Estate of Major General William Lyon, USAF (Ret) | estate (manor / mansion land), United States Air Force

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Primarily now known for his philanthropy, support of the arts, new home construction business, and extensive historical automobile collections, General Lyon was also the third Chief of Air Force Reserve, also once owned half of airline AirCal, and served as Chairman of the Board of the Orange County Performing Arts Center. ~phiz 8/29/2007
Below are some biographical snippets that are part of the public record:

U.S. Air Force Biography
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General Lyon was born in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1923. Prior to entering the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, he attended the University of Southern California, and the Dallas Aviation School and Air College. He completed Air War College in 1971 and the Air War College; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Senior Officers Orientation Course in 1972 and 1974. Additionally, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces National Seminar in 1973.

General Lyon enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a reservist in 1943 and continued serving as a civilian flight instructor until he received a direct appointment as a flight officer in June 1944. During World War II, he was assigned to the 6th Ferrying Group and ferried aircraft to the Pacific and European theaters. In 1945 he was assigned to the North African Division of the Air Transport Command, returning to the United States in 1946.

In 1947 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and participated in various Reserve assignments until his voluntary recall to active duty in 1951. He was then assigned to Headquarters Air Training Command as a staff pilot and was later transferred to the Military Air Transport Service, flying air evacuation and ferrying missions. In 1953 he volunteered for a tour of duty in Korea and flew 75 combat missions in the C-46 and C-47.

From 1954 to 1963, General Lyon was assigned to various positions in the Reserve and served as a flight commander and operations officer. In 1963 he was named commander of the 929th Tactical Airlift Squadron, March Air Force Base, Calif., and subsequently served as commander of the parent unit, the 943d Tactical Airlift Group.

General Lyon was assigned as mobilization assistant to the commander, Sacramento Air Materiel Area, McClellan Air Force Base, Calif., in June 1970, and in February 1972, he became mobilization assistant to the commander, Fifteenth Air Force at March Air Force Base. In March 1974 he was appointed mobilization assistant to the commander in chief, Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., where he was involved in the planning of the transfer of designated KC-135 units to the Reserve Forces.

In April 1975 General Lyon was ordered to active duty to serve as chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

He is a command pilot. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Combat Readiness Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hour glass device, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

He was promoted to the grade of major general on April 24, 1974, with date of rank May 24, 1972.
Retired April 13, 1978

William Lyon Homes
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Home construction, founded 1956 by USAF Maj. Gen. William Lyon. Merged with the Presley Cos. (which was personally owned by William Lyon) in 1999. In 2006, Lyon managed to make William Lyon Homes a private company again.
Official Website:
www.lyonhomes.com/
Industry:
Construction
Ticker:
NYSE:WLS (defunct)
Corporate headquarters:
Newport Beach, CA
Sales:
$1.9B (2005)
Employees:
900

History of William Lyon Co.
The Orange County Register
A look at William Lyon's corporate history
1954: William Lyon and brother Leon Lyon found Luxury Homes in Fullerton.
1968: William Lyon sells Luxury Homes to American Standard, a plumbing-fixtures company. As part of the deal, Lyon retains control of a subsidiary called William Lyon Development.
1972: Unhappy with American Standard, Lyon quits to start his own company, William Lyon Co., headquartered in Newport Beach.
1974-1979: Lyon, a former fighter pilot who saw action in World War II and Korea, serves as chief of the Air Force Reserve.
1979: Lyon acquires the development arm of troubled Continental Illinois Bank. In the deal, Lyon gets more than 2,000 acres of land in Florida.
1981: Lyon and fellow Orange County developer George Argyros pay $61.5 million to buy AirCal, a troubled regional airline. During their ownership, the company makes a financial comeback. Five years later, when Lyon and Argyros sell AirCal for $225 million, they reportedly pocket a profit of at least $15 million each.
1985: Lyon expands in Florida by buying half-interest in Senior Corp. Four years later, Lyon buys out his partners, solidifying a $141 million acquisition. As part of the deal, Lyon gets properties in Florida and Atlanta.
1987: Lyon pays $325 million cash to acquire Newport Beach-based Presley Development Co. and three other real estate companies from Pacific Lighting Corp. Though Lyon becomes chairman of Presley, he runs the company separately from William Lyon Co.
1989: Lyon and former AirCal executive David Banmiller form Air/Lyon, providing ground services for commercial airlines and private aircraft. The company has an estimated 800 employees.
1991: Presley Cos., looking to raise money for Lyon, goes public. The sale generates a disappointing $9.2 million for Lyon, who retains 43 percent of the company.
1992: With home sales sluggish and federal regulations making it tougher for builders to gain financing, Lyon Co. is forced into its first layoffs.
1994: The company receives funding for 500 homes, allowing Lyon to resume its position as one of the county's largest homebuilders. The deals include 246 houses in Foothill Ranch plus 253 condominium units in three Aliso Viejo projects.
1999: William Lyon and The Presley Cos. agree to merge, forming the current publicly traded William Lyon Homes. Under the merger, Presley pays $48 million to buy privately held William Lyon Homes.
2002: A partnership of Lennar Homes and William Lyon Homes buys three parcels of Navy-owned land at the former Tustin Marine base with plans to build 1,900 dwelling units.
2005: William Lyon announces plans to acquire all shares of stock in Lyon Homes not owned or controlled by his family. The proposed deal is worth an estimated $200 million.
Sources: William Lyon Co., The Register