Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, USAF (retired),like his father before him, has devoted his career to defending the United States. He completed four combat tours in Vietnam, flight reconnaissance missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and air escort missions in the Berlin Corridor before becoming assistant vice chief of staff for the Air Force. In his retirement, 72-year-old McInerney has worked as a businessman promoting advanced technology in the service of national defense. He spoke with The Examiner about the beliefs that have guided all of his life.


Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?

I am a practicing Catholic and I have a very strong Catholic belief, although I’m ecumenical. I would, if I couldn’t find a Catholic church, go to an Episcopalian or other church in order to go to church on Sunday. I remember as a young lieutenant in my first tour in Vietnam in 1963, in Bac Lieu province — Mass was said in Latin in those days. So it was no different for me than if I was going to Mass in the U.S. Having been an altar boy as a youngster, and as a cadet at West Point, I was very comfortable in that environment. Traveling around the world, wherever I’d go to Mass, I felt very comfortable no matter where it was.