John Preston Wyatt, 93, of Lewiston, passed away Jan. 31, 2012.
John was born May 21, 1918, in Joplin, Mo., to John P. Wyatt and Bertha A. Roth. He grew up in Newtown, Mo., and graduated from Ravenna Missouri High School in 1934.
After high school, he moved to Ark. with his father and worked in logging. He worked for the Ford Motor Co. in Kansas City, Mo., and in Ford's Willow Run Assembly Plant building B-24 Liberator bombers.
Shortly after the Japanese navy bombed Pearl Harbor, John joined the newly formed U.S. Army Air Corps and took flight training in Wyoming as a waist-gunner on the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. After completing flight training, John and the crew of the future Delectable Doris flew their bomber to England via Florida, Brazil and Morocco, picking up a mascot monkey on the way. The crew of the Delectable Doris flew 30 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe from their base in Hethel, England. They bombed German positions behind Omaha Beach on D-Day and were the lead plane for the entire 8th Air Force in its final mission.
John was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and various campaign medals and citations. His crew credited him for saving their lives on a mission where the plane returned with extensive damage-the maintenance chief counted more than 400 holes in the plane. He was honored by the Veterans Admin. and the state of Idaho for his military service on Veterans day in 2010.
After his military service ended in 1945, John returned to Arkansas, where he met and married Doris Tackett in 1949. The couple moved with their young son to Weippe in 1950, where John ran heavy equipment maintenance shops as the master mechanic for Schmidt Brothers Lumber Co. for 23 years and Carl Nelson Logging for 10 years.
After living in Weipee for 43 years and raising seven children, John and Doris retired to Lewiston in 1990.
John was a lover of the outdoors and an avid fisherman. He also loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, John P. Wyatt; his mother, Bertha A. Roth; and his aunt, Bell E. Wyatt.
A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Wed. at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home in Lewiston. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Idado State Veterans Home or to a charity of the donor's choice.
The family would like to thank the Lewiston Idaho State Veterans Home for the support, attention and compassion shown to John P. while in their care.
T Sgt John Preston Wyatt
Squadron: 566th BS 389th Bomb Group
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf clusters
Pilot LT/Capt. William C. Graff
Serial Number: 42-50551
Aircraft Model B-24J-1
Aircraft Letter: R+
Aircraft Name: DELECTABLE DORIS
Sgt Wyatt successful completed 30 combat missions with LT/Capt. Graff and crew between April 29th and August 25th 1944.
John was born May 21, 1918, in Joplin, Mo., to John P. Wyatt and Bertha A. Roth. He grew up in Newtown, Mo., and graduated from Ravenna Missouri High School in 1934.
After high school, he moved to Ark. with his father and worked in logging. He worked for the Ford Motor Co. in Kansas City, Mo., and in Ford's Willow Run Assembly Plant building B-24 Liberator bombers.
Shortly after the Japanese navy bombed Pearl Harbor, John joined the newly formed U.S. Army Air Corps and took flight training in Wyoming as a waist-gunner on the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. After completing flight training, John and the crew of the future Delectable Doris flew their bomber to England via Florida, Brazil and Morocco, picking up a mascot monkey on the way. The crew of the Delectable Doris flew 30 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe from their base in Hethel, England. They bombed German positions behind Omaha Beach on D-Day and were the lead plane for the entire 8th Air Force in its final mission.
John was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and various campaign medals and citations. His crew credited him for saving their lives on a mission where the plane returned with extensive damage-the maintenance chief counted more than 400 holes in the plane. He was honored by the Veterans Admin. and the state of Idaho for his military service on Veterans day in 2010.
After his military service ended in 1945, John returned to Arkansas, where he met and married Doris Tackett in 1949. The couple moved with their young son to Weippe in 1950, where John ran heavy equipment maintenance shops as the master mechanic for Schmidt Brothers Lumber Co. for 23 years and Carl Nelson Logging for 10 years.
After living in Weipee for 43 years and raising seven children, John and Doris retired to Lewiston in 1990.
John was a lover of the outdoors and an avid fisherman. He also loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, John P. Wyatt; his mother, Bertha A. Roth; and his aunt, Bell E. Wyatt.
A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Wed. at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home in Lewiston. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Idado State Veterans Home or to a charity of the donor's choice.
The family would like to thank the Lewiston Idaho State Veterans Home for the support, attention and compassion shown to John P. while in their care.
T Sgt John Preston Wyatt
Squadron: 566th BS 389th Bomb Group
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf clusters
Pilot LT/Capt. William C. Graff
Serial Number: 42-50551
Aircraft Model B-24J-1
Aircraft Letter: R+
Aircraft Name: DELECTABLE DORIS
Sgt Wyatt successful completed 30 combat missions with LT/Capt. Graff and crew between April 29th and August 25th 1944.
John Preston Wyatt, 93, of Lewiston, passed away Jan. 31, 2012.
