CLIFTON F. VON KANN
MAJOR GENERAL, USA (Ret.)
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann of Washington, DC passed away peacefully on January 15, 2014 in the Grand Oaks Assisted Living Facility at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Gen. von Kann's first and second wives, Sallie Emery Flint and Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, predeceased him. He is survived by two children, Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont; two stepchildren, Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas; and eight grandchildren and step grandchildren. A memorial service at Ft. Myer Chapel and interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be held at a later date. Contact [email protected] for details.
Published in The Washington Post on Jan. 26, 2014
Gen. CLIFTON F. VON KANN Leading Figure in Aviation
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann, who held major leadership positions in US military and civilian aviation and served two terms as President of the International Aviation Federation, died peacefully on January 15, 2014 in Washington, DC. He was 98. Clifton von Kann was born on October 14, 1915 in Boston, Massachusetts, attended New York's McBurney High School and graduated from Harvard College in 1937 with a B.A. in sociology. Pursuant to a law that provided direct military commissions to the top 10% of ROTC graduates, he then became an Army 2nd Lieutenant. His first assignment was Fort Ethan Allen in Burlington, Vermont where he met and soon married Sallie Emery Flint, daughter of Col. Harry A. "Paddy" Flint, who later distinguished himself in World War II as the colorful Commander of the 39th Infantry Regiment. After Ethan Allen, Clifton and Sallie von Kann were posted to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and left shortly before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During World War II, von Kann served over a year in combat as an artillery battalion commander in Sicily and Italy and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. After the War, and some service with military intelligence and comptroller work at the recently constructed Pentagon, von Kann obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard. He subsequently attended the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia and the prestigious National War College in Washington, DC. In 1958, as Assistant Division Commander of the legendary 82nd Airborne Division, Gen. von Kann became a senior paratrooper and, soon after, a helicopter and fixed wing pilot. He was among the first to recognize the critical role that aviation would have to play in future Army combat operations. Those insights led to his appointment as Director of Army Aviation in Washington, DC and then Deputy Chief of Staff for the newly created U.S. Strike Command, a combined Army/Air Force headquarters in Tampa, Florida created to promptly deliver ground troops to any "hot spots" worldwide. He next served as a key member of the "Howze Board" (named for its chairman, Lt. Gen. Hamilton Howze), appointed by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in 1962 to develop and test the concept of air mobility. The Board's recommendation, that the Army commit itself to organic air assault, including extensive use of helicopters to transport troops, artillery and supplies and provide local aerial fire support, was adopted by the Department of Defense and led to creation of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Gen. von Kann advanced rapidly in the Army. When he received his second star, he was the youngest Major General in the United States Army. Following his work on the Howze Board, he went to Korea to take command of the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the most decorated combat units in Army history, which later became the 1st Air Cav Division. His final assignment was as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. In 1965 Gen. von Kann retired from the Army to become Senior Vice President for Operations, Engineering and Airports of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA). There he served as principal coordinator and spokesperson for the U.S. scheduled airlines in safety and technical matters, including air traffic control and airport noise, testifying frequently before Congress. In 1980 Gen. von Kann retired from ATA to serve for ten years as President of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). Founded by the Wright brothers and other aviation pioneers in 1905, NAA is the nation's oldest aviation organization. Viewing it as the leading neutral organization on issues that divided other aviation groups, Gen. von Kann sought to make NAA the spokesman and policy advocate for the U.S. air and space communities. In 1981, 1982 and 1983, he organized and convened three national symposia, entitled Aerospace I, II and III, at which nationally recognized experts from all disciplines of aviation assembled to address current aviation issues and formulate proposals for a national aerospace policy. As President of NAA, Gen. von Kann headed the United States delegation to the annual meetings of the Federation Aeronautic Internationale (FAI), headquartered in Paris, the oldest international aviation organization. Envisioning aviation as an important tool for increasing contact, communication, and understanding between parts of the "global village," he established strong friendships with aviation leaders from around the world, including many from countries then behind the Iron Curtain. From 1988 to 1990, he served as President of FAI, one of only four Americans to do so in the organization's 110 year history. Clifton von Kann's first marriage, to Sallie Emery Flint, ended in divorce. His second wife, Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, a noted artist who painted portraits of President Reagan, both Presidents Bush, and other Washington notables, died in 2008. General von Kann is survived by two children (Judge Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont), two step-children (Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas), and eight grandchildren and step-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 13, 2014 in the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, Virginia, followed by interment in Arlington National Cemetery and a reception at the Fort Myer Officers Club. For catering purposes, those planning to attend are asked to so advise Curtis von Kann by May 20, 2014 at [email protected] or 202-533-2016.
Published in The Washington Post on Apr. 27, 2014
MAJOR GENERAL, USA (Ret.)
