Samford, John

Born in Hagerman , New Mexico , in 1905. He graduated from high school in 1922, after which he studied for a year at Columbia College in New York . In 1924, he received a referral from the Senate to the US Military Academy , which he graduated in 1928. In 1929, he received a pilot’s license at the Kelly Field , Texas Air Force Base, where he served as an instructor pilot since 1930. In 1935-1942 he served in various positions in Panama , the states of Virginia , Louisiana and Florida .

In 1943, with the rank of Colonel, Samford was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Air Army, in 1944 promoted to brigadier generals and appointed chief of staff of the Eighth Air Army. In January 1947 he was appointed commander of the 24th Air Force, which shortly afterwards became the Air Command of the Antilles and the Caribbean. In May 1949, Samford was appointed head of the Air Command and Staff College in Alabama . In 1950, promoted to major general and was appointed director of intelligence of the US Air Force . In 1952 he participated in the largest press conference of the Pentagon after the Second World War on the Washington Carousel , one of the most famous UFO sightings from July 12 to July 29, 1952 over Washington ^[1] .

In December 1954 he visited the USSR .

In November 1956, Major General Samford was appointed director of the National Security Agency and promoted to lieutenant general, he held this post until his retirement on November 23, 1960.

He died on December 1, 1968.