Chauncey, Charles Graves passed away April 6, 2018. Preceding him were his parents, Alva B and Fern (Graves) Chauncey, and two sisters, Ann Etta Trembly and Lois Jean Pratt Baldwin. Of his immediate family, preceding him was his wife Jayne Elliott, his high school sweetheart, then secondly Maxine Lehnen Caldwell (no children). He and Jayne were blessed with three children, Paul Chauncey (Michele), Chuck Chauncey, and Janie Minick (Michel), five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. His wife, Mary Green, resides here in Wichita as Green Appraisal Service.
Leaving KU he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in December 1942 and was called into service February 1943. Completing his Cadet training in single and multiengine flight training in April 1944, he was commissioned a 2nd Lt, and sent to Roswell, NM, for training in the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber. In the top 10% of his graduating class they were sent to McCook, NE, for crewing in the new “Very-Heavy” Boeing B-29 SuperFortress (the largest and most high tech bomber of WWII). He was crewed with Airplane Commander John Fleming as his pilot. The new formation of the reactivated WWI 9th Bomb Group, 5th Squadron. Upon completion of the formation of the new Bomb Group (2,300 personnel) and flight training were then transferred to the North Field on Tinian Island, Northern Marianas. His crew completed 35 Missions over Japan (13 daylight formation missions and 22 night single ship missions).
After leaving WWII active duty he went to work for his father-in-law, Paul Elliott, owner of Western Drilling Tool & Supply Co. Inc. He later purchased the family corporation and sold it in 1990. They named their aircraft “Goin Jesse”, meaning, fast ~~ going like a bat out of hell! It completed 52 missions with “no” aborts, a record over there; flew on the deadliest mission of any war to date; and July 1945, dropped the two-millionth ton of bombs for the Air Forces on Wakayama, Japan. In June of 1945 he was up-graded from Pilot to Airplane Commander and 1st Lt Rank. He is the recipient of: Asiatic-Pacific Theater w/3 Oak Leaf Cluster; The Distinguished Flying Cross; the Air Medal w/ 4 Oak Leaf Clusters and several Commendations. Arriving back in the states Aug 4th, 1945, he married Jayne Elliott and left the service in Sept 1945.
He married his current wife, Mary Green, and retired from his oil business in 1990, and they would have celebrated their 30th anniversary in July of this year. Since his WWII service days he has received several honors: the Goin Jesse crew was inducted into the Commemorative Air Force’s American Combat Crew Hall of Fame; several CAF Magnolia Awards in the Jayhawk Wing; a Lifetime Achievement Award in CAF B29/B24 Squadron; and the Lifetime Achievement Award while representing all the WWII VH Bomber Crews by the Air Force Association and Wilbur Wright Master Pilot Award. A WWII speaker for the CAF Wichita Jayhawk Wing, and spoke to many school classes of children and service groups. He was an active member of the Riverside Christian Church, American Legion and Riders, VFW, CAF, CAF B29/B24 Sqd, CAF