Donald H. Balch was a Brigadier General

Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...

 in the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

.

Biography

Balch was born on August 19, 1931 in Bellows Falls, Vermont

Bellows Falls, Vermont

Bellows Falls is an incorporated village located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,165 at the 2000 census...

. He later attended the University of Vermont

University of Vermont

The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...

 and the New England School of Law

New England School of Law

New England School of Law is a private law school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1908 as a law school for women.-History:...

 and would marry and have two children. His son, Gareth, would also serve in the Air Force. Balch was killed in an automobile accident on October 14, 2007 in Bulverde, Texas

Bulverde, Texas

Bulverde is a city in Comal County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,761 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Bulverde is located at , about 23 miles north of downtown San Antonio....

 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...

.

Career

Balch was commissioned an officer in the Air Force in 1954. In 1961 he entered the Air Force Reserve Command

Air Force Reserve Command

The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....

. He would serve in the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

 and would command the 512th Military Airlift Wing

512th Airlift Wing

The 512th Airlift Wing, an associate C-5 Galaxy Air Force Reserve unit is located at Dover AFB, Delaware. The 512 AW helps maintain, repair and flies the same aircraft as its active duty counterparts...

 based at Dover Air Force Base

Dover Air Force Base

Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located two miles southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware.-Units:...

 in Dover, Delaware

Dover, Delaware

The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...

, the 349th Military Airlift Wing

349th Air Mobility Wing

The 349th Air Mobility Wing is the largest associate reserve wing in the United States Air Force. In partnership with its active duty host wing, the 60th Air Mobility Wing the 349 AMW flies, maintains and supports the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III...

 based at Travis Air Force Base

Travis Air Force Base

Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...

 in Fairfield, California

Fairfield, California

Fairfield is a city located in Solano County in Northern California, USA. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately from the city center of both cities, approximately from the city center of Oakland, less than from Napa Valley, 18...

, and the 440th Tactical Airlift Wing

440th Airlift Wing

The 440th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force. It is stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg in North Carolina....

 based at General Mitchell International Airport

General Mitchell International Airport

General Mitchell International Airport is a county-owned public airport located five miles south of the central business district of Milwaukee, a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States....

 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

. Balch retired in 1986.

Awards he received include the Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit

The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal

Armed Forces Reserve Medal

The Armed Forces Reserve Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that has existed since 1950. The medal recognizes service performed by the Reserve and National Guard forces of the United States of America....

, the National Defense Service Medal

National Defense Service Medal

The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

, the Vietnam Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...

, the Outstanding Unit Award

Outstanding Unit Award

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is an award of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1954. The award is presented as a ribbon to any command of the U.S...

, the Air Force Longevity Service Award

Air Force Longevity Service Award

The Air Force Longevity Service Award is a military award of the United States Air Force which was first issued in 1957 by order of General Thomas D. White, Air Force Chief of Staff...

, the Air Force Training Ribbon

Air Force Training Ribbon

The Air Force Training Ribbon is the lowest military award of the United States Air Force, ranking only above foreign military awards.The Air Force Training Ribbon was authorized by the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force on October 12, 1980. It is awarded to U.S. Air Force service members on completion...

, and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross.