US Air Force Lieutenant General. A World War II combat pilot veteran who became a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany, he rose in rank to become the director of the Defense Communications Agency (now Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)) in Washington DC. After graduating from Dunkirk High School in Dunkirk, New York in 1933, he received an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point, New York and graduated from there in 1937. He then decided to become a pilot and completed primary and advanced flying training in October 1938. His first assignment in the US Army Air Corps was with the 36th Pursuit Squadron at Langley Field (now Langley Air Force Base, a part of Joint Base Langley-Eustis), Virginia. In January 1941, he was transferred to the 36th Pursuit Group at Losey Field, Puerto Rico, where he served until June 1942, after the US entered World War II. He was then reassigned to England where he served in the Headquarters European Theater of Operations until October 1942, when he was assigned to command the newly formed 350th Fighter Group, equipped with P-39 fighter aircraft, and his unit was sent to North Africa to support the invasion of Sicily. In February 1943, while on a special mission over enemy lines, dropping messages to isolated units, he was shot down and taken prisoner by German forces and remained a prisoner of war in Germany until April 1945. He returned to the US and in August 1945 he was assigned to the War Department General Staff in Washington DC and in October 1947 he was then appointed chief, Supplemental Research Branch, Director of Intelligence, Headquarters US Air Force. From August 1949 to July 1950 he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama and from July 1950 until July 1952 he served both as an instructor and member of the Air War College faculty. He remained at Maxwell until July 1954, serving as a member of the Graduate Study Group, working on policy and doctrine for Air Force operations. He was then assigned to the US Air Force Security Service at Kelly Air Force Base (now Kelly Air Reserve Base, a part of Joint Base San Antonio), Texas, as deputy chief of staff operations and in June 1955 he became their chief of staff. In July 1956 he became commander of 6900th Security Wing, at Frankfurt, Germany, during which time he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. In August 1960 he was reassigned as deputy commander, US Air Force Security Service at Kelly and in January 1962 he was promoted to the rank of major general and became commander of US Air Force Security Service the following September. In November 1967 he became the Director of the Defense Communications Agency (now DISA) and retired in this position in August 1971 with 30 years of continuous military service. Among his military decorations and awards include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with 2 oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster, the American Defense Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. He was a rated command pilot. He died at the age of 96.