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann of Washington, DC passed away peacefully on January 15, 2014 in the Grand Oaks Assisted Living Facility at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Gen. von Kann's first and second wives, Sallie Emery Flint and Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, predeceased him. He is survived by two children, Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont; two stepchildren, Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas; and eight grandchildren and step grandchildren. A memorial service at Ft. Myer Chapel and interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be held at a later date. Contact [email protected] for details.
Published in The Washington Post on Jan. 26, 2014
Gen. CLIFTON F. VON KANN Leading Figure in Aviation
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann, who held major leadership positions in US military and civilian aviation and served two terms as President of the International Aviation Federation, died peacefully on January 15, 2014 in Washington, DC. He was 98. Clifton von Kann was born on October 14, 1915 in Boston, Massachusetts, attended New York's McBurney High School and graduated from Harvard College in 1937 with a B.A. in sociology. Pursuant to a law that provided direct military commissions to the top 10% of ROTC graduates, he then became an Army 2nd Lieutenant. His first assignment was Fort Ethan Allen in Burlington, Vermont where he met and soon married Sallie Emery Flint, daughter of Col. Harry A. "Paddy" Flint, who later distinguished himself in World War II as the colorful Commander of the 39th Infantry Regiment. After Ethan Allen, Clifton and Sallie von Kann were posted to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and left shortly before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During World War II, von Kann served over a year in combat as an artillery battalion commander in Sicily and Italy and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. After the War, and some service with military intelligence and comptroller work at the recently constructed Pentagon, von Kann obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard. He subsequently attended the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia and the prestigious National War College in Washington, DC. In 1958, as Assistant Division Commander of the legendary 82nd Airborne Division, Gen. von Kann became a senior paratrooper and, soon after, a helicopter and fixed wing pilot. He was among the first to recognize the critical role that aviation would have to play in future Army combat operations. Those insights led to his appointment as Director of Army Aviation in Washington, DC and then Deputy Chief of Staff for the newly created U.S. Strike Command, a combined Army/Air Force headquarters in Tampa, Florida created to promptly deliver ground troops to any "hot spots" worldwide. He next served as a key member of the "Howze Board" (named for its chairman, Lt. Gen. Hamilton Howze), appointed by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in 1962 to develop and test the concept of air mobility. The Board's recommendation, that the Army commit itself to organic air assault, including extensive use of helicopters to transport troops, artillery and supplies and provide local aerial fire support, was adopted by the Department of Defense and led to creation of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Gen. von Kann advanced rapidly in the Army. When he received his second star, he was the youngest Major General in the United States Army. Following his work on the Howze Board, he went to Korea to take command of the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the most decorated combat units in Army history, which later became the 1st Air Cav Division. His final assignment was as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. In 1965 Gen. von Kann retired from the Army to become Senior Vice President for Operations, Engineering and Airports of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA). There he served as principal coordinator and spokesperson for the U.S. scheduled airlines in safety and technical matters, including air traffic control and airport noise, testifying frequently before Congress. In 1980 Gen. von Kann retired from ATA to serve for ten years as President of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). Founded by the Wright brothers and other aviation pioneers in 1905, NAA is the nation's oldest aviation organization. Viewing it as the leading neutral organization on issues that divided other aviation groups, Gen. von Kann sought to make NAA the spokesman and policy advocate for the U.S. air and space communities. In 1981, 1982 and 1983, he organized and convened three national symposia, entitled Aerospace I, II and III, at which nationally recognized experts from all disciplines of aviation assembled to address current aviation issues and formulate proposals for a national aerospace policy. As President of NAA, Gen. von Kann headed the United States delegation to the annual meetings of the Federation Aeronautic Internationale (FAI), headquartered in Paris, the oldest international aviation organization. Envisioning aviation as an important tool for increasing contact, communication, and understanding between parts of the "global village," he established strong friendships with aviation leaders from around the world, including many from countries then behind the Iron Curtain. From 1988 to 1990, he served as President of FAI, one of only four Americans to do so in the organization's 110 year history. Clifton von Kann's first marriage, to Sallie Emery Flint, ended in divorce. His second wife, Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, a noted artist who painted portraits of President Reagan, both Presidents Bush, and other Washington notables, died in 2008. General von Kann is survived by two children (Judge Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont), two step-children (Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas), and eight grandchildren and step-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 13, 2014 in the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, Virginia, followed by interment in Arlington National Cemetery and a reception at the Fort Myer Officers Club. For catering purposes, those planning to attend are asked to so advise Curtis von Kann by May 20, 2014 at [email protected] or 202-533-2016.
Published in The Washington Post on Apr. 27, 2014
CLIFTON F. VON KANN
MAJOR GENERAL, USA (Ret.)
