Lieutenant General Oliver S. Picher

US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual, 2004

LIEUTENANT GENERAL OLIVER S. PICHER

Retired May 11, 1960. Died July 20, 1984.

Oliver Stanton Picher was born in Pasadena, Calif., in 1905. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University in 1928. He enlisted as an aviation cadet, earned his wings, and was commissioned successively in the Air Reserve and Regular Army.

In May 1930 he went to Hawaii for two years with the 6th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field. He joined the 35th Pursuit Squadron at Langley Field, Va., took the maintenance engineering armament course at the Air Corps Technical School at Chanute Field, Ill., and in Oct. 1936, as a first lieutenant, was assigned to the 9th Bomb Group at Hamilton Field, Calif.

Lieutenant Picher returned to Hawaii for assignment to the 31st Bomb Squadron at Hickam Field and was promoted to captain in May 1940. He returned home for assignments to the Advanced Flying Schools at Stockton, Calif., and Phoenix, Ariz., with promotion to major. In June 1941 he went to Headquarters Army Air Force, first in organization and equipment, and then as executive officer to the assistant chief of staff for operations, with advancement to lieutenant colonel. He went to the South Pacific in July 1943 as commanding officer of the 13th Air Force's 307th Bomb Group.

In October he was promoted to colonel. He earned the Silver Star, three Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals, serving in combat until February 1945, when he returned to Washington for duty with the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff. He attended the National War College. He next served as executive for the director of plans and operations and in June 1948 became chief of the Operations Division after promotion two months previously to brigadier general.

General Picher went to Japan in September 1949 as commanding general of Far East Air Force's 315th Air Division at Itazuke. The following March he became inspector general of FEAF at Tokyo and a year later was named deputy for personnel in the command, with promotion March 8, 1952 to major general. He again returned to Washington and became assistant for programming under the deputy chief of staff for operations. In June 1955 he was appointed deputy director of strategic plans for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He was promoted to lieutenant general April 1, 1958.