William George Goodyear died on Dec. 14, 20 11. He succumbed to cancer while in home hospice, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on July 16, 1936, in Cordele, Ga. and raised in Jacksonville, Fla. He attended DuPont High School and subsequently graduated from the United States Air Force Academy, Class of 1960. He excelled at all levels in his USAF career, both as a pilot and in a wide variety of important staff assignments. After pilot training, his first operational assignment was to McCoy AFB, Fla. as a B-52 pilot in the 306th Bomb Wing. He was to continue this association with the Strategic Air Command and the concept of Strategic Nuclear Deterrence for the remainder of his life. These six years in Orlando marked the beginning of his family and the birth of his two daughters, Lorelei and Angelee.

Bill was deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam in 1966 and flew over 50 B-52D combat missions against the enemy forces in Vietnam. That was his first of two Vietnam combat tours. He was then transferred to Offutt AFB, Neb. as a Plans Officer at SAC Headquarters for three years before attending Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) in 1970-71. Next was 7th AF Headquarters in Vietnam, flying a T-39 with SCATBACK. He was selected as personal pilot and aide-de-camp to General John Vogt, the 7th AF Commander in 1972. He then served a four-year tour on the faculty of ACSC, where he was the Director of the Strategic Employment Division. He then had three years in the Pentagon as the Director of Strategic Force Structure Analysis. After National War College, in 1980, he was back to SAC Headquarters for the final four years of his Air Force service as a Colonel, where he was the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, a general officer position.

After retirement, Bill was a gold miner (really!) in Arizona, an SES civilian in the Pentagon, and a general manager of real estate development in Florida. It was in this capacity that he met his wife, Linda, and began his 21-year marriage. Together they moved to California to begin Bill's 15-year post-service career with Northrop-Grumman. Bill was a key player in the B-2 Stealth Bomber program and proudly saw it through initial roll out and airplane deliveries.

After retirement from Northrop-Grumman in 2001, Bill and Linda moved back to the South, dividing their time between Cashiers, N.C. and Sandy Springs, Ga.Time that could be spared from grandchildren and watching football was spent working for his Georgia Homeowner's Association, traveling, and writing a biography of General Vogt.

A well-attended memorial service was held in Atlanta, Ga. on January 7th. The service and reception following were highlighted by remarks from family, friends from high school, USAFA, and the neighborhood.

Those of his classmates who could make it were there, and a toast was offered in accordance with his last wishes. A final memorial is planned this fall to honor Bill's ashes at the USAFA cemetery. We can all gather in his memory one last time on the occasion of the USAFA vs. USNA football weekend, with details being provided later.

Bill will be sorely missed by many friends, and particularly by me. I met up with Bill right after pilot training in 1961, and we were assigned to the same base. We have kept in close contact for the ensuing 50 years, and he has remained a very dear friend. He was a leader, and had a profound influence on those he served and worked with throughout his life.

Donations may be made to the Air Force Academy site (https:/ /giving.usafa.org/). Please put in the Notes Section: "In Memoriam for Bill Goodyear, Class of 1960".

(Denis Walsh, classmate and friend since 1956)