Brigadier General Felix J. Zaniewski is the staff judge advocate, Strategic Air Command, with headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. In this capacity, he is legal adviser to the staff and commander in chief of SAC.
General Zaniewski was born in 1920, in New Haven, Conn., where he graduated from Hillhouse High School in 1938. He graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor of arts degree and a commission as second lieutenant through the Reserve Officers Training Corps program in 1942. He received his juris doctorate from the University of Virginia in 1948.
He entered active military duty in May 1942, attended an infantry refresher course at Spartanburg, S.C., and then was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division as assistant provost marshal. He departed the United States in August 1942 with the 1st Infantry Division and served continuously with the division during World War II in England, Scotland and the invasions and campaigns in North Africa and Sicily. The division returned to England in preparation for the invasion of the European Continent, and he remained with the 1st Infantry Division throughout the invasion of Northern France and through the campaigns in France, Belgium and Germany. In April 1944 he was transferred to Headquarters V Corps. He participated in the V Corps campaigns through Germany into Czechoslovakia and returned to the United States with the V Corps in July 1945.
General Zaniewski separated from active duty in January 1946, became a member of the Army Reserve, and in 1949 transferred to the Air Force Reserve.
Following his admission to the Connecticut Bar, he was employed in January 1949 by the U.S. Air Force Office of the Judge Advocate General at the Pentagon as an attorney adviser. In November 1949 he accepted an appointment as a trial examiner with the Interstate Commerce Commission. He next returned to employment with the U.S. Air Force, Office of the Judge Advocate General.
General Zaniewski was recalled to active duty in November 1952 and served as chief of the Publications Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General. In August 1956 he was assigned as staff judge advocate of Clark Air Base in the Philippines. He graduated from the Air Command and Staff College in June 1960 and was appointed staff judge advocate at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.
He served as staff judge advocate, 32d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Soesterberg, Netherlands, from June 1964 through June 1967; and staff judge advocate of Dover Air Force Base, Del., from June 1967 until June 1969.
He was deputy chief of the Military Affairs Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U.S. Air Force at the Military Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, from July 1969 until June 1970, when he assumed duties as chief of the division.
In September 1971, General Zaniewski was appointed staff judge advocate for Fifteenth Air Force at March Air Force Base, Calif., and served in that position until he assumed duties as staff judge advocate for the Military Airlift Command with headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., in June 1973.
General Zaniewski was assigned to Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as the staff judge advocate in February 1974.
General Zaniewski is admitted to practice before all the courts of the State of Connecticut, the U.S. Court of Military Appeals, and The Supreme Court of the United States. He is a member of the American Bar Association.
His military decorations and awards include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon with oak leaf cluster, French Croix de Guerre, and the Belgian and French Fourrageres.
General Zaniewski's hometown is Schertz, Texas.
He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general effective May 1, 1973, with date of rank April 28, 1973.
(Current as of March 1, 1975)