Alberto A . Nido Brigadier General Alberto A . Nido ( March 1 , 1919 – October 27 , 1991 ) is a former United States Air Force officer who during World War II served in the Royal Canadian Air Force , the British Royal Air Force and in the United States Army Air Forces . He was also the co - founder of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard . Early years . Nido was born and raised in the town of Arroyo in Puerto Rico . There he received his primary and secondary education . In 1938 , he enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico and studied mechanical engineering in the institution ' s Mayagüez Campus . During his days as a university student , he decided that he would like to become an aviator for the United States Armed Forces . After he earned his college degree , Nido traveled to the island of Saint Thomas of the U . S . Virgin Islands with the intention of joining the United States Naval Aviation . Nido passed the physical examination , however he was denied acceptance into the aviation program because of a minor dental problem . According to the examining medical doctor , the fact that he had one tooth that grew above another would make it impossible for him to fly in high altitudes . He then traveled to Washington , D . C . and attempted to join the armed forces there . After passing the physical examination , he was again denied acceptance , for the same reason . Nido then traveled to Tulsa , Oklahoma and enrolled in the Sparton School of Aviation where in 1941 , he received his pilot ' s certificate . Military career . After he graduated , he was given a job as an aviation instructor in the institution . An officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force ( RCAF ) who was in Tulsa looking for recruits asked Nido to consider joining them . Nido accepted the offer and on September 1941 , he received a telegram from the RCAF office in New York City , requesting his presence at the Waldorf - Astoria Hotel . Nido traveled to New York and on 7 September , was sworn in as a member of the RCAF . After 3 months of intense training in Canada , Nido was commissioned a Flying Officer and sent to an air base in Quebec , where he served as an aviation instructor to bomber pilots and artillery gunners . Nido returned to his homeland , to spend 15 days with his mother and three brothers Rafael , Pedro and Thomas , who were members of the United States Armed Forces . During his stay he met his future wife , Alile Colon , a university student at the " Colegio del Sagrado Corazon " , from the town of Yabucoa . World War II . On 24 December 1942 , Nido was sent to London , England , and participated on the European Theater of the war as a bomber pilot . He was transferred to 610 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force and participated in various combat missions as a Supermarine Spitfire pilot . In November 1943 , Nido , then a Captain , was among 10 pilots of the 67th Reconnaissance Squadron who were sent to weather school at RAF Zeals under the command of Colonel T . S . Moorman . His unit participated in 275 missions . Later , in 1943 , Nido and 59 other American pilots were transferred to the U . S . Army Air Forces . He was assigned to the 67th Fighter Group as a P - 51 Mustang fighter pilot . Nido baptized his P - 51 with the name of " Alile " in honor of the girl that he left back home . Post World War II . After the war he continued to serve in the Army Air Forces and in 1947 became part of the newly formed United States Air Force . On 23 November 1947 , the Puerto Rico Air National Guard ( PRANG ) came into existence as a result of the efforts led by Colonel Alberto A . Nido , Colonel Mihiel Gilormini , and Lieutenant Colonel José Antonio Muñiz . Nido served as commander of PRANG for many years and was later assigned to the National Guard Headquarters as Chief of Staff for Air . In January 1966 , Nido , approached Maj . Gen . Winston P . Wilson , Chief of the National Guard Bureau , inquired about the possibility of constructing a range at the Army Guard ’ s Salinas Training Area ( Camp Santiago ) , located 35 miles on the south coast area of Puerto Rico . Two days later , Brig Gen . Salvador Roig approved a plan for this project and assigned Captain Gabriel I . Peñagarícano as project officer . The NGB budgeted $ 10 , 000 for this construction , this tight budget required a maximum in - house effort . The U . S . Army Antilles Command , caretakers of the Salinas Training Area , provided earth - moving equipment and personnel to level the target area . They also dug necessary holes for electric power poles , communications and strafing and skip - bombing targets . The range towers were donated by the air depot at McDill AFB and transported directly to the range on C - 123 aircraft . Nido , who also served as commander of the local chapter of the " Military Order of World Wars " , retired from the military with the rank of Brigadier General in 1974 . On October 27 , 1991 , Nido died in San Juan , Puerto Rico and was buried with full military honors in Plot : J 9 of the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamon , Puerto Rico . Awards and decorations . Among Nido ' s awards and decorations were the following : Awards : Badges :