Charles Joseph Purcell

Lt. Col. Charles Joseph Purcell, USAF Ret a resident of Air Force Village II since February 1989 died Sunday, November 2, 2008 at San Antonio, Texas. He was born June 11, 1914 at Parker, South Dakota, moving at a young age with his family to Oklahoma, Colorado and then, after his parents were divorced, back to Parker where he graduated from high school in 1931. He then served an enlistment with the South Dakota National Guard 147th Field Artillery as a medical technician. He married Lois Allen of nearby Hurley, South Dakota on 3 July 1933. They moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he was a route salesman introducing Pepsi Cola into southeastern South Dakota. During this period, he started his flying career, qualifying for his Private Pilot's license in late 1938 through the non-college Civilian Pilot Training Program. In March 1941, he applied for enlistment in the Royal Canadian Air Force, was accepted and sworn in at Winnipeg, Manitoba 12 June 1941. While undergoing preflight training at Toronto, Ontario he was a member of the Canadian National Exhibition Squadron Drill Team performing in parades, bond drives, various exhibitions both in Canada and the US, and were even involved in the filming of "Captains of the Clouds" starring James Cagney. He reported to Elementary Flying School at Oshawa, Ontario on 7 December 1941 flying Tiger Moth biplanes. He then was posted to Dunnville, Ontario for Service Flying Training School flying Harvard T-6 and North American BT-9 aircraft. He was awarded his RCAF Wings and a Royal Commission as Pilot Officer on 19 June 1942. After receiving his Instructor's Rating at Trenton, Ontario he was posted to St. Huberts, Qubec where he instructed until his overseas posting in December 1943. He sailed on the Queen Mary from New York and arrived in Scotland five days later. After high altitude training, he was assigned to a Photo Reconnaissance unit flying Mosquito aircraft near London. It was here he applied for and was granted transfer to the U.S. Army Air Corps in June 1944. He spent the remainder of World War II flying various aircraft, eventually assigned to a Ferrying Squadron flying Douglas C-47 aircraft hauling gasoline and ammunition to General Patton's tank units on the European mainland and bringing wounded back to English hospitals. On 13 March 1945, after delivering ammo to the front, he was shot down and forced to bail out, receiving minor injuries. He returned to the US in late 1945 and received his Honorable discharge. In July 1946, he was offered and accepted a Regular Commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps. While at Andrews AFB, MD and AFROTC Duty at Eugene, OR, he attended Maryland University and Oregon University pursuing studies in Political Science. During his career, he served at numerous bases in the Pacific, Asia, Europe and the US. His last assignment was Deputy Commander for Operations of a Strategic Air Command B-52 Bomber Wing at Amarillo AFB, Texas where he retired in May 1966. He settled in Southern California with his family and served as an Operations Manager for a large banking institution until he re-retired in May 1979. He and Lois were divorced in 1976. Prior to his move to Air Force Village II, he served as a Hospice Programs volunteer at Los Alamitos Medical Center, California for eight years. It was here he met his second wife, Dorothy Riness, who he married on 3 March 2005. Once at AF Village II, he served as a volunteer at the Health Center and during Desert Storm at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB, TX. His survivors include his two sons, Thomas and Laurence and their families; his wife, Dorothy and her children, Bonnie Maxwell, Sue Robinson, and Dennis Riness and their families; and numerous grandchildren, nephews and nieces. He was a life member of #6 SFTS RCAF Veterans Assoc., The Order of Daedalians, The Retired Officers Assoc., Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled Veterans Assoc., as well as a former member of the American Legion at Parker SD.