| In 
                            1957, Mundy, now a newly promoted Lieutenant General, 
                            became Commandant of the Industrial College of the 
                            Armed Forces (ICAF). This is a co-equal educational 
                            institution with the National War College, and ranks 
                            in the top level of military schools. It educates 
                            military leaders in various aspects of national economics 
                            and the military industrial complex as they pertain 
                            to the Country's security.  
                           In 
                            1961, Mundy was named Commander - in - Chief of the 
                            military forces in Alaska. Although the scope of his 
                            authority extended to the entire Alaskan Norad Region, 
                            his specific responsibility was air defense. He did 
                            not have a nuclear delivery capability but was equipped 
                            with defensive weapons.  
                           Mundy 
                            held this high level assignment under President Kennedy 
                            during a very crucial time in our history. Relations 
                            with the Soviet Union were extremely strained and 
                            the threat of nuclear war hovered over the world. 
                            The "Cuban Missile Crisis" during October of 1962, 
                            brought the United States to the very brink of war. 
                            Had an attack occurred, whether by plane or missile, 
                            it would likely have been launched upon this country 
                            from the north. This placed General Mundy's forces 
                            in a very strategic as well as precarious position.  
                           A 
                            well-deserved retirement came to the General in 1963 
                            after 39 years in uniform - four as a West Point Cadet, 
                            and 35 as an officer.  
                           Mundy 
                            managed to stay active as a Command Pilot for many 
                            of these years. In addition to training planes flown, 
                            he had also mastered the B-12, B-17, B-18, B-25, B-26, 
                            B-29 and the B-50.  
                           Jet 
                            bombers flown include the B-47, B-52, and the British 
                            Canberra, B-57, an American manufactured aircraft 
                            built by Martin. Some of the fighter aircraft that 
                            Mundy had experience in were the P-l, PW-9, P-12, 
                            P-35, P-40, P-43, P-47, P-8l, also the F-86, F-100, 
                            F-102, and the F-106 the latter four all jets, Shortly 
                            before retiring in 1963, Mundy flew the F-106 at Mach 
                            2.07.  
                           Prior 
                            to World War II, Mundy had been sent to England to 
                            fly several of their aircraft. Among these were the 
                            Hurricane and Spitfire fighters, and the Lancaster 
                            bomber. 
                           There 
                            were others long lost in the General's memory. 
                           His 
                            lengthy and notable career included an around-the-world 
                            B-17 flight while assigned to Logistics. On a trip 
                            that involved visits to Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, 
                            Egypt, and England, he decided that the best way home 
                            was to "keep on going in the same direction."  
                           Among 
                            the scores of world figures he has met and found the 
                            most fascinating are such notables as Winston Churchill, 
                            Indian Prime Minister Nehru, and Presidents Eisenhower 
                            and Kennedy.  
                           He 
                            recalls how President Kennedy and the Secretary of 
                            Defense seemed to revel in joint telephone conferences 
                            with the Unified and Specified Commanders. Inasmuch 
                            as General Mundy was Unified Commander in Alaska, 
                            these calls always came at the most untimely hour. 
                            Such a call in the middle of the night, and usually 
                            not one of urgency, could be extremely frustrating.  
                           The 
                            General retired in 1963 while still Commander of the 
                            Alaskan Forces. He had served his country long - he 
                            had served his country well. 
                           Ironically, 
                            his "boss," President Kennedy would also leave government 
                            in November of that same year the victim of an assassin's 
                            gunfire while on a Dallas campaign visit. 
                           Mundy [ 1 
] [ 2 ] [ 3 
] [ 4 ] [ 5 
] [ 6 ] |