Brereton, Lewis

Brereton, Lewis (Hyde)

(1890–1967) aviator; born in Pittsburgh, Pa. A 1911 Naval Academy graduate, he transferred to the army, learned to fly, and saw extensive aerial combat in France during World War I. Japanese bombers virtually destroyed his Far East Air Force on the ground in the opening days of World War II. He commanded the 1st Allied Airborne Army in the unsuccessful Netherlands operation in September 1944.