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.
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