Lieutenant General Paul W. Myers

US Air Force Military Biographies, Annual, 2004

LIEUTENANT GENERAL (DR.) PAUL W. MYERS

Retired Dec. 1, 1983.

Lieutenant General (Dr.) Paul W. Myers is surgeon general, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

General Myers was born in Schenectady, N.Y., in 1923. He attended Union College and later Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y., where he received his doctorate of medicine in 1946. He served his internship at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady from April 1946 to June 1947.

General Myers began his military career as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army in June 1943 and was released from active duty in 1945. He returned to active military duty as a commissioned officer in July 1949 and was assigned to the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., where he served initially as medical officer to the corps of cadets and then as chief of the Outpatient Department until April 1951.

Upon completion of the primary course in aviation medicine at the U.S. Air Force School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1951, he served as chief of the professional services, Eastern Air Defense Force, Stewart Field, N.Y., until June 1952.

General Myers completed his general surgery residency in June 1953 at the Ellis Hospital, Schenectady, N.Y. Upon completion of his neurosurgery residency at the Albany Medical Center, Albany, N.Y., in 1956, he was assigned to the 2349th U.S. Air Force Hospital, Parks Air Force Base, Calif., as chief of the Neurosurgery Service. In June 1958 General Myers become director of neurological surgery at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

In April 1971 General Myers was appointed commander of Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, a position he held until August 1978 when he become surgeon general.

He is a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Military Neurosurgical Society of America, Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons, Southern Neurosurgical Society, American Medical Association, Pan American Medical Association, Association of Neurological Surgeons and the San Antonio Surgical Society. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. General Myers is a diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery.

General Myers was a member of the land-based medical recovery forces of Project Mercury and participated in the post-flight medical debriefing of the astronauts. He is the author and co-author of numerous professional articles.

His alma mater, Albany Medical College, has honored him on two occasions. He became a member of Alpha Omega Alpha in 1966, and on May 5, 1973, he received the Alumni Honorary Award.

His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award ribbon with oak leaf cluster and the honor decoration for the Causa de la Fuerza de Chile.

He was promoted to the grade of lieutenant general effective Aug. 1, 1978, with date of rank July 31, 1978.

(Current as of January 1979)