Major General Larry L. Henry, a Kentucky Epsilon brother, served in the United States Air Force for numerous years. During this time, he obtained many awards, traveled worldwide, and was even inducted into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame.
General Henry has done it all, and SAE is proud to honor members like him for his courageous, brave acts of service. The timeline of his significant life endeavors is fascinating, and you can follow along below, from General Henry being born in 1941 in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, to retiring from active military duty.
- 1941: Born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky.
- 1959: Graduated from Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky.
- 1960: Went off to college at the University of Kentucky.
- 1963: In his junior year, he joined the Air Force ROTC Program and Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
- 1964: Graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Business. He received a commission in the Air Force and was assigned as Operations Officer for the Frankfurt Courier Station.
- 1966: Met (his now wife) Brenda in Beirut, Lebanon. She was a Pan American Airlines stewardess.
- 1967: Assigned a Commander of OL 1505 at Bien Hoa, Vietnam. He was awarded two Bronze Stars with Valor de Vice and a Purple Heart for his actions in the 1968 TET Offensive Battle.
- 1968: Assigned to Mather AFB in California and earned his wings in 1969.
- 1969: Trained in F-4 Fighter Aircraft at Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona. He was then assigned to the 13th Tactical Figure Squadron at Ubon, Thailand, as a Fast Forward Air Controller flying F-4s.
- 1971: Returned to the States, flying F-4s in the 334 Tactical Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. He completed Squadron Officer School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
- 1972-73: Squadron was deployed twice to Ubon Air Force Base, Thailand, to fly missions against North Vietnam and Laos.
- 1973: Returned to the States and attended the USAF Fighter Weapons School. He won an Outstanding Graduate Trophy.
- 1974: Promoted to Major.
- 1975: Assigned to the Aircrew Evaluation Division at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. He served as the Fighter Division Chief.
- 1978: Attended the USAF Command and Staff College, where he was selected as an Outstanding Graduate. He also graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He was also selected early for Lt. Colonel.
- 1980: Assigned as the Third Tactical Fighter Squadron Commander at Clark AFB, Phillippines. He was selected early for Colonel.
- 1982: Selected as one of the only twenty chosen to attend the National War College in Washington, D.C.
- 1983: After War College, he was assigned as Chief of USAF Weapons Requirements in the Pentagon.
- 1985: Assigned as the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing Commander at George AFB, California. He also attended the Management Course for Executives at the University of Pittsburgh.
- 1986: Selected for promotion to Brigadier General.
- 1987: Assigned as Air Division Commander of the 831st Air Division at George AFB, California.
- 1989: Assigned as Inspector General of the Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
- 1990: Deployed to Saudi Arabia as Chief of Electronic Warfare Division for Desert Storm.
- 1991: Returned to States as Director of Programs and Requirements at USAF Air Training Command at Randolph AFB, Texas, and selected for promotion to Major General.
- 1992: Returned to the Pentagon as Chief of USAF Requirements.
- 1993: Attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; He was assigned as the Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations.
- 1994: Retired from the Air Force as a Major General.
- 1995 to present: Served in executive positions at Loral Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and L-3
During General Henry’s four combat terms he served in Vietnam, he completed 320 combat missions and obtained many combat awards:
- Two Distinguished Service medals
- One Silver Star
- Three Legion of Merit medals
- Seven Distinguished Flying Crosses with H for Heroism
- Two Bronze Stars for Valor
- One Purple Heart
- Three Meritorious Service Medals
- 28 Air Medals
- Air Force Commendation Presidential Unit Citation
- Joint Meritorious Service Award
- Two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards
- Two National Defense Service Medals
- Five Vietnam Service Medals
- Two Vietnam Gallantry Crosses
As General Henry served his years in combat, something significant that stood out to him was the SAE connections he made outside his college years. Oddly enough, he met an SAE who was a UK graduate. He was Larry’s commander in Thailand. To this day, General Henry stays connected to a handful of chapter brothers and other SAEs he met nationwide; some even attended his induction into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame back in 2017.
General Henry deeply appreciates the Air Force, the combat team he flew with, and the brothers who supported him during his journey. He is proud of his accomplishments.
Today, General Henry and Brenda live in Rockwall, Texas. He has four children.
