William E. Thurman
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
William Earl Thurman (born May 17, 1931) is a retired United States Air Force
Lieutenant General
who was commander, Aeronautical Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
. He attended secondary school in central Kentucky and graduated from Danville High School
. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the United States Naval Academy
in 1954, a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1962 and a master of administration degree in management engineering from The George Washington University in 1971. Thurman completed Squadron Officer School in 1959, Army Command and General Staff College in 1965, Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1975 and the Stanford University executive program in 1977. He also attended the University of Kentucky
and Ohio State University
.
, Thurman was commissioned as a second lieutenant and entered active duty in June 1954. He was trained as a pilot at Spence Air Base
, Georgia and Laredo Air Force Base
, Texas
. He also received fighter gunnery training at Laughlin Air Force Base
, Texas
, and Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. He served as an RF-84 pilot at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan from August 1956 to May 1958.
He completed 2 months of instructor training at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama in July 1958 and then was assigned to the 3576th Pilot Training Squadron at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. In February 1961 he entered the Air Force Institute of Technology
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Upon graduation in October 1962 with a M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, he was assigned as an aeronautical engineer in the Aerospace Research Laboratories, also at Wright-Patterson. General Thurman graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in July 1965 and transferred to Ent Air Force Base
, Colorado, as a staff officer at Air Defense Command headquarters.
Thurman served in Southeast Asia from November 1966 to October 1967, initially as an F-105 fighter pilot and flight commander with the 469th Tactical Fighter Group at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. He became an operations staff officer at 7th Air Force headquarters, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam.
After returning to the United States in 1967, Thurman was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., a where he worked until August 1971. His was first assigned as a foreign development officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development. In October 1969 he was named aerospace assistant to the National Aeronautics and Space Council, Executive Office of the President.
He was assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in August 1971 as assistant director and a charter member of the Prototype Program Office. He was named deputy for prototypes in June 1973, deputy for air combat fighter in May 1974, deputy for F-16 in January 1975 and deputy for engineering in May 1976.
In May 1978 General Thurman was assigned to the Electronic Systems Division at Hanscom Air Force Base
, Massachusetts, as deputy for control and communications systems. He then was named commandant of the Defense Systems Management College at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in November 1979.
After the B-1 program was reinstituted, General Thurman became Aeronautical Systems Division's deputy for the B-1B in November 1981, again at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In May 1985 he moved to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., as vice commander of Air Force Systems Command. He assumed his present command in July 1986.
General Thurman is a command pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours and 56 combat missions. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal
, Defense Superior Service Medal
, Legion of Merit
with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross
with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal
, Purple Heart
, Air Medal
with four oak leaf clusters and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster. He received the Air Force Association's Meritorious Award for Program Management in 1976 and Distinguished Award for Management in 1985.
He was promoted to Lieutenant General
June 1, 1985, with same date of rank. He retired August 1, 1988.
's Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame in 2002. In his brief biography on the Hall of Fame's website, Thurman was described as "A command pilot with over 4,000 hours, he has flown nearly every aircraft in the current Air Force inventory."
Thurman is married to Joan (née Hellerman), and resides in Pinehurst, North Carolina
.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
William Earl Thurman (born May 17, 1931) is a retired United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
who was commander, Aeronautical Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Early life
Thurman was born in 1931 in Hodgenville, KentuckyHodgenville, Kentucky
Hodgenville is a city in and the county seat of LaRue County, Kentucky, United States. It sits along the North Fork of the Nolin River. The population was 2,874 at the 2000 census...
. He attended secondary school in central Kentucky and graduated from Danville High School
Danville High School (Kentucky)
Danville High School is a public high school serving the ninth through twelfth grades in Danville, Kentucky, USA. It is one of five schools and the only high school in the Danville School district.-School information:...
. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1954, a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1962 and a master of administration degree in management engineering from The George Washington University in 1971. Thurman completed Squadron Officer School in 1959, Army Command and General Staff College in 1965, Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1975 and the Stanford University executive program in 1977. He also attended the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
.
