William Leon Clark was Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force

Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force

The Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force is the second senior-most Chaplain in the United States Air Force Chaplain Service, holding the rank of Brigadier General, and acting as principal deputy to the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force.The current Deputy Chief of...

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Biography

Clark was born in Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 in 1911. He attended Pearl River Community College

Pearl River Community College

Pearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:...

, Mississippi College

Mississippi College

Mississippi College, also known as MC, is a private, Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi. Mississippi College comprises the main campus in Clinton, as well as satellite campuses in Brandon and Madison, Mississippi, and the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson...

, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention...

 and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a private, non-profit institution of higher learning affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, located in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first institution created as a direct act of the Southern Baptist Convention. Missions...

 and became an ordained Baptist

Baptist

Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

 pastor. Clark passed away on March 19, 2005.

Military career

Clark originally joined the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 in 1941. During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he served with the Third Air Force

Third Air Force

The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....

, Fifth Air Force

Fifth Air Force

The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....

 and V Bomber Command

V Bomber Command

The V Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fifth Air Force, based at Irumagawa AB, Japan. It was inactivated on 31 May 1946....

. He left active duty following the war.

In 1951, he was re-called to active duty 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...

 during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. Following the war, he was assigned to the Office of the United States Secretary of Defense

United States Secretary of Defense

The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...

 as Executive Director of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board. Later, he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force

Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force

The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force is the commanding officer of the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps. The current CCHAF is Major General Cecil R. Richardson.-U.S...

 as Chief of the Personnel Division.

He was promoted to 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...

 and was named Deputy Chief of Chaplains in 1966. Later, he became Command Chaplain of the United States Southern Command

United States Southern Command

The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...

. Clark's retirement was effective as of January 1, 1970.