Lawrence N. Gordon – Brigadier General, United States Air Force

BRIGADIER GENERAL LAWRENCE N. GORDON
Retired June 1, 1978. Died March 2, 2004.

Brigadier General Lawrence N. Gordon was commander, 1035th Technical Operations Group, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, with additional duties as commander, Air Force Technical Applications Center.

General Gordon was born in 1924, in Madison, Indiana. He attended Hanover College, Indiana, for one year and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in June 1946 with a bachelor of science degree, a commission as a Second Lieutenant, and a pilot rating.

He attended B-25 aircraft training at Enid, Oklahoma, and was assigned to the 97th Bombardment Group, Smokey Hill Air Force Base, Kansas, in September 1946 flying B-29 bombers. In January 1948, he was transferred to Castle Air Force Base, California, and served with the 93d Bombardment Group. He became a student in aeronautical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in September 1948.

Upon graduation from AFIT in October 1950, he became an aircraft maintenance officer with the 1502d Support Squadron, Kwajalein Island. General Gordon returned to the United States in February 1952, and served at the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Hanscom Field, Massachusetts.

He was transferred to England in June 1955, and assigned as operations officer, 84th Bombardment Squadron, 47th Bomb Wing. In December 1957, he became the first commander of the 47th Periodic Maintenance Squadron of the 47th wing.

General Gordon was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in July 1958, and served as a program officer at the Air Force Technical Applications Center.

From September 1962 to September 1963, he attended the University of Connecticut under the Air Force Institute of Technology program, where he became an honor graduate and received a master’s degree in engineering management.

He was assigned to Air Force Systems Command, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, in September 1963 and served as a research and development officer in the Office of the Assistant for Bioastronautics. In August 1964, he became a staff development engineer in the Directorate of Bioastronautics, Deputy Chief of Staff, Science and Technology.

General Gordon was an honor graduate from the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in June 1967. He then was assigned to Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, where he served as deputy director and then director of operational requirements.

In July 1970, he became commander, 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing, Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. He and his unit moved to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in June 1971.

General Gordon assumed duties as commander of the 1035th Technical Operations Group at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., with additional duties as commander, Air Force Technical Applications Center, in June 1973.

His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster. He is a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Beta Gamma Sigma honorary fraternity. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours.

General Gordon’s hometown is Madison, Indiana.

He was promoted to the grade of Brigadier General effective August 1, 1972, with date of rank July 29, 1972.

General Gordon was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery on 27 June 2005.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard