General Otto “Opie” P. Weyland, who died in 1979, served a 35-year distinguished career in the United States Air Force. Upon receiving his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps.
During the course of World War II, he served in six major campaigns. General George Patton acknowledged General Weyland as the best General in the Air Corps. In 1951, General Weyland assumed command of the Far Eastern United Nation’s Air Forces during the Korean War. Subsequently, General Weyland became the first Aggie to hold the rank of four-star general. Retiring in 1959, General Weyland served as director and consultant for several corporations and institutes while residing in Pebble Beach, California. In 1976, he was recognized as a distinguished alumnus.