Marcelite J. Harris

Elite Marc J. Harris ( born January 16, 1943 in Houston, Texas) is a former American officer ( Major General ). She is the first African American to reach the rank of general in the United States Air Force.

Life

Harris studied at the Atlanta University Center ( BA, 1964) and later Business Administration at the University of Maryland University College (Bachelor of Science, 1988). She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta. From 1965, she was an officer candidate at Lackland Air Force Base and took, among other things on the part of the Vietnam War. In 1997 she went as the highest-ranking female officer of the United States Air Force to retire. In her pension she was also the highest-ranking African-American female officer of the armed forces of the United States. She is currently a member of the Board of Visitors of the United States Air Force Academy. She is married and has three children.

Awards

Selection of decorations, sorted on the basis of the Order of Precedence of Military Awards:

• Legion of Merit with oak leaf
• Bronze Star
• Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf triple
• Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf
• National Defense Service Medal (2 × )
• Vietnam Service Medal