Guymon native and retired Air Force general Larry Welch turns 92

Larry D. Welch's path from Guymon to the top of the U.S. Air Force remains one of Texas County's clearest examples of how a local upbringing can reach national command. Welch turned 92 on Tuesday, after a career that carried him from enlisted private to four-star general and made him the 12th chief of staff of the Air Force.

Born June 9, 1934, in Guymon, Welch graduated from Liberal High School in Liberal, Kansas, in 1952 and enlisted in the Kansas National Guard in October 1951. He served with the 161st Armored Field Artillery before entering the Air Force aviation cadet program in November 1953. From there, he earned his pilot's wings and a commission as a second lieutenant, beginning the long climb that would define his service.

Welch's flying career took him into combat in the late 1960s, when he flew F-4C missions over North and South Vietnam and Laos. He later held a series of senior commands, including leadership roles in Tactical Air Command and service as an inspector general, before becoming vice chief of staff of the Air Force from 1984 to 1985. He then served as commander in chief of Strategic Air Command, placing him among the officers responsible for the service's most critical Cold War missions.

As chief of staff from July 1, 1986, to June 30, 1990, Welch served as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipage of the active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian force. His tenure came as the service was moving through the end of the Cold War and into the early stages of post-Cold War downsizing. On May 22, 1990, Welch also redesignated the 23rd Air Force as Air Force Special Operations Command, a move that helped shape the structure of Air Force special operations.

Welch's legacy was not limited to command charts and wartime service. In 1988, while chief of staff, he chartered the School of Advanced Airpower Studies at Air University. The first class convened in the summer of 1991 and graduated in June 1992, extending his influence into the professional education pipeline that trains the next generation of airpower leaders.

Air Force history sources note that Welch retired on July 1, 1990, after nearly 40 years of service. For Guymon and Texas County, his career remains a reminder that a local beginning can lead to the highest levels of military responsibility.