US Air Force General. He enlisted in the US Army as a private in July 1944 after graduating from Emmetsburg High School, Emmetsburg, Iowa. After his discharge at the end of World War II, he joined the US Air Force as an aviation cadet and received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in September 1949. He was assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing at Naha, Okinawa, and flew 103 combat missions over North Korea at the start of the Korean War. In July 1951, he was assigned as a flight commander at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where he taught advanced gunnery to students from 14 nations. He joined the US Air Force Aerial Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds, in November 1953, and flew 125 official aerial demonstrations in the United States and Central America. He became the commander and leader of the US Air Forces in Europe Aerial Demonstration Team, the Skyblazers, in January 1956, that was based at Bitburg, Germany. By December 1959, he had flown almost 400 official aerial demonstrations throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle east. In June 1960, he was named the director of operations, US Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, serving until February 1962. His next assignment was to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was a special advisor to the commander of the Argentine air force. He then became the executive and aide to the commander of Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, from August 1962 to August 1965. Upon completion of that assignment, he entered the National War College at Fort McNair, Washington DC, graduating in June 1966, and became a staff assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In November 1968, he was assigned to the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phu Cat Air Base, Republic of Viet Nam, as the deputy commander for operations. During this tour, he flew 177 combat missions, and went on to become the assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, Headquarters 7th Air Force, Saigon, Republic of Viet Nam. In November 1969, he was assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe, where he was the commander of the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing at Zweibrucken, Germany, and the commander of the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing at Madrid, Spain. Form August 1971 to August 1974, he served as deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe at Wiesbaden Air Base and Ramstein Air Base, Germany. In September 1974, he was assigned as the vice commander of the Aeronautical Systems Division of Air Force Systems Command (now Air Force Materiel Command) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In October 1974, he was appointed commander of the Electronic Systems Division, Boston, Massachusetts. In April 1977, he was transferred to Washington DC, where he served concurrently as the assistant vice chief of staff, assistant to the Chief of Staff for Readiness, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization matters and senior US Air Force member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations. On May 1, 1978 he was promoted to general and was assigned as the commander in chief, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, serving in that position until he retired from active duty on December 31, 1984, with 36 years of continuous Air Force military service. During his Air Force career, he earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in international relations from George Washington University. He was a command pilot with flying experience in 40 different military fighter, cargo, and reconnaissance aircraft. His awards and decorations include the Silver Star, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the Republic of Viet Nam Air Service Medal (Honor Class), the Spanish Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit with white ribbon, and the Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit Tong II Medal. After he retired, he moved to Nevada and started a management advisory company, served as a consultant for General Electric, IBM, and Johnson & Johnson. In December 1995, he published a book, "The Five Pillars of TQM: How to Make Total Quality Management Work for You."