Jack Wofford Bird, 93 passed away peacefully Monday, June 15, 2020 at his home in White Hall, Arkansas. Jack was born on the banks of the 14 Mile Creek, Moody Community, in Cherokee County Oklahoma on January 2, 1927.
He was raised in a log cabin by his grandmother, Louann Beamer who passed away when he was fifteen years old. At that time he was placed in an orphanage school where he remained until he was drafted into the army at the age of eighteen.
Jack finished his basic military training at Camp Fannin, Texas when the war in Europe and the Pacific was nearing an end. In October of 1945 he was shipped to Japan for further duties. In December 1945, Jack became a part of an occupational military police force in Yokohama Japan. During his tour of duty in Yokohama, he did various jobs and became one of the five squad members to escort the Eight Army Commander, 3 Star General Eichelberger.
In February 1946 he had the privilege of visiting the city of Hiroshima and later was released from military duty. He returned home where he finished high school in 1947. In March 1948, times were hard and work was scarce so Jack reenlisted in the army and returned to Japan to the city of Osaka. There he was in the 27th Infantry Regimental Military Police Unit and remained until June 1950 when the war broke out in Korea. In 1951 he returned to the states and was sent to Ft. Hood, Texas.
After two years, Jack was sent to Europe where he was stationed in Augsburg, Germany. Later he was shipped back to the states and stationed at Ft. Sheridan, Illinois, Ft. Crowder and Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri where he served as 1st Sergeant in a military police company. Jack retired at the Pine Bluff Arsenal after serving for over 20 years as a professional soldier. He retired as a professional soldier for his country on July 31, 1966.
Despite the hard times, Jack had a very colorful career in the military. As a military policeman, his professional standards provided him the privilege of attending the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in Washington D.C. and many other high standard ceremonies. While stationed in the U.S., he served as an investigator hunting and arresting military deserters and A.W.O.L.S. Man hunting the country was exciting at times when the hunted would run for the woods. At one time a deserter that Jack was chasing jumped into the swollen Missouri River and said he would rather die than return to Ft. Wood. Another time he arrested a deserter who was getting married in a couple of hours. The deserter was in jail overnight and the next day he said he was glad he had a chance to think things over because he didn’t want to get married anyway.
On August 22, 1966, Jack accepted a job with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Enforcement Division in Pine Bluff. In 1969 he was promoted to District Supervisor until his retirement on July 31, 1999.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Elizabeth Ann Bird, mother, Aliza Wofford, grandmother, Louann Beamer, his brothers Gail Bird and Thomas Gourd of Oklahoma, and sister, Bobbie Barber. Jack is survived by 3 children, sons Steve Bird (Brenda) of Oklahoma City, OK, Ron Bird of North Little Rock, AR, Rick Bird (Neecie) of Magnolia, AR; four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; a brother George Gourd of Tulsa, OK; sisters, Betty Freeman of Tulsa, OK, and Vera Freeman of Tahlequah, OK.
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