Laurence Lyons (Larry Lyons) will be the Grand Marshall for the 3rd Annual Veterans Day Parade Saturday at 3 PM.
Laurence Lyons served in the U.S. Air Force from 1959-1979.
He joined the United States Air Force in 1959 entering Pilot Training at Spence AFB, GA, completed at Vance AFB, OK graduating in the Class of ’61 Delta
Lyons was awarded the honor to enter B-52 training.
He attended Nuclear Weapons Deliver School, Wichita, Air Force Survival School, Reno, NV, Transitioned at Castle AFB, CA
Lyons was assigned to Columbus AFB, MS as the youngest ever Combat Ready B-52 pilot.
In October ‘62, he flew the first B-52 Airborne Mission during the Cuban Mistle Crisis carrying nuclear weapons.
In 1964, Lyons married Miss Pat.
He was assigned to Griffiths AFB, NY flying the B-52, then assigned to Naha AFB, Okinawa flying C-130 combat missions over Laos.
Lyons was assigned Headquarters NORAD, Colorado Springs as Senior Director at the Space Defense Center, Cheyenne Mountain 1971-1974.
“A memorable experience was to have the honor of tracking Santa Claus on his trip around the globe reporting to local news outlets,” he said.
He was assigned unaccompanied to Johnson Island in the mid-Pacific as Commander of Space Track Stations.
His family relocated to Fort Scott for the year.
Lyons was back to the cockpit at Dover AFB, DE flying the C-5 Transport.
“A particularly memorable mission was to transport a full field hospital to Guatemala after the 1968 earthquake,” he said. ” We were honored on landing to be met by the President of Guatemala and General Staff who came onboard to personally thank our crew.”
He was assigned to Denver, CO serving at Buckley Field as Operations Officer at the Space Track Site for classified satellite missions and Senior Director of Space Defense Center.
Lyons retired from the United States Air Force in 1979and ” settled in Fort Scott to live happily ever after.”