Brigadier General Archie S. Mayes is deputy chief of staff for civil engineering, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
He was born in 1920, in Warrensburg, Mo. After graduating from Warrensburg High School in 1938, he attended Central Missouri State College from 1938 to 1940.
General Mayes served in enlisted status with the Missouri National Guard from August 1938 to December 1940, and in the U.S. Army from December 1940 through February 1942. His highest enlisted grade was technical sergeant. He entered Officer Candidate School, Fort Belvoir, Va., in 1942 and in May of that year was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers.
His first assignment after graduating from Officer Candidate School was as a platoon leader in the 301st Engineer Combat Battalion at Fort Meade, Md. During World War II, he served with the U.S. Army in Europe and following the war held various engineering jobs in Alaska and Pennsylvania.
In September 1949, General Mayes transferred to the U.S. Air Force and became base civil engineer, Castle Air Force Base, Calif. In March 1952, he was assigned in the same position at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., and in 1954, at Loring Air Force Base, Maine.
In January 1955, General Mayes moved to the position of deputy director, civil engineering, Eighth Air Force (SAC), Westover Air Force Base, Mass. He became director in 1956 and in November 1957, he assumed duties as commander, Goose Air Base, Labrador.
General Mayes returned to Headquarters Eighth Air Force in July 1959, as director, civil engineering. In 1962 he was selected to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Leslie J. McNair, Washington, D.C. Upon graduation in 1963, he was named deputy chief of staff, civil engineering, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
In January 1966, he was assigned to the Republic of Vietnam for duty as director, civil engineering, 2d Air Division (redesignated Seventh Air Force in 1966), Tan Son Nhut Airfield. While in Vietnam, he also was program director for "Project Turnkey" which provided for construction of a complete air base at Tuy Hoa. During his tour in Southeast Asia the Red Horse concept of Civil Engineer heavy repair squadrons grew to a group with five 400-man squadrons. Turnkey and Red Horse represent two notable firsts for the Air Force Civil Engineering field that were tried and proved in Vietnam under General Mayes' direction.
In July 1967, General Mayes was assigned as deputy chief of staff, Civil Engineering, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and moved to the same position with Headquarters Strategic Air Command in July 1969.
He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Massachusetts. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal and Presidential Unit Citation Emblem.
He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general effective Nov. 1, 1967, with date of rank Oct. 27, 1967.
(Current as of Oct. 15, 1972)