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| Information > Biographies > BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM B. KYES |
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BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM B. KYES
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Retired Aug. 1, 1969.
Died July 31, 1972.
Brigadier General William B. Kyes is the chief, National Strategic Target List Division, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff.
General Kyes was born in Elwell, Mich., in 1917. He graduated from Central Michigan University in 1940 with a bachelor of science degree. He entered the Aviation Cadet Program in 1940 taking his training at Parks Air College, East St. Louis, Ill., and Randolph and Kelly fields, Texas, and received his pilot wings and commission as second lieutenant in August 1941.
He was on his first duty assignment, Hickam Field, Hawaii, when he was severely wounded in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. After recovering from his wounds in early 1942, he flew a B-17 Flying Fortress in the Battle of Midway in June of that same year. His next assignment was to the South Pacific area as a B-17 commander. During this tour he flew 50 missions against Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands area.
From 1943 to 1945, General Kyes served as a squadron commander and group operations officer with the 7th Bombardment Group in India. In this assignment he carried out 60 bombardment missions against Japanese forces in Burma, Thailand and the Malay Peninsula.
His first assignment after World War II was with the 1st Guided Missile Group at Eglin Field, Fla. While assigned to this unit he participated in Project Crossroads, the nation's first postwar atomic weapons test.
In 1947 he went to Washington where he served at the Pentagon and later as a staff officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. During his tour of duty in Washington, he graduated from Georgetown University with a master of arts degree in international politics.
Leaving Washington in 1953, he spent the next year at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. General Kyes was next assigned as director of Air Intelligence for U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Lindsey Air Station, Germany.
Returning to the United States in 1957, he served first as director of operations, 6th Air Division, and later as deputy commander, 306th Bombardment Wing, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. In August 1959 General Kyes became director of operations, 806th Air Division, Chennault Air Force Base, La.
During the first half of 1960 General Kyes attended the B-52 and KC-135 Combat Crew Training School at Castle Air Force Base, Calif. Upon completion of this temporary duty, the general was assigned as commander of the 410th Strategic Wing, K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Mich.
General Kyes became commander of the l1th Strategic Aerospace Wing, Altus Air Force Base, Okla., in 1963 and remained in that position until February 1965 when he was assigned as commander, 47th Air Division, Castle Air Force Base, Calif. In June 1966 he became chief of staff, Fifteenth Air Force at March Air Force Base, Calif., and in July 1967 assumed duties as chief, National Strategic Target List Division, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
His military decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with four oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal and Purple Heart.
(Current as of Sept. 1, 1968)
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