Twin Generals

The Army's most unusual brother combination received a new honor last week. Barney McKinney Giles, Chief of Air Staff, was boosted from major general to lieutenant general. The promotion put Barney two steps ahead of his twin brother, Brigadier General Benjamin Franklin Giles, in their private family competition, now about to enter its 25th year.

The Giles brothers are identical twins, Texans and airmen. Neither is a West Pointer; both have been generals since the middle of 1942. It all started on Sept. 13, 1892 in Mineola, Tex. There the boys grew up on a farm; neighbors remember them as "the out-workingest hands and the best danged bird hunters in Texas."

Both went to the University of Texas and planned to be lawyers, but World War I changed that. Barney went straight in as an air cadet; Benny was commissioned an infantry shavetail but switched to aviation in less than a month. Both saw service in the U.S. and France; Benny busted a German balloon eight days before the Armistice in 1918. The brothers liked the service, and became Regular Army officers in July 1920.

On varied tours of duty, covering virtually all phases of the Air Forces, the twins waged their cheerful feud for promotion. Ben was the first captain; Barney beat him to a majority by six weeks. Ben jumped ahead again in getting rank as lieutenant colonel and colonel, but Barney was right behind and beat his brother to a brigadier general's star by five months.

In his present job General Barney is stationed in Washington and functions as second in command of all U.S. Army Air Forces. General Benny is commanding general of U.S. Air Forces in the Middle East, where he succeeded Major General Ralph Royce.

Both brothers are still active pilots but have shown special talent for organization and administration. Both are bighearted, good-cousin Texas types, with a slightly fatherly air toward young airmen. Barney is a shade more demonstrative, Benny a shade more reserved. They like the same recreations--bridge, poker, hunting--and enjoy a companionable highball, although they have shocked their Texas friends by developing a mutual preference for Scotch over bourbon.

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