MAJOR GENERAL PRESCOTT MINOR SPICER

Prescott Minor Spicer was born in Boston, Mass., in 1917. He graduated from high school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1934 and entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1938 with a bachelor of science degree.

Commissioned in the Coast Artillery Corps, he qualified for and applied for flying training. Completing training at Randolph and Kelly fields, Texas, he was awarded pilot wings and transferred to the Air Corps in August 1939.

Starting as an instructor at Kelly Field, General Spicer moved to positions of increasing responsibility in the flying training program. In late 1942, he was assigned as commander of the Bombardier Navigation School at Ellington Field, Texas.

Transferred to North Africa to assist in training Free French Air Force personnel, he moved over to the position of deputy chief of staff/plans when the Mediterranean Tactical Air Force was formed. This headquarters moved with the combat zone from North Africa to the Tunisian area, to central Italy, to Corsica, to central France and to Florence, Italy.

In mid-1945, General Spicer returned to the United States and was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, in the Office of Program Monitoring, later re-established as the deputy chief of staff/Comptroller Office. Leaving this office in 1948, General Spicer was accepted for the two year post-graduate course at the Harvard Business School from which he graduated in 1950 with a masters degree in business administration.

In 1950 he returned to the Pentagon with assignment in the Office of the Assistant for Programming, deputy chief of staff/operations. Accepted for the Air War College, class of 1954, he moved to Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

Graduating in 1954, General Spicer went to Korea as commander of the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. He remained with the wing as it moved back to Itami Air Base, Japan, until 1956 when he was reassigned as deputy chief of staff/operations in Headquarters Western Air Defense Force at Hamilton Air Force Base, Calif.

In July 1958, he replaced Brigadier General Frank E. Rouse as commander of the 27th Air Division (Defense) at Norton Air Force Base, Calif., with additional duty as commander, 27th North American Air Defense (Continental Air Defense) Division.

In June 1960, General Spicer was reassigned to the Pentagon where he replaced Major General Benjamin J. Webster as director of programs, deputy chief of staff/plans and programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

In May 1963, General Spicer assumed command of the Lackland Military Training Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. This was General Spicer's last assignment.

Genenal Spicer retired on March 26, 1965 after 31 years service.

(Up to date as of March 1965)