White mess dress
Commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe
Fighter pilot, flew 100 missions in Spitfire during WW II

General Dean was born 1916 in East St. Louis, Illinois. Upon completion of the primary and advance flying schools he was assigned to the 40th Pursuit Squadron and later became Commander (1939).

During WWII Dean commanded the 31st Fighter Group, serving in the European and Mediterranean theaters of operations. He personally flew 104 combat missions and logged 3400 hours in the British "Spitfire" and at the age of 27 held the rank of Colonel.

In 1943 Dean was assigned to serve as Executive Officer to General H. "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces and in that role accompanied President F. D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference and President Truman to Potsdam.

At the age of 37 he would become the youngest general in the Air Force. He served as Commander of the Air Task Force 13, Pacific Air Forces and Chief of the Air Force Section of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Taiwan (1957); following the war Dean served in many other posts before retiring in 1972 as commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe in Naples, Italy.

His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal Air Force design with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Service Medal Army design, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters and numerous foreign awards.

He died May 6, 2002.