John was born May 21, 1918, in Joplin, Mo., to John P. Wyatt and Bertha A. Roth. He grew up in Newtown, Mo., and graduated from Ravenna Missouri High School in 1934.
After high school, he moved to Ark. with his father and worked in logging. He worked for the Ford Motor Co. in Kansas City, Mo., and in Ford's Willow Run Assembly Plant building B-24 Liberator bombers.
Shortly after the Japanese navy bombed Pearl Harbor, John joined the newly formed U.S. Army Air Corps and took flight training in Wyoming as a waist-gunner on the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. After completing flight training, John and the crew of the future Delectable Doris flew their bomber to England via Florida, Brazil and Morocco, picking up a mascot monkey on the way. The crew of the Delectable Doris flew 30 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe from their base in Hethel, England. They bombed German positions behind Omaha Beach on D-Day and were the lead plane for the entire 8th Air Force in its final mission.
John was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and various campaign medals and citations. His crew credited him for saving their lives on a mission where the plane returned with extensive damage-the maintenance chief counted more than 400 holes in the plane. He was honored by the Veterans Admin. and the state of Idaho for his military service on Veterans day in 2010.
After his military service ended in 1945, John returned to Arkansas, where he met and married Doris Tackett in 1949. The couple moved with their young son to Weippe in 1950, where John ran heavy equipment maintenance shops as the master mechanic for Schmidt Brothers Lumber Co. for 23 years and Carl Nelson Logging for 10 years.
After living in Weipee for 43 years and raising seven children, John and Doris retired to Lewiston in 1990.
John was a lover of the outdoors and an avid fisherman. He also loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, John P. Wyatt; his mother, Bertha A. Roth; and his aunt, Bell E. Wyatt.
A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Wed. at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home in Lewiston. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Idado State Veterans Home or to a charity of the donor's choice.
The family would like to thank the Lewiston Idaho State Veterans Home for the support, attention and compassion shown to John P. while in their care.
T Sgt John Preston Wyatt
Squadron: 566th BS 389th Bomb Group
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf clusters
Pilot LT/Capt. William C. Graff
Serial Number: 42-50551
Aircraft Model B-24J-1
Aircraft Letter: R+
Aircraft Name: DELECTABLE DORIS
Sgt Wyatt successful completed 30 combat missions with LT/Capt. Graff and crew between April 29th and August 25th 1944.
John was born May 21, 1918, in Joplin, Mo., to John P. Wyatt and Bertha A. Roth. He grew up in Newtown, Mo., and graduated from Ravenna Missouri High School in 1934.
After high school, he moved to Ark. with his father and worked in logging. He worked for the Ford Motor Co. in Kansas City, Mo., and in Ford's Willow Run Assembly Plant building B-24 Liberator bombers.
Shortly after the Japanese navy bombed Pearl Harbor, John joined the newly formed U.S. Army Air Corps and took flight training in Wyoming as a waist-gunner on the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. After completing flight training, John and the crew of the future Delectable Doris flew their bomber to England via Florida, Brazil and Morocco, picking up a mascot monkey on the way. The crew of the Delectable Doris flew 30 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe from their base in Hethel, England. They bombed German positions behind Omaha Beach on D-Day and were the lead plane for the entire 8th Air Force in its final mission.
John was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and various campaign medals and citations. His crew credited him for saving their lives on a mission where the plane returned with extensive damage-the maintenance chief counted more than 400 holes in the plane. He was honored by the Veterans Admin. and the state of Idaho for his military service on Veterans day in 2010.
After his military service ended in 1945, John returned to Arkansas, where he met and married Doris Tackett in 1949. The couple moved with their young son to Weippe in 1950, where John ran heavy equipment maintenance shops as the master mechanic for Schmidt Brothers Lumber Co. for 23 years and Carl Nelson Logging for 10 years.
After living in Weipee for 43 years and raising seven children, John and Doris retired to Lewiston in 1990.
John was a lover of the outdoors and an avid fisherman. He also loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, John P. Wyatt; his mother, Bertha A. Roth; and his aunt, Bell E. Wyatt.
A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Wed. at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home in Lewiston. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Idado State Veterans Home or to a charity of the donor's choice.
The family would like to thank the Lewiston Idaho State Veterans Home for the support, attention and compassion shown to John P. while in their care.
T Sgt John Preston Wyatt
Squadron: 566th BS 389th Bomb Group
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf clusters
Pilot LT/Capt. William C. Graff
Serial Number: 42-50551
Aircraft Model B-24J-1
Aircraft Letter: R+
Aircraft Name: DELECTABLE DORIS
Sgt Wyatt successful completed 30 combat missions with LT/Capt. Graff and crew between April 29th and August 25th 1944.
Bio by: Janice Dean LeMaster
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S SGT US ARMY AIR FORCE
WORLD WAR II
DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
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