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann of Washington, DC passed away peacefully on January 15, 2014 in the Grand Oaks Assisted Living Facility at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Gen. von Kann's first and second wives, Sallie Emery Flint and Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, predeceased him. He is survived by two children, Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont; two stepchildren, Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas; and eight grandchildren and step grandchildren. A memorial service at Ft. Myer Chapel and interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be held at a later date. Contact [email protected] for details.
Published in The Washington Post on Jan. 26, 2014
Gen. CLIFTON F. VON KANN Leading Figure in Aviation
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann, who held major leadership positions in US military and civilian aviation and served two terms as President of the International Aviation Federation, died peacefully on January 15, 2014 in Washington, DC. He was 98. Clifton von Kann was born on October 14, 1915 in Boston, Massachusetts, attended New York's McBurney High School and graduated from Harvard College in 1937 with a B.A. in sociology. Pursuant to a law that provided direct military commissions to the top 10% of ROTC graduates, he then became an Army 2nd Lieutenant. His first assignment was Fort Ethan Allen in Burlington, Vermont where he met and soon married Sallie Emery Flint, daughter of Col. Harry A. "Paddy" Flint, who later distinguished himself in World War II as the colorful Commander of the 39th Infantry Regiment. After Ethan Allen, Clifton and Sallie von Kann were posted to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and left shortly before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During World War II, von Kann served over a year in combat as an artillery battalion commander in Sicily and Italy and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. After the War, and some service with military intelligence and comptroller work at the recently constructed Pentagon, von Kann obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard. He subsequently attended the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia and the prestigious National War College in Washington, DC. In 1958, as Assistant Division Commander of the legendary 82nd Airborne Division, Gen. von Kann became a senior paratrooper and, soon after, a helicopter and fixed wing pilot. He was among the first to recognize the critical role that aviation would have to play in future Army combat operations. Those insights led to his appointment as Director of Army Aviation in Washington, DC and then Deputy Chief of Staff for the newly created U.S. Strike Command, a combined Army/Air Force headquarters in Tampa, Florida created to promptly deliver ground troops to any "hot spots" worldwide. He next served as a key member of the "Howze Board" (named for its chairman, Lt. Gen. Hamilton Howze), appointed by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in 1962 to develop and test the concept of air mobility. The Board's recommendation, that the Army commit itself to organic air assault, including extensive use of helicopters to transport troops, artillery and supplies and provide local aerial fire support, was adopted by the Department of Defense and led to creation of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Gen. von Kann advanced rapidly in the Army. When he received his second star, he was the youngest Major General in the United States Army. Following his work on the Howze Board, he went to Korea to take command of the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the most decorated combat units in Army history, which later became the 1st Air Cav Division. His final assignment was as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. In 1965 Gen. von Kann retired from the Army to become Senior Vice President for Operations, Engineering and Airports of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA). There he served as principal coordinator and spokesperson for the U.S. scheduled airlines in safety and technical matters, including air traffic control and airport noise, testifying frequently before Congress. In 1980 Gen. von Kann retired from ATA to serve for ten years as President of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). Founded by the Wright brothers and other aviation pioneers in 1905, NAA is the nation's oldest aviation organization. Viewing it as the leading neutral organization on issues that divided other aviation groups, Gen. von Kann sought to make NAA the spokesman and policy advocate for the U.S. air and space communities. In 1981, 1982 and 1983, he organized and convened three national symposia, entitled Aerospace I, II and III, at which nationally recognized experts from all disciplines of aviation assembled to address current aviation issues and formulate proposals for a national aerospace policy. As President of NAA, Gen. von Kann headed the United States delegation to the annual meetings of the Federation Aeronautic Internationale (FAI), headquartered in Paris, the oldest international aviation organization. Envisioning aviation as an important tool for increasing contact, communication, and understanding between parts of the "global village," he established strong friendships with aviation leaders from around the world, including many from countries then behind the Iron Curtain. From 1988 to 1990, he served as President of FAI, one of only four Americans to do so in the organization's 110 year history. Clifton von Kann's first marriage, to Sallie Emery Flint, ended in divorce. His second wife, Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, a noted artist who painted portraits of President Reagan, both Presidents Bush, and other Washington notables, died in 2008. General von Kann is survived by two children (Judge Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont), two step-children (Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas), and eight grandchildren and step-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 13, 2014 in the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, Virginia, followed by interment in Arlington National Cemetery and a reception at the Fort Myer Officers Club. For catering purposes, those planning to attend are asked to so advise Curtis von Kann by May 20, 2014 at [email protected] or 202-533-2016.
Published in The Washington Post on Apr. 27, 2014
MAJOR GENERAL, USA (Ret.)
