Rene G. Dupont

DUPONT
Major General Rene G. Dupont passed away March 6, 2012 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. General Dupont was born in Los Angeles, California.
He truly rose through the ranks. He entered the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man. He was commissioned in 1942 after completing the Army Air Force Officer Candidate School. He attended the Royal Air Force Flying Control School in England and assisted in the standardization of U.S. flying control procedures with those of the British. George, as he preferred to be called, returned to the U. S in 1943 and completed pilot training and B-24 combat crew training in August 1944. He then returned to England where he flew B-17 bombers. He flew thirty one missions over Berlin in a lead plane position.
After completing the Air Command and Staff School studies in 1951, he joined the 7th Air Division (SAC) in England. His duties included overseas support of SAC equipped with B-50, B-36 and B-47 aircraft.
In 1959 General Dupont returned to Hq Strategic Air Command as Chief of the Future Weapons Branch. He was instrumental in the early planning and deployment of the first SAC intercontinental ballistic missiles -- the Atlas and Titan and, later, the Minuteman.
He attended the National War College in 1963 and was assigned as Air Force Planner for Joint and National Security Council matters. In June 1967 he was assigned to Supreme Hq Allied Powers Europe Belgium. During this time he was invited to play a game of golf with the King of Belgium. He won the match. There was no rematch!
In 1969 General Dupont was assigned as Commander of the U.S. Air Force Military Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base.
He was then assigned to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. as Assistant Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff. An accomplished speaker, he gave a briefing to President Kennedy in the Rose Garden at the White House.
General Dupont was a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours of flying time. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
In his retirement years he and his wife enjoyed worldwide travels. He had a lifelong love of the game of golf and enjoyed playing at various courses around San Antonio and as a member of the Oak Hills Country Club.
He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife Jacqueline and son, Robert, sister Margaret Sellers and brother Joseph. He is survived by his loving wife of thirty years, Jeannette, daughter Jonette Sheridan, husband Richard and granddaughter Autumn; sons George and Donald, stepsons William and Paul Hermelin, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

S E R V I C E S

Visitation from 5PM to 8PM, Thursday, March 15 at Mission Park Funeral Chapel Homes North, 3402 Cherry Ridge Drive. Services, Friday, March 16 at Mission Park Funeral Chapels North, at 9AM with committal service to follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with Military honors.

You may sign the online guestbook at www.missionparks.com, under the obituary section.