General Joseph J. Nazzaro

General Joseph J. Nazzaro. Air Power Leader. General Joseph James Nazzaro was born and raised in the shadows of the skyscrapers of New York City. Not too many years later, General Nazzaro would soar over the tops of those skyscrapers and go on to command some of this nation's mightiest air armadas, in war and in peace. , , The General chose flight school upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in 1936. Soon after attending advanced flying school at Kelly Field, Texas, he was sent to Nichols Field in the Philippines. He returned to the United States in 1940 and was assigned to the 7th and later the 39th Bomb Groups. , , While visiting a West Point classmate at Hamilton Field, California, in 1941, he met his wife-to-be, Helen Harmon, whose father was Maj. Gen. Millard F. Harmon, Jr. (Barksdale's first base commander from 1932-1936). They married January 19, 1942, had two lovely daughters, and spent 48 wonderful years together. , , During World War II, General Nazzaro commanded one of Eighth Air Force's B-17 units, the 381st Bombardment Group, and led them through many decisive missions in the air campaign over Germany. , , In the early years of the Cold War, the General had command of the 38th Air Division, which was responsible for two B-47 and two KC-97 Wings, including the 2d Bombardment Wing at Hunter AFB, Georgia. , , General Nazzaro became commander of the "Mighty Eighth Air Force" during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. His next stop was Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, in 1964, where he was Vice Commander, and then in 1967 he became the Commander-in-Chief. , , His final assignment came in the summer of 1968, when General Nazzaro became the Commander-in-Chief of Pacific Air Force headquartered at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, until his retirement on July 31, 1971. , , General Joseph James Nazzaro passed away February 5, 1990, and was interred at the U.S. Air Force Academy. , , This sculpture depicting General Nazzaro was sculpted in 1996, by Lt. Col. Jerry McKenna, USAF, Retired, and dedicated on November 11, 1996 by his family, friends and admirers.