Major General James B. Knapp
On Thursday, February 18, 1999, Major General James B. Knapp. USAF (Ret), age 83, took his place in "the long grey tine". Molded by his training at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY, from which he graduated in 1939, General Knapp was devoted to service to his country and was the embodiment of the Military Academy's motto, "Duty, Honor, Country" . He was the first West Point appointee from his hometown of Blandinsville, IL. These high-light his 33 years of military service: Commander, Air Corps flying school, Stamford TX; Squadron commander in the 461st Bomb Group, Italy, WWII; Commander, 451st Bomb Group Italy WWII (while in the l5th Air Force he flew 43 missions in the B 24 Liberator, including bombing the oil refineries, Ploesti , Romania and destroying the railroad bridge over the Rhone River at Avigon France); Chiefof Operations, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces; Executive Secretary, Military Liaison Committee to the Atomic Energy Commission ; Commander, Goose Air Base, Labrador; Strategic Air Command's Director, Civil Engineering, Director, Personnel and Chief of Staff; Commander, 16th Air Force, Torrejon Air Base, Spain; Senior Member, Military Armistice Commission, United Nations Command, Korea (he led the longest-- 11-1/2 hours --truce meeting with the North Koreans--a historic "staredown"; at retirement (1972), he was Commander, Technical Training Center, Chanute Air Force Base, IL. After retirement from the Air Force, General Knapp served as a utilities executive with the Metropolitan Utilities District of Omaha NE where he led their planning activities. In April of 1996, General and Mrs. Knapp moved to the Army Residence Community, San Antonio TX. General Knapp's many decorations and awards include the Silver Star, two Distinguished Service Medals and the French Croix de Guerre. He had flown over 10,000 hours in 57 different aircraft. Johns Hopkins University recently announced the James Barclay Knapp Deanship of the School of Arts and Science was endowed in his honor. He is survived by his beloved wife, the former Mary Emma Finger of Hondo, TX and a 1938 graduate of Incarnate Word College in San Antonio; brother, Lt. Col. Ralph L. Knapp, USAF (Ret); daughters, Gail Greene, Meta Fouts, Mary Beth Susman, Barbara Bremer; son, J. Barclay Knapp. There are 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The Funeral Mass was at 9:30 A.M. on Tuesday, February 23, 1999 at Randolph AFB, Chapel 1 . The Graveside Service followed at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with full Military Honors. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the charity of your choice or the Army Residence Community Chapel Fund.
Arrangements with COLONIAL FUNERAL HOME, 625 Kitty Hawk Universal City, TX, 658-7037.
(Reprinted from San Antonio Express News, Sunday, February 21, 1999)