next day as a temporary lieutenant general and as Commanding General of the Caribbean Defense Command and Panama Canal Department. On 10 October 1945, Brett handed over command to Lieutenant General Willis D. Crittenberger. For his service in Panama, Brett was awarded a second Distinguished Service Medal. The citation noted "his broad grasp of military strategy and superior knowledge of air and ground tactics" and that "he succeeded admirably in impressing the republics of Central and South America with the importance and necessity of hemispheric solidarity, imbued them with American ideals, coordinated their use of arms and equipment and indoctrinated them with American training methods – all of which fostered continued improvement in the relations between all America republics." After spending time as a patient in Brooke General Hospital, he reverted to retired status on 10 May 1946 but was later advanced to the grade of lieutenant general on the United States Air Force retired list by an Act of Congress on 29 June 1948. Post-war The B-17D, "The Swoose", which Brett used extensively for his personal transport during World War II, and which he often piloted, is today the oldest, intact, surviving B-17 Flying Fortress and the only "D" model still in existence. It was transferred from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to the National Museum of the United States Air Force on 15 July 2008. Brett served on several committees and Air Force boards, including Flying Pay Board, the Air Force Association Board, and the President's Service Academy Board between 1949 and 1950. When his son Rock Brett was deployed in the Korean War, George Brett took in his daughter-in-law and grandchildren and cared for them. Brett lived in Winter Park, Florida until his death at age 77. He died of cancer on 2 December 1963 at the hospital at Orlando Air Force Base. Survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren, he was buried in Winter Park, Florida. Dates of rank Notes References Further reading External links 1886 births 1963 deaths Military personnel from Cleveland Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Order of Orange-Nassau Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Members of the Early Birds of Aviation United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Air Corps Tactical School alumni United States Army Air