MONROE - Major Gen. Nathan Lindsay, a native of Monroe, served with the United States Air Force from 1959 until his retirement in 1992. During that time, he specialized in secrets.
Lindsay took part in six shuttle launches with NASA, spent a number of number of years as director of special projects with the National Reconnaissance Office and worked alongside the CIA.
And through it all, his wife Shirley Lindsay had no idea the extent of her husband's job.
"I never knew what he did," Shirley said. "I learned all of this after he died."
The Lindsays were married for 58 years before the general passed away in 2015, after a 15-year fight with Alzheimer's disease. Until his death, Shirley was kept in the dark about the number of special projects and how involved her husband was in national security.
Shirley is a native of Browntown and graduated from Monroe High School in 1956, two years after her husband. Both were University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni.
Lindsay initially began his time with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps in college. He only meant to spend three years in service, but it soon became his career, with the couple moving throughout the world and country over three decades.
They moved to Tripoli, Libya in 1959. Stationed there until 1961, the Lindsays then relocated to the Lindsey Air Station in West Germany. Returning to the U.S. two years later, the general received a master's of science degree in mechanical engineering at UW. From there, Shirley said, they moved roughly every three years.
Raising four children, Lori, Anne, Nathan "Jim" and Susan, the family relocated from city to city, moving from Los Angeles to Florida to Washington, D.C. From there, they went to Norfolk, Virginia to Maryland, and back to L.A. Then it was to the Pentagon and back to Los Angeles once more.
Although she noted the only time of frustration was when they moved three times in 13 months, Shirley said the lifestyle of a military family did have its own impact on her children.
"I had to learn pretty fast to be independent," Shirley said. "The negative part was my children learned to not get too close to people because they were going to leave them. I still see shades of that and we still talk about it. But otherwise, it was an experience none of the kids would trade for anything."
Shirley followed her husband's path in staying away from attention and not wearing "your husband's rank on your shoulder," as she notes other wives did. Lindsay avoided media and did not discuss his work at home. But his secrecy, whether it was everyday projects or trips to unknown destinations, did not bother her.
"I didn't know where he was, but he was such a man of high integrity and trust that it was something you never worried about," Shirley said. "Our family just got used to it. But there was always a phone number I could reach him at, so it wasn't like he was out of service. I have a really strong faith. I didn't have to worry. I had my own security service."
Lindsay oversaw range control in each shuttle that launched from Cape Canaveral and worked on the investigation team for the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.
Most of the information about his endeavors has been made public through declassified information. Stories of his time with space launches or when he chose rockets crews were shared with Shirley after her husband died. A letter of commendation sent to her revealed he had worked with the CIA. Astronaut Col. Mike Mullane, known for his time aboard shuttles Discovery and Atlantis, was the one to inform Shirley of her husband's importance with the space program.
"My daughter said, 'so Mike, I didn't know my dad worked for you,' and he goes, 'oh no, your dad didn't work for me, we worked for him," Shirley said, recalling the day of Lindsay's funeral service.
Some stories even came from reporters who had looked into Lindsay's career. Shirley noted that the mass media today has a number of differences than national reporters from the late 1960s to 1980s. A number of missions Lindsay launched did not involve media coverage. While her husband shied away from any spotlight, she said it likely would not be as easy to do with current practices and technology.
Lindsay was named after Nathan Twining, a well-known general from Monroe. Lindsay is one of four Green County generals, a legacy to be placed in the Hall of Honor pavilion planned for the Green County Veterans Memorial Park later this year. A fundraiser at Turner Hall tonight will host all of the Lindsays with dinner and live music in an effort to raise money to construct the brick pavilion.
Shirley said she is always glad to return to the place her entire family considers a home state and hometown.
"Even though none of them went to school here, we are huge Wisconsin fans," Shirley said. "People think my four kids went to the University; they're such Wisconsin fans. We call Monroe home, even though none of the kids lived here. Green County is very close to our hearts."
Lindsay took part in six shuttle launches with NASA, spent a number of number of years as director of special projects with the National Reconnaissance Office and worked alongside the CIA.
And through it all, his wife Shirley Lindsay had no idea the extent of her husband's job.
"I never knew what he did," Shirley said. "I learned all of this after he died."
The Lindsays were married for 58 years before the general passed away in 2015, after a 15-year fight with Alzheimer's disease. Until his death, Shirley was kept in the dark about the number of special projects and how involved her husband was in national security.
Shirley is a native of Browntown and graduated from Monroe High School in 1956, two years after her husband. Both were University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni.
Lindsay initially began his time with the Reserve Officers' Training Corps in college. He only meant to spend three years in service, but it soon became his career, with the couple moving throughout the world and country over three decades.
They moved to Tripoli, Libya in 1959. Stationed there until 1961, the Lindsays then relocated to the Lindsey Air Station in West Germany. Returning to the U.S. two years later, the general received a master's of science degree in mechanical engineering at UW. From there, Shirley said, they moved roughly every three years.
Raising four children, Lori, Anne, Nathan "Jim" and Susan, the family relocated from city to city, moving from Los Angeles to Florida to Washington, D.C. From there, they went to Norfolk, Virginia to Maryland, and back to L.A. Then it was to the Pentagon and back to Los Angeles once more.
Although she noted the only time of frustration was when they moved three times in 13 months, Shirley said the lifestyle of a military family did have its own impact on her children.
"I had to learn pretty fast to be independent," Shirley said. "The negative part was my children learned to not get too close to people because they were going to leave them. I still see shades of that and we still talk about it. But otherwise, it was an experience none of the kids would trade for anything."
Shirley followed her husband's path in staying away from attention and not wearing "your husband's rank on your shoulder," as she notes other wives did. Lindsay avoided media and did not discuss his work at home. But his secrecy, whether it was everyday projects or trips to unknown destinations, did not bother her.
"I didn't know where he was, but he was such a man of high integrity and trust that it was something you never worried about," Shirley said. "Our family just got used to it. But there was always a phone number I could reach him at, so it wasn't like he was out of service. I have a really strong faith. I didn't have to worry. I had my own security service."
Lindsay oversaw range control in each shuttle that launched from Cape Canaveral and worked on the investigation team for the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.
Most of the information about his endeavors has been made public through declassified information. Stories of his time with space launches or when he chose rockets crews were shared with Shirley after her husband died. A letter of commendation sent to her revealed he had worked with the CIA. Astronaut Col. Mike Mullane, known for his time aboard shuttles Discovery and Atlantis, was the one to inform Shirley of her husband's importance with the space program.
"My daughter said, 'so Mike, I didn't know my dad worked for you,' and he goes, 'oh no, your dad didn't work for me, we worked for him," Shirley said, recalling the day of Lindsay's funeral service.
Some stories even came from reporters who had looked into Lindsay's career. Shirley noted that the mass media today has a number of differences than national reporters from the late 1960s to 1980s. A number of missions Lindsay launched did not involve media coverage. While her husband shied away from any spotlight, she said it likely would not be as easy to do with current practices and technology.
Lindsay was named after Nathan Twining, a well-known general from Monroe. Lindsay is one of four Green County generals, a legacy to be placed in the Hall of Honor pavilion planned for the Green County Veterans Memorial Park later this year. A fundraiser at Turner Hall tonight will host all of the Lindsays with dinner and live music in an effort to raise money to construct the brick pavilion.
Shirley said she is always glad to return to the place her entire family considers a home state and hometown.
"Even though none of them went to school here, we are huge Wisconsin fans," Shirley said. "People think my four kids went to the University; they're such Wisconsin fans. We call Monroe home, even though none of the kids lived here. Green County is very close to our hearts."