LTC (Ret) William Gerald "Jerry" Hooks

LTC (Ret) William Gerald Hooks, age 88, resident of Columbus, died on Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Phenix City Heatlhcare. Funeral services are scheduled at Edgewood Hall of Striffler-Hamby, Columbus on Monday, May 18, 2015, 2 p.m. with Reverend (Dr.) Kevin Calhoun officiating. Interment will follow with full military honors at Parkhill Cemetery. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Army Otter Caribou Association and the National Association of Letters Carriers, Charlie Brown. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday, May 17, 2015 from 3-5 p.m.

William Gerald “Jerry” Hooks was born on October 28, 1926, in North Carrollton, Mississippi. He is the son of the late Henry Blanton and Velma Lambert Hooks. Drafted into the United States Army in February of 1945 at Camp Shelby, MS and basic training at Camp Wheeler, GA. When the war ended with the surrender of Japan, he was transferred to Ft. Benning, GA, where he attended Airborne Jump School and Glider Training, both of which he earned his badges, he also served as an instructor for the Jump School at Ft. Benning.

During his assignment at Ft. Benning, he was appointed a Second Lieutenant of Infantry in the Reserve Officers Corp. When hostilities broke out in Korea in 1950, he was called back into active duty as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry, reporting to Ft. Jackson, SC in November of 1950. After the training at Ft. Jackson, he was transferred to Japan and assigned to the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. While assigned to the 187th RCT, he participated in the rescue operations of a U.S. Brigadier General who was being held as prisoner on Koji Do Island. He also participated in operations with the 7th U.S. Infantry Division against the North Korean Army.

In 1953, he returned to the United States and served as a Company Commander with the Airborne School Student Battalion at Ft. Benning, GA. In 1956, he was accepted for Primary Flight Training at Gary Air Force Base in San Marcos TX. From Gary AFB, he was transferred to Ft. Rucker, AL for Advance (Tactical) Flight Training phase. He graduated from flight school in the spring of 1957 and reported for duty as a student at Ft. Benning for Infantry Officers Advance Course (IOAC). Upon completion of IOAC, he reported the Army Aviation School at Ft. Rucker, AL for Helicopter training. After completion training, he was once again assigned to Ft. Benning to the 1st Aviation Company Fixed Wing Tactical Transport (FWTT) in 1958.

In the summer of 1959, he received orders to the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) in Tehran, Iran as Chief of Army Aviation Team. A year later, he returned stateside to attend the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. After graduating from C&GS College he returned to the 1st Aviation Company (FWTT) at Ft. Benning. During this tour at Ft. Benning, he was promoted to the rank of Major and assumed the duties as Executive Office (XO) of the unit and several months late, he became the Commanding Officer of the unit.

On May 31, 1962, he led the first group of five Caribou aircraft from Ft. Benning to South East Asia, where they would be initially based in Korat, Thailand In December of 1962, the unit was deployed to Vung Tau, Vietnam and set up a base of operations there until the end of December.

In April of 1963, he returned stateside to Ft. Rucker and was assigned to the Multi Engine Flight Division at Cairns Army Airfield. Here he was in charge of DHC-4 Caribou Flight Training. Later, he was in charge of training for the Grumman OV-1 Mohawk aircraft. In the fall of 1966, he was assigned to Taipei, Taiwan, where he would act as Aviation Advisor to the Senior Chinese Military Aviation Office for the Republic of China (ROC), and served as senior U.S. Army military pilot with MAAG China, a detachment that supported the U.S. Advisors to the Republic of China.

In the summer of 1969, he received orders to Vietnam for his second tour and assigned to the Army Aviation Group in Vietnam. In the spring of 1970, he as headed stateside to Ft. Rucker for the last time, where he retired on June 30, 1970.

After his retirement from the Army, he accepted a position for nine months as a Test Pilot with the aircraft maintenance company that serviced the training aircraft at Ft. Rucker. Then he took a position in Columbus, GA. with the United States Postal Service as a Letter Carrier. He retired after 18 years from the postal service in November of 1990.

LTC (Ret.) Hooks was a Baptist by faith and a member of Central Baptist Church of Columbus, GA. and was a member of many service and military organizations which included, The Army Otter Caribou Association (AOCA), of which he was one of the founding four fathers in 1985, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the Army Aviation Association of America, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, S.J., USA, The Midland Masonic Lodge #144, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post #665, the American Legion Post #35, the Columbus-Ft. Benning Shrine Club and the Asiya Shriners Temple.

During his career with the U.S. Army, he was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge Senior Army Aviator Badge, Senior Parachute Badge, Glider Badge, Bronze Star Medal with One Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with Two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, .Joint Service Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal with Two Bronze Knots, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal with One Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Korean Service Medal with Two Stars, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with Two Stars, Army Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Bronze “1”, United Nations Korea Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal

LTC (Ret.) Hooks was preceded in death by his wife Edna Pilkinton Hooks, daughters Peggy Lynn Hooks Haddan and Wilma Geraldine Hooks, and his parents Henry Blanton and Velma Lambert Hooks. He is survived by his beloved wife Betty Jo Hooks, daughter Marjorie Faye Voepel (David) of Santa Rosa, CA., grandchildren James Matthew Davis (Lucia Fernandez Palacious) of San Francisco, CA., Sherri Lynn Garrett (Matt) and Robert W Haddan, Jr. both of Ozark, AL., and William G. Haddan (Jennifer) of Ariton, AL.; great-grandchildren Haddan B. Ward, Anna Cate Haddan, Sammy L. Spivey and Camryn Ella Spivey all of Ozark, AL, William Aiden Haddan and Alexia Lynn Haddan, both of Ariton, AL., and Joaquin Mann of San Francisco, CA.; a step-son Will Barnes (Lisa) and one step-granddaughter Madeleine of Columbus, GA.; a sister Peggy Hooks Douglas of Owensbourgh, KY.; and sisters-in-law, Verlon Pilkinton of Phenix City, AL, Jewel B. Goodman of Columbus, Ellie Bodiford of Columbus, and Lucille B. Steibel (Dr. William Steibel) of MA. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, contribution may be made to one of the following: Columbus Hospice at www.columbushospice.com or your church or your favorite charity or others as you desire.

Condolences may be offered at www.shcolumbus.com.