CSM John W. Utley, United States Army

As the Great Depression advanced and people struggled for income, they moved to Cashion, OK and became sharecroppers working the land on a farm. After 3-4 years they returned back to Jones. John attended Jones School (grades K-12). He was an athlete excelling in track, softball, baseball and basketball. His family already knew the Nation Family in Jones and he had a keen eye set on Grace Laverne Nation becoming his girlfriend. She agreed and they became a couple. One year before his High School graduation, (1944) he received his draft letter to report to Ft. Sill, Lawton, OK. Since he was gone for graduation, his mother Lottie stood in for him and received his diploma. He received his basic military training in Ft. Knox, Kentucky and was held over for advanced training in Artillery. Just before finishing that training he saw a notice on a bulletin board accepting applications for the elite 5th Ranger Battalion. He applied and was accepted. He went to Ft. Benning, Georgia where he said it was extremely tough training, but worth it to him to be a U.S. Army Ranger. At Ft. Benning he was also trained for sky diving. He later went to Ft. Shanks in Upper New York for training and conditioning for winter weather. He was then transported to England by ship. France was in its fourth or fifth month of fighting with Germany at the time. He was assigned to General George Patton’s Third Army as a patrol leader where he spent time behind enemy lines seeking out missile launching ramps that were being fired into England. The Battle of the Bulge had started and General Patton’s Army went to the south of Luxembourg to attack Germans. It was at this time that he went on a scout mission to check for Germans in a particular area. He was manning a 30 caliber machine gun in the back of the jeep and two soldiers were riding in the front. It was snowy and icy on the roads. They determined the Germans were in-fact in the area and attempted to turn the jeep around to get back to their squadron when the jeep ran over a teller mine. John was thrown about 20 feet away from what was left of the jeep onto the icy ground. He could not hear due to his injuries from the explosion, but Germans had opened fire and bullets were hitting the ground around him. After hearing the jeep explosion, his squadron came in and a small battle with the Germans ensued, all the while evacuating him. He woke up in a hospital in Luxembourg. Both his ear drums were perforated, he had a concussion, three discs in his spine were damaged, his sternum was broken and collar bone was shattered. He was shipped to England by train for two months of medical treatment. The Army wanted to send him home but he said no and returned to his unit, 6th Mechanized Cavalry. General Patton briefed them for the next mission- to rescue his son in law who was held captive at a prison camp 130 kilometers behind enemy lines. General Patton feared that they would kill all prisoners when the war was ending. They traveled all night and attacked the prison camp early morning. Apparently the prison camp was being guarded by old men and teenagers and when they saw the army soldiers they threw their guns down and ran. Slowly advancing to the gate, a Lt. Col went in and found Patton’s son-in-law, Lt. Col John K. Waters and was escorting him out when a sniper opened fire and hit Waters in the lower stomach and back hip. Army soldiers rushed in, picked him up and medics started working on him. Waters was already in bad shape physically from being imprisoned. He looked very pale and appeared to be close to death. After some Officer discussions it was decided to call in an artillery spotter aircraft (L-5) to transport Waters to a hospital. The aircraft landed nearby on the autobahn and taxied down to where they were all gathered. Waters was placed on a stretcher and loaded into the fuselage and the plane. Never hearing anything else about Waters, John assumed he was dead. In 1965 J.W. was assigned to U. S. Army Hawaii, Schofield Barracks, Oahu as a Sergeant Major. They got word that a new commander of the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) was being assigned. General Carl Darnell with whom J.W. worked, went to meet the new PAC. Upon General Darnell’s return to Headquarter, J.W. inquired about who the new Commander was. General Darnell stated he was a 4-Star General by the name of John K. Waters. J.W. asked General Darnell if that was General Patton’s son-in-law and he said yes. John then shared his story of when they freed Waters from the prison camp. At some point General Darnell and General Waters had spoken again and General Darnell shared the story of Waters rescue by J.W. his squadron. General Waters flew into Schofield Barracks where there was parade thrown for him. Upon landing, General Waters asked General Darnell where is that Sergeant Major. (In J.W.’s words) “I was summoned from the reviewing stand to go out and meet General Waters. When he questioned me about it, he knew right away that I was sure enough there for his rescue. He grabbed me and gave me a big hug. It was the first and only time in my life I was hugged by a four-star General. I told him I could not believe that he survived being shot and being held in a German prison camp and General Waters agreed. General Waters told me that in the twenty years since that happened, I was the only soldier or officer that he had spoken with who was there and had knowledge of the incident. It was a lifetime experience for me.” John returned stateside to marry his highschool sweetheart Grace Laverne in 1946 before he was sent for his first tour of duty in Nuremberg, Germany. After several months, Grace was allowed to join him in Germany. He never missed the chance to brag about how beautiful she was and how many heads turned no matter where they went! Following their return from overseas they