Lyle E. Mann – Brigadier General, United States Air Force

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Courtesy of the United States Air Force

BRIGADIER GENERAL LYLE E. MANN

Retired June 1, 1976.   Died March 21, 2008.

Brigadier General Lyle E. Mann was Chief of Staff, Pacific Air Forces, with headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

General Mann was born in New Hebron, Illinois, in 1923. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Alabama in 1956 and earned his master of science degree from The George Washington University in 1966. He graduated from the Air Command and Staff College in 1959 and the Air War College in 1966.

General Mann entered the U.S. Army Air Corps aviation cadet program in December 1942 and received his commission as Second Lieutenant and pilot wings in April 1944. He then served as a flight instructor in single and multiengine aircraft until he resigned from active duty in February 1946.

General Mann was recalled to active duty in September 1948 and went to Japan where he was a P-51 pilot with the 433d Fighter Squadron at Itazuke Air Base. When the Korean War began in June 1950 he was an F-80 pilot with the 8th Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base. He went to Korea with the 49th Fighter Group and flew 101 combat missions before returning to the United States in January 1951.

He then was assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing, at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, as an F-84 pilot. He attended the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and after graduation in 1951 remained at the school as an instructor. In 1953 he was selected to be aide-de-camp, pilot and executive officer for the commander of Air University and accompanied him when he assumed command of the Far East Air Forces in Japan in 1955.

General Mann attended the Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, early in 1956. He went to Morocco in June 1956 where he served as operations officer for the 45th Fighter Day Squadron at Sidi Slimane Air Base and flew the F-100 Super Sabre. In November 1956 he became commander of the 357th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Nouasseur Air Base. While he was commander, the F-86D-equipped squadron was named the number one interceptor squadron in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and placed third in the worldwide Hughes Trophy competition.

Returning to the United States in July 1958, General Mann entered the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In July 1959 he was assigned as an international liaison officer in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. In July 1962 he was transferred to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where he served in a number of operations assignments including project officer for the worldwide interceptor weapons meet, William Tell, 1963; director of training and then director of operations for the 4756th Air Defense Wing. While at Tyndall, he flew the F-101, F-102 and F-106.

General Mann was chief of the Air Operations Center, 314th Air Division/Air Forces Korea, Osan Air Base, Korea, from July 1964 to August 1965. He then attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base. In July 1966 he was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff where he was chief of the Operations Branch, Politico-Military Division, Joint War Games Agency. He became director of operations for the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, in July 1969. While at Shaw Air Force Base, he flew the RF-101 Voodoo and the RF-4C Phantom supersonic reconnaissance jets. He also checked out in the F-4D Phantom jet fighter.

General Mann went to Southeast Asia in November 1970 where he served first as vice commander and later commander of the 432d Tactical Fighter/Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. He flew 50 combat reconnaissance missions in the RF-4C and 79 strike missions in the F-4D. He became assistant deputy chief of staff, Intelligence, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, in May 1972; deputy chief of staff, Intelligence, in January 1973; and was appointed chief of staff in July 1975.

He is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honorary Society; Order of Daedalians; and 32d degree mason, Aloha Shrine Temple, Honolulu.

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with 18 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with “V” device, and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Emblem. He is a command pilot with about 7,000 flying hours.

He was promoted to the grade of Brigadier General effective September 1, 1972, with date of rank August 31, 1972.

General Mann was laid to rest with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on 3 June 2008.

MANN, LYLE EUGENE

  • BRG GEN   US AIR FORCE
  • WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 11/19/1923
  • DATE OF DEATH: 03/21/2008
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 66  SITE 960
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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