Lawrence Pickett was born on May 28, 1918, in Wagon Mound, New Mexico, and grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He enlisted in the New Mexico National Guard on May 22, 1934, and served until his honorable discharge on November 20, 1935. Pickett graduated from the New Mexico College of Agriculture & Mechanics in May 1941, and during his time there he participated in the Army ROTC program at college, earning his commission as a 2nd Lt in the U.S. Army Reserve on October 31, 1940. Lt Pickett went on active duty and entered the Aviation Cadet Program for Pilot Training on June 2, 1941, and was awarded his pilot wings at Luke Field, Arizona, on January 9, 1942. His first assignment was as a P-39 Airacobra instructor pilot, and following P-47 Thunderbolt training he deployed to the China-Burma-India Theater in December 1944. Major Pickett flew 75 combat missions in Southeast Asia, and returned to the United States in September 1945. He attended Pre-Meteorology training and completed the Weather Officers Course in June 1947. After serving as a Weather Officer, Lt Col Pickett attended Air Command and Staff College from June 1948 to June 1949. He served as an F-84 Thunderjet pilot in West Germany from September 1949 to September 1952, and during this time he served as Commander of the 23rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron at Furstenfeldbruck AB, West Germany, from December 1950 to December 1951. He served with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Rome, Italy, from August 1954 to July 1957, followed by service on the staff of the 834th Air Division at England AFB, Louisiana, from September 1957 to January 1959. His next assignment was as Commander of the 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron at England AFB from January 1959 to July 1961, and then as Commander of the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Clark AB in the Philippines from July 1961 to May 1962. Col Pickett's next assignment was as Deputy for TAC Operations with the 405th Fighter Wing at Clark AB from May 1962 to July 1963, followed by service as Chief of the Defense Section with the Fighter Branch, 1002nd Inspector General Group at Norton AFB, California, from August 1963 to July 1964. He next served as Chief of the Tactical Fighter Section in the Fighter Branch of the Flight Safety Division with the 1002nd Inspector General Group at Norton AFB from August 1964 to March 1965, and then as Chief of the Fighter Branch of the Flight Safety Division at the 1002nd Inspector General Group from March 1965 to August 1966. Col Pickett served as Vice Commander of the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing at McConnell AFB, Kansas, from August 1966 to July 1967, and he then deployed to Southeast Asia in July 1967. He flew 75 combat missions in the F-105 Thunderchief as Vice Commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, between July 1967 and July 1968. Col Pickett's final assignment was as Director of Operations for the 835th Air Division at McConnell AFB, Kansas, from July 1968 until his retirement from the Air Force on March 1, 1970. He was one of the three founding officers of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association during his tour of duty in the Vietnam War. Lawrence Pickett Flew West on November 7, 2007, and was buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.