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann of Washington, DC passed away peacefully on January 15, 2014 in the Grand Oaks Assisted Living Facility at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Gen. von Kann's first and second wives, Sallie Emery Flint and Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, predeceased him. He is survived by two children, Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont; two stepchildren, Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas; and eight grandchildren and step grandchildren. A memorial service at Ft. Myer Chapel and interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be held at a later date. Contact [email protected] for details.
Published in The Washington Post on Jan. 26, 2014
Gen. CLIFTON F. VON KANN Leading Figure in Aviation
Retired Army Major General Clifton F. von Kann, who held major leadership positions in US military and civilian aviation and served two terms as President of the International Aviation Federation, died peacefully on January 15, 2014 in Washington, DC. He was 98. Clifton von Kann was born on October 14, 1915 in Boston, Massachusetts, attended New York's McBurney High School and graduated from Harvard College in 1937 with a B.A. in sociology. Pursuant to a law that provided direct military commissions to the top 10% of ROTC graduates, he then became an Army 2nd Lieutenant. His first assignment was Fort Ethan Allen in Burlington, Vermont where he met and soon married Sallie Emery Flint, daughter of Col. Harry A. "Paddy" Flint, who later distinguished himself in World War II as the colorful Commander of the 39th Infantry Regiment. After Ethan Allen, Clifton and Sallie von Kann were posted to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and left shortly before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During World War II, von Kann served over a year in combat as an artillery battalion commander in Sicily and Italy and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. After the War, and some service with military intelligence and comptroller work at the recently constructed Pentagon, von Kann obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard. He subsequently attended the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia and the prestigious National War College in Washington, DC. In 1958, as Assistant Division Commander of the legendary 82nd Airborne Division, Gen. von Kann became a senior paratrooper and, soon after, a helicopter and fixed wing pilot. He was among the first to recognize the critical role that aviation would have to play in future Army combat operations. Those insights led to his appointment as Director of Army Aviation in Washington, DC and then Deputy Chief of Staff for the newly created U.S. Strike Command, a combined Army/Air Force headquarters in Tampa, Florida created to promptly deliver ground troops to any "hot spots" worldwide. He next served as a key member of the "Howze Board" (named for its chairman, Lt. Gen. Hamilton Howze), appointed by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in 1962 to develop and test the concept of air mobility. The Board's recommendation, that the Army commit itself to organic air assault, including extensive use of helicopters to transport troops, artillery and supplies and provide local aerial fire support, was adopted by the Department of Defense and led to creation of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Gen. von Kann advanced rapidly in the Army. When he received his second star, he was the youngest Major General in the United States Army. Following his work on the Howze Board, he went to Korea to take command of the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the most decorated combat units in Army history, which later became the 1st Air Cav Division. His final assignment was as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. In 1965 Gen. von Kann retired from the Army to become Senior Vice President for Operations, Engineering and Airports of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA). There he served as principal coordinator and spokesperson for the U.S. scheduled airlines in safety and technical matters, including air traffic control and airport noise, testifying frequently before Congress. In 1980 Gen. von Kann retired from ATA to serve for ten years as President of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). Founded by the Wright brothers and other aviation pioneers in 1905, NAA is the nation's oldest aviation organization. Viewing it as the leading neutral organization on issues that divided other aviation groups, Gen. von Kann sought to make NAA the spokesman and policy advocate for the U.S. air and space communities. In 1981, 1982 and 1983, he organized and convened three national symposia, entitled Aerospace I, II and III, at which nationally recognized experts from all disciplines of aviation assembled to address current aviation issues and formulate proposals for a national aerospace policy. As President of NAA, Gen. von Kann headed the United States delegation to the annual meetings of the Federation Aeronautic Internationale (FAI), headquartered in Paris, the oldest international aviation organization. Envisioning aviation as an important tool for increasing contact, communication, and understanding between parts of the "global village," he established strong friendships with aviation leaders from around the world, including many from countries then behind the Iron Curtain. From 1988 to 1990, he served as President of FAI, one of only four Americans to do so in the organization's 110 year history. Clifton von Kann's first marriage, to Sallie Emery Flint, ended in divorce. His second wife, Kathryn Maxwell Heyne, a noted artist who painted portraits of President Reagan, both Presidents Bush, and other Washington notables, died in 2008. General von Kann is survived by two children (Judge Curtis E. von Kann of Washington, DC and Lisa C. von Kann of Barnet, Vermont), two step-children (Pamela Heyne Widell of St. Michaels, Maryland and Peter Heyne of Houston, Texas), and eight grandchildren and step-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. June 13, 2014 in the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, Virginia, followed by interment in Arlington National Cemetery and a reception at the Fort Myer Officers Club. For catering purposes, those planning to attend are asked to so advise Curtis von Kann by May 20, 2014 at [email protected] or 202-533-2016.
Published in The Washington Post on Apr. 27, 2014
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