Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

71 A Marquis Who's Who Magazine A lexander Butterfield has had a long, distinguished career in both military and civil components of federal service. In the early years, he was a flight instructor at the Air Force’s fighter-gunnery training school in Nevada, then a weapons officer for the 86th Fighter Group in Germany. From 1952 to 1954, he authored the first USAF-Europe Fighter-Gunnery Training Manual, flew on the five-man team that won the 1954 European fighter-gunnery championship, and flew the right-wing position with the “Skyblazers,” America’s only jet formation aerobatic team in Europe throughout the 1950s. Later, he commanded a tactical reconnaissance squadron in Japan and Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Returning from the combat environment toWashington, D.C., he was assigned to the Immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense as military assistant for White House matters, then to student status at the National War College, and from there, as a senior U.S. military officer and representative of the commander-in-chief, Pacific to the government of the Commonwealth of Australia. On January 12, 1969, Mr. Butterfield was offered an appointment as deputy assistant to the president by President-elect Nixon. A few days later, he formally accepted, then, adhering to honored and long-standing tradition, took immediate steps to retire from active Air Force duty. For the next 50 months he functioned as deputy chief of the White House staff and chief administrative officer with prime responsibility for the smooth running of all Oval Office activity and the president’s official day. After President Nixon’s landslide re-election victory, Mr. Butterfield requested a transfer and was appointed administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Six months later, while under questioning by the senate “Watergate” committee, Mr. Butterfield was asked a clear and direct question concerning listening devices in the Oval Office and felt compelled to respond, “All the president’s Oval Office conversations are recorded.” Retired from government since in 1975, Mr. Butterfield now lives in California and serves on several corporate and foundation boards. Alexander Butterfield Aviation Executive, Military Officer Presidential Appointee (Retired) La Jolla, CA