06/13/11 The Plymouth Alumni Association has announced that Major William Lee Jr. of the United States Air Force is this year’s inductee to the schools Distinguished Alumni Hall of fame.

The selection committee chose Lee over six other highly qualified finalists for the honor. Major Lee is the Commander of the 682nd Air Support Operation Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.  As the Commander, he leads a worldwide deployable squadron of 112 personnel and is responsible for leading the Air Support Operation Center and directing CFACC Close Air Support assets in combat operations in support of the land component commander’s objectives.

He was an F-15C fighter pilot who flew missions in Iraq enforcing the no fly zone during operation Southern Watch. Additionally, he served as a Predator Remotely Piloted Vehicle instructor pilot, flight evaluator, and Chief of Predator Test where he flew missions in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM.

Major Lee’s previous assignment was as Division Chief, USAFCENT Reconnaissance Operations Center, United States Air Force Central Command where he was the primary advisor and lead planner to COMUSAFCENT on Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities and deployment implementation.

Lee is a 1988 graduate of Plymouth High School. He will be present for his induction into the hall at the Plymouth Alumni Banquet on June 17 with the ceremony beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Each year at the Plymouth Alumni Banquet a new member is added to the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. Plymouth High School Principal Larry Pinkerton first conceived of the honor in 1981, and that year the first recipient was Major General Larry N. Tibbets. Since then outstanding Alumni of Plymouth – in all fields – have been honored as the Distinguished Alumnus. Nominations for the honor can be made at http://plymouthalumni.blogspot.com/ and all nominees remain eligible for the award each year.

This year preliminary voting narrowed a field of 56 nominees to seven finalists for the committee to consider.