lived in Maryland, Virginia and Las Crueces, New Mexico where John was a Military Instructor for the Army. John was deployed for a short time to Korea around this time. Their first daughter Sheryl (Sherrie) was born in El Paso, TX in 1953. His next assignment was in Japan for 3 years. It was six months before Grace and Sherrie could join John due to vaccinations requirements. The next assignment was The Presidio of San Francisco Army Base, where their second daughter Janet was born in 1957. The next duty area was Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii for nearly 5 years. The Utleys then returned back to The Presidio where they lived for 2 more years before J.W.’s orders to Cam Ranh Bay for a year. Grace and the girls came back to Oklahoma City, OK to live in a new home John had purchased in 1958 while visiting relatives (sight unseen by Grace.) After J.W.’s return from Vietnam, The Utley’s headed to Ft. Bragg, but but J.W.’s father was having health issues and he was able to pull some strings and get orders changed to Ft. Sill, Lawton, OK. After being there for 2 years, J.W. was due to have another overseas deployment. Sherrie was graduating high school around this time, so John decided at that point to retire and move back to Oklahoma City. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1971 as a Command Sergeant Major. There was a large retirement parade thrown for J.W. on Ft. Sill. It was a momentous occasion for all who attended. He then went to work for Tinker Air Force Base as a Civilian Contractor and retired from there in 1992. J.W. had already started a side business of buying homes, fixing them up and renting them. His wife Grace was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers in 1987 and passed away in 1997. He cared for Grace in their home until the end of 1996 before she needed to be placed in an Alzheimers care unit. John was always determined, a true fighter, very generous in so many ways, giving to several organizations and even buying his home handyman a truck. He started college funds for all 3 of his grandchildren and bought each of them vehicles when they turned 16. He was a man of integrity and LOVED his family and friends. Judy Jackson started helping J.W. with his bookkeeping for his rental properties and quickly became his friend. Then as he aged, she became his caretaker in all ways, preparing meals for him and more. She became family to him. Another family member Fran Spengos would go over and watch football and basketball games with him which he cherished so much. John was a fanatic over The Oklahoma City Thunder Basketball Team, OU Football, any Basketball, some baseball and was crazy over the OU Womens Softball team! He was a great golfer and in Hawaii played Tournaments with Chi Chi Rodriguez, James Garner and Arnold Palmer. In 2001 J.W. was flown to Washington DC sponsored by Tinker AFB for Veterans. We give thanks to Flags for Veterans for coming to plant a flagpole for him in his yard. He was proud to be a soldier in the United States Army. He was a true patriot and loved the United States of America. J.W. was involved in many clubs and hobbies throughout his life: Rifle club, Bowling team, golf, flying planes, riding motorcycles, 4-wheelers and boats, little league coach, buying and repairing cars and selling them, boat builder, fishing and hunting. When he was a young boy in Jones, he learned to hunt and fish and would bring home food to his family. He always remembered his roots. Growing up in poverty made him strive to make a life for himself and his family. As a father, he wasn’t a push over, was strict with his girls, taught us to do things right the first time, and preached to us about making our way in this world. He adored his time with his three grandchildren Sierra Beamer, John Spengos and Jenna Spengos. He provided them so many fun times at Lake Eufaula while they were growing up. He enjoyed working with Sierra, sharing his love for hunting and fishing with John Gable, and talking with Jenna about her adventures as a travel nurse. He was smitten about his first great granddaughter Avery and even got her first unprompted “I love you.” He was charming, had a great sense of humor and was super quick witted. He loved sending emojis when texting on his iPhone. He loved his cats and had many of them throughout the years, entertained other animals and critters, and even trained his yard squirrels to take pecans out of his hands. He cherished his special connection with and Steven Smith, the son of his best friend Jim and Glenda Smith. As well as his friend John Markland and his mother Dr. Loy Markland who were introduced to him by his late son-in-law Dr. Alex Spengos, visiting and dining with them over the years, especially around their shared birthday (February 8th). He enjoyed and got along well with his three son-in-laws David, Alex and Ken. He was a real man’s man in this World. He enjoyed his special lady friend and companion of 10 years Martha Greenfield who made him smile until her passing. A shout out to all his Eufaula Lake friends who he had the best times with and all his hunting buddies whom he enjoyed all the hunts, good meals, stories, drinks and camp fires with. He was crushed to find out a few months ago that his hunting friend, Mike Brown, who helped him start the hunting club, passed away. Thank you to ALL who impacted his life in one way or another. John packed so much life into his almost 99 years. God rest his soul, he is now spending his mornings with Jesus (just as he did with his daily devotional books). We love you Pop, Dad, Grandfather, Grandpa, Gpa and Great Grandfather to Avery. You were our Hero in every way. We will miss you. With love, your whole family.

A funeral service for John will be held Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM at Memorial Park Funeral Home, 13313 North Kelley, Oklahoma City, OK 73131.