Richard USAF Ret August Knobloch

Brigadier General Richard A. Knobloch, USAF Ret, born 1918 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, died Monday, August 13, 2001. He had a B.S. degree from Kansas State University. He entered military service in the fall of 1940. After the start of World War II, he volunteered to participate in a secret mission to be led by General Jimmy Doolittle which culminated in the first bombing of Tokyo on 18 April 1942. Following this raid he flew more than 50 additional missions against the Japanese forces as a bomber pilot. General Knobloch served as Air Attache in the American Embassy in Italy, and his last assignment was commander of Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with Cluster, Air Medal and other U.S. and foreign decorations. After serving 30 years in the Air Force he joined United Technologies Corporation as Vice President and also served on the board of directors of Barclays Bank of New York, chairman of the Air Force Salute Foundation, a trustee of the College of Aeronautics, member of the Advisory Committee of the Harmon International Trophy, chairman and president of the Wings Club, chairman of Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, and trustee of the Daedalian Foundation. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997. General Knobloch is survived by his wife of 58 years, Rosemary Rice Knobloch, formerly of Madison WI; 2 daughters, Sandra Knobloch of Dallas and Lynda Lillywhite of Evergreen, CO; 3 grandchildren, Michelle Ruiz of Ann Arbor, MI, Daniel Kaaialii of Austin and Kari Lillywhite of Evergreen, CO; and 1 great granddaughter, Rose Coleman.