William L. Nyland
| William L. Nyland | |
|---|---|
General William L. Nyland, USMC
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| Nickname(s) | "Spider" |
| Born | October 2, 1946 |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1968-2005 |
| Rank |
 General
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| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | |
| Other work |
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William L. "Spider" Nyland (born October 2, 1946), a veteran of the Vietnam War, is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star General who served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps from 2002 to 2005. He retired from the Marine Corps in November 2005 after over 37 years of distinguished service.
Nyland was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps under the Naval ROTC program upon graduation in 1968 from the University of New Mexico. In addition to attaining a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California, his formal military education includes The Basic School (1968), Naval Aviation Flight Training (NFO) (1969), Amphibious Warfare School (1975), Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) (1977), College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College (1981), and the Air War College (1988).
He was advanced to first lieutenant on September 5, 1969, captain on February 1, 1972, major on September 1, 1978, and lieutenant colonel on April 1, 1984.
After being assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 351 (VMFA-531), he was ordered to Vietnam, where he flew 122 combat missions with VMFA-314 and VMFA-115. His other tours included: Instructor RIO, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101); Squadron Assistant Operations Officer and Operations Officer, VMFA-115; and Brigade FORSTAT and Electronic Warfare Officer, 1st Marine Brigade. He also served as Operations Officer and Director of Safety and Standardization, VMFA-212; Aviation Safety Officer and Congressional Liaison/Budget Officer, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.; and Operations Officer, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Amphibious Brigade. He commanded VMFA-232, the Marine Corps' oldest and most decorated fighter squadron, from July 1985 to July 1987.
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