Military career
After graduating from the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Thurman was commissioned as a second lieutenant and entered active duty in June 1954. He was trained as a pilot at Spence Air Base
Spence Air Base
Spence Air Base was a United States Air Force base that operated from 1941 to 1961. It was later reopened at Spence Airport.-History:The City of Moultrie gained its first official municipal airport, Clark Field, in the 1930s. In 1940, local leaders, aware of the Federal government's airport...
, Georgia and Laredo Air Force Base
Laredo Air Force Base
Laredo Air Force Base is an inactivated United States Air Force near Laredo, Texas. First activated in 1942 as Laredo Army Airfield, the facility instructed recruits in aerial gunnery during World War II, then as a United States Air Force base in the 1950s and 1960s, performed Undergraduate Pilot...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He also received fighter gunnery training at Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located five miles east of the central business district of Del Rio, Texas.-Overview:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. He served as an RF-84 pilot at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan from August 1956 to May 1958.
He completed 2 months of instructor training at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama in July 1958 and then was assigned to the 3576th Pilot Training Squadron at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. In February 1961 he entered the Air Force Institute of Technology
Air Force Institute of Technology
The Air Force Institute of Technology is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education that is part of the United States Air Force. It is located on Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. A component of Air University and Air Education and Training Command, AFIT has been...
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Upon graduation in October 1962 with a M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, he was assigned as an aeronautical engineer in the Aerospace Research Laboratories, also at Wright-Patterson. General Thurman graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in July 1965 and transferred to Ent Air Force Base
Ent Air Force Base
Ent Air Force Base was a United States Air Force facility opened in 1951 on the site of a closed sanatorium in conjunction with the move of the United States Air Force's Air Defense Command, later Aerospace Defense Command , to Colorado Springs, Colorado...
, Colorado, as a staff officer at Air Defense Command headquarters.
Thurman served in Southeast Asia from November 1966 to October 1967, initially as an F-105 fighter pilot and flight commander with the 469th Tactical Fighter Group at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. He became an operations staff officer at 7th Air Force headquarters, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam.
After returning to the United States in 1967, Thurman was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., a where he worked until August 1971. His was first assigned as a foreign development officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development. In October 1969 he was named aerospace assistant to the National Aeronautics and Space Council, Executive Office of the President.
He was assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in August 1971 as assistant director and a charter member of the Prototype Program Office. He was named deputy for prototypes in June 1973, deputy for air combat fighter in May 1974, deputy for F-16 in January 1975 and deputy for engineering in May 1976.
In May 1978 General Thurman was assigned to the Electronic Systems Division at Hanscom Air Force Base
Hanscom Air Force Base
Hanscom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of Bedford, Massachusetts. The facility is a joint use civil airport/military base with Hanscom Field which provides general aviation and charter service.The host unit at Hanscom is the non-flying...
, Massachusetts, as deputy for control and communications systems. He then was named commandant of the Defense Systems Management College at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in November 1979.
After the B-1 program was reinstituted, General Thurman became Aeronautical Systems Division's deputy for the B-1B in November 1981, again at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In May 1985 he moved to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., as vice commander of Air Force Systems Command. He assumed his present command in July 1986.
General Thurman is a command pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours and 56 combat missions. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."...
, Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
, Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
with four oak leaf clusters and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster. He received the Air Force Association's Meritorious Award for Program Management in 1976 and Distinguished Award for Management in 1985.
He was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
June 1, 1985, with same date of rank. He retired August 1, 1988.
Personal life
Thurman was inducted into the Aviation Museum of KentuckyAviation Museum of Kentucky
The Aviation Museum of Kentucky is an aviation museum located at the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. Incorporated in April 1995, and opened to the public in August of the same year, it includes of exhibit space, a library, and an aircraft restoration and repair shop.Historic airplanes,...
's Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame in 2002. In his brief biography on the Hall of Fame's website, Thurman was described as "A command pilot with over 4,000 hours, he has flown nearly every aircraft in the current Air Force inventory."
Thurman is married to Joan (née Hellerman), and resides in Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,706 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the Pinehurst Resort, venue of the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup. The host site for the 1999, 2005,& 2014 U.S. Open Golf Championships, the 2008 U.S....
.