Clay, Lucius D

Clay, Lucius D(uBignon)

(born April 23, 1897, Marietta, Ga., U.S.—died April 16, 1978, Cape Cod, Mass.) U.S. army officer. After graduating from West Point, he served in various military engineering assignments. In World War II he directed the U.S. Army procurement program (1942–44). In 1945 he was appointed deputy military governor of the U.S. zone of occupation in defeated Germany. Two years later he was elevated to commander in chief of U.S. forces in Europe and military governor of the U.S. zone. In 1948–49 he organized the successful Allied airlift of food and supplies into Berlin during the Soviet blockade of that city (see Berlin blockade and airlift). After retiring in 1949, he entered private business and became an unofficial adviser to Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower.