Lt. Col. (Ret.) Henry Lee Laird

SERVICE: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, at St. Marks United Methodist Church, in Brandon. INTERNMENT: will follow at Felder’s United Methodist Church John Felder Memorial Cemetery, Summit, Miss., with full military honors. VISITATION: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan 3, at Wright-Ferguson Funeral Home, 350 High St., in Jackson and 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. prior to the above service. The pallbearers will be David Danforth, Brian Laird, Tommy Laird, Julian Lofton, Steve Lofton, and Ted Lofton.

Henry was born in 1920 to Robert T. Laird and Marguerite T. Laird in Memphis, Tenn. He graduated from Meadville (Miss.) high school in 1939, and graduated from Southwest Miss. Junior College on a football/baseball scholarship. He was attending Miss. State University on a baseball scholarship when WWII began. He also graduated from the Air War College and Louisiana State University.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in July 1942, graduated from pilot training in 1943, awarded his “wings” and commissioned second lieutenant. Four days later he married his college sweetheart, Edith Felder on Nov. 7.

He piloted a B-17 Flying Fortress in WWII and his aircraft was shot down over Germany in 1944. He and his crew bailed out and he landed in Luxembourg where he was hidden behind enemy lines by a local family and listed as missing-in-action until Allied forces liberated him.

He returned to the U.S. and resumed his military career that spanned nearly 30 years. Other combat tours included the Korean War where he piloted the SA-16 Albatross on rescue missions and the Vietnam War where he directed the maintenance and repair of combat aircraft. He also piloted other aircraft such as the C-47 Skytrain, T-29 “Flying Classroom,” C-54 Skymaster, and the C-124 Globemaster II for more than 5,500 flying hours.

His distinguished military career as a command pilot also included other tours of duty in England, Japan, Spain, Greece, France and Germany for more than 10 years of Foreign Service. Continental U.S. duty assignments included Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Some of his 48 awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medals, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Good Conduct Medals, all service and campaign medals from the multiple wars, and other awards some of which were awarded multiple times.

After his military retirement he began a second career with the Miss. State Board of Health and retired 20 years later as the director of the Occupational Safety and Health Division.

He was a charter member of St. Marks United Methodist Church and over the years served as Sunday School superintendent, choir member and softball coach. His hobbies included hunting and fishing, sports, reading and visiting with friends. He was loved and will be missed by many.

SURVIVORS: Loving wife of 68 years, Edith Felder Laird; sons Hank Laird and wife Carolyn, Keith Laird and wife Carol; grandson Brian Laird and wife Renee; great-grandson Josh Laird. He was predeceased by his parents and brother Thomas Gordon Laird.

MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Marks United Methodist Church and/or Felder’s United Methodist Church.