Retired Maj. Gen. Sidney S. Novaresi, who began his career as a National Guard private in 1939 and ended as commander of 4th Air Force when it was at McClellan AFB, Calif., died July 22 in Citrus Heights, Calif., after a long illness. He was 85. Novaresi reached master sergeant during World War II before he entered the aviation cadet program, graduating in 1943 and flying P-47s in the Pacific. He flew F-84s during the Korean War and C-124s during the Vietnam War. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1982. (Read more in the Sacramento Bee.)
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
