Francis W. Nye

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Francis Walter Nye
1918 - 2006
Place of birth	Barton, Vermont
Service/branch	USAF
Years of service	1941 - 1972
Rank	Major General
Commands	Defense Atomic Support Agency
Battles/wars	World War II-Pacific Theatre Korean War
Awards	Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (2)

Francis Walter Nye was a major general in the US Air Force. He became commander of Field Command, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Sandia Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Nye was born in 1918, in Barton, Vermont He graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor of science degree, in June 1941. He joined the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. In February 1942 completed flying training and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

During the early part of World War II, he served as a B-24 aircraft pilot with the 98th Bombardment Group, Ninth Air Force, operating from Palestine, Egypt and North Africa. He returned to the United States in April 1943, after flying 36 missions with the 98th Bombardment Group.

In September 1943 he entered the B-29 aircraft program first as an acceptance test pilot at the Boeing Company plant in Wichita, Kansas, and then with the 468th Bombardment Group, Salina, Kansas. He went with the 468th Bombardment Group to the China-Burma-India Theater and flew 11 combat missions in B-29s. In May 1945 he went with the group to Tinian Island and from there to Roswell, New Mexico.

In September 1946 Nye was selected to train the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps students at the University of Massachusetts as professor of air science and tactics.

During the Korean War, he went with the 22nd Bombardment Wing to Korea. He flew 19 combat missions.

He was assigned to Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, in May 1953. From July 1956 to June 1957, he attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

In July 1959, he was appointed commander of the 28th Bombardment Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.

In April 1966 he became commander of the Eighteenth Strategic Aerospace Division headquartered at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.

He was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force where he became chairman of the Rated Personnel Requirements and Allocations Committee. He retained this chairmanship when he was appointed deputy director for plans and policy in the Directorate of Plans in August 1968.

In November 1968, he was appointed chairman of the U.S. delegation of the Inter-American Defense Board, the Joint Brazil-U.S. Defense Commission, and the U.S. section, Joint Mexican-U.S. Defense Commission. In July 1969 General Nye became deputy director of plans.

In October 1969, General Nye was assigned as commander, Field Command, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Sandia Base, New Mexico.

His military decorations included the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with three oak leaf clusters, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon.

He died in 2006. He was married to Maureen, who predeceased him.