Robert Warren Obituary

After living a full and interesting life, Lieutenant General Robert H. Warren passed away quietly at home on January 9, 2010. Robert Hamilton Warren was born in Yankton, S.D., on July 30, 1917. He graduated from Yankton High School in 1934, attended Yankton College for two years, and then attended the U.S. Military Academy, graduating in 1940. In 1941 he graduated from flying school and received his pilot wings. Before and during the early days of World War II, he flew antisubmarine patrol duty from Newfoundland and Florida. On March 19, 1942, then Lieutenant Warren married Daisy Wall Henderson in Tampa, Florida. In 1942 he and his new wife moved to Boise, Idaho, and he participated in the B-17 crew and unit training program as a flight commander, squadron commander and then for a year as deputy commander of the 15th Bombardment Wing. He went on to fly combat missions in the European Theater of Operations as a B-24 squadron commander, 47th Wing operations officer, and as commander of the 376th Bombardment Group. He flew or led 38 bombing missions. Several he spoke of in recent years included those to Ploesti, Rumania where so many of his planes were lost, one near Munich where his group destroyed most of the German jet planes in one run, and one where his group sank the French battleship Strasbourg in Toulon Harbor. In 1945 he returned with the 376th Bombardment Group to Grand Island, Nebraska, where the group was reequipped and transitioned to B-29 aircraft. General Warren in June 1950 was assigned to Headquarters, Far East Air Forces where he served as Director of Operations, then Assistant Deputy for Operations during the three years of the Korean War. He returned to the United States in 1953 where he served as Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, and for two years as Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. During his distinguished Air Force career, he served as commander of the Air Proving Ground Center at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, and as Senior Member of the Military Armistic Commission, United Nations Command, Korea, negotiating with the North Koreans in Panmunjom. He served as the fourth Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy from 1962-1966, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Systems Command at Andrews Air Force Base, and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. In July 1968 General Warren became the director of Military Assistance in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs). Subsequently in 1969 he became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs). General Warren retired from service in the U.S. Air Force on July 31, 1971. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Ribbon with oak leaf cluster and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He was a command pilot. During his retirement years Bob Warren lived in Florida and enjoyed boating, snorkeling, spear fishing, traveling and socializing with family and friends. In 1999, he and his wife moved to Charleston, WV to live closer to his daughter's family. There they became members of the First Presbyterian Church of Charleston and of Edgewood Country Club. They also enjoyed participating in classes at the YMCA. General Warren was preceded in death by his wife, Daisy Wall in 2002, and his son, Robert H. Warren, Jr. in 2006. General Warren is survived by his daughter Barbara Knight Warren; sister Virginia Warren Campbell; grandchildren Anne Warren Kaplan, Lisa Ruth Stengle, Carol Kaplan Tweed, Jonathan David Kaplan, David Warren Dombek, Julia Michelle Dombek and Diana Warren Besaw; great-grandchildren Joshua Brant Kaplan Smith, Jacob Warren Kaplan Smith, Alexis Helen Stengle, Elina Nicole Stengle, Sarah Elizabeth Kaplan and George Robert Kaplan; and nieces Carol Campbell-Boggs, Lois Neate, Jeanne Sedgwick and Caroline Springstead. There will be a graveside service Friday, January 15, 2010 at 2:00p.m., at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.