Airman, warrior and mentor

  • Published
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --   There are countless stories of leadership throughout the history of the United States Air Force -- chronicles of men and women who by force of will, vision and personality, found themselves in the right place at the right time to inspire airmen to new heights.

They are the kind of people who, long after their names are stricken from the rolls names like Carl Spaatz, Hap Arnold, Curtis LeMay and Benjamin Davis continue to inspire generations of airmen who follow in their legendary footsteps.

General W. L. Bill Creech was such a man.

For more than 37 years, from private to four-star general, General Creechs journey in military service spanned the terms of eight presidents, flying time in more than 40 aircraft, the Cold War, 280 combat missions over Korea and Vietnam, and even some time in the mud as a forward air controller with the Armys 27th Infantry.

And, while his service as a jet age patriot-warrior earned him an honored place in history, it was his leadership in war and peace that placed him among the Air Forces and the nations elite.

General Creech made a habit of matching his words with his actions, wrote retired Gen. Ronald Fogelman, while serving as Air Force chief of staff. Thats what made him a person of integrity and a great leader.

During his six-year tenure as commander of Tactical Air Command, his integrity and leadership skills served him well. In a period long before core values, he promoted an environment that emphasized what he called the five Ps: people, purpose, pride, professionalism and product. That leadership approach not only resurrected a flagging TAC from low sortie rates and a poor safety record, but also influenced generations of Air Force commissioned and noncommissioned leaders.

He was a mentor to many and a leader to all said Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, Air Combat Command commander. And, for more than 20 years after his retirement in 1984, the general continued to consult with and influence Air Force senior leaders.

Admittedly, the youngest generation of bluesuiters never knew the man, may not even know the name, but his influence is still there in the way they train, in the way they fight, in the lifeblood that sustains the organization

The general once said about people: Were emotional; were goal driven; we search for meaning in our lives. Perhaps in his long and legendary service as a patriot, a warrior, a gifted leader and always, an airman he found that meaning in his life.

Certainly, he helped countless others find meaning in their own.

General Creech has slipped the surly bonds of earth but the legacy he left behind shall endure as long as American patriot-warriors continue chasing the shouting wind along.