Brigadier General (Ret.) Harry Dalton is a 30-year combat-decorated Air Force veteran and pioneer in military public relations. He was the first career public affairs officer to earn a star and advance to the rank of brigadier general.
When the Korean War began, he volunteered for active duty and was assigned in August 1950 as a public information officer at March Air Force Base, Calif. Dalton transferred to Vietnam in July 1968 where he served as executive to the chief of information at the U.S. Military Assistance Command. During this assignment he flew 32 combat missions as an aerial combat photographer.
Later, as a plans officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), he was the principal planner for matters pertaining to prisoners of war and those missing in action. Dalton spent his last five years in uniform as the director of public affairs, reporting to the Air Force chief of staff and secretary. His decorations include the Air Medal, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and Distinguished Service Medal.
In 2007, Dalton was awarded the Public Relations Society of America Golden Anvil award, which commemorates a lifetime of service by an individual whose work significantly advanced the profession and set high standards for others engaged in the practice of public relations.