond Gilchrist was born in Woonsocket, R.I., in 1906. After graduating from high school at Woonsocket in 1924 he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., graduated June 9, 1928 and was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry.

After serving with the 13th Infantry at Fort Adams, R.I., in January 1929 General Gilchrist was hospitalized until March 1931 when he was assigned to the First Infantry at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyo. Named assistant quartermaster of the Wyoming Civilian Conservation Corps District at Fort Warren in May 1933. The following December the general rejoined the First Infantry there and in July 1934 was appointed finance officer of Fort Warren.

A year later General Gilchrist was transferred to the Panama Canal Department as property auditor, with station at Quarry Heights, Canal Zone, and in July 1936 was named finance officer for the Panama Canal Department.

Returning to the United States in July 1937 General Gilchrist served as property auditor for the First Corps Area, with headquarters at the Boston, Mass., Army Base until March 1939 when he was transferred to the Office of the Chief of Finance at Washington, D.C., to assume duty as assistant chief of the Personnel Planning Division. Becoming assistant chief of the Field Service Division of that office in November 1942, the following July the general was named chief of the Foreign Fiscal Affairs Division there.

Going overseas in March 1944 for duty as chief of the Finance Division of the Sixth Civil Affairs Unit in the European Theater, seven months later the general was named deputy director of the Economic Division of the U.S. Group Control Council in Germany. He became executive assistant deputy for resources of the council in July 1945.

General Gilchrist returned to the United States in October 1945 and the following two months served as a member of the Pauley Reparation Mission to Japan. In January 1946 he was appointed chief of the Economic and Supply Branch, Civil Affairs Division, of the War Department General Staff at Washington, D.C. Entering the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Washington in September 1947, upon graduation the following June the general was designated chief of the Projects Branch, Logistics Division, of the Army General Staff.

Designated deputy director of finance in the Office of the Comptroller at Air Force headquarters, Washington, D.C., in October 1948, General Gilchrist assumed command of the Air Force Finance Center at Denver, Colo., in January 1951, and in June 1952 was appointed director of finance of the Air Force, with additional duty as commanding general of the Air Force Finance Center at Denver. That September he was relieved of his additional duty and returned to Air Force headquarters as director of finance.

In July 1954 General Gilchrist returned to Denver, Colo., as director of finance of the Air Force, and assumed the additional duty of commander of the Air Force Finance Center. Relieved of duties as director of finance, on July 26, 1956 he was appointed assistant comptroller for financial matters for the center.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit.

(Up to date as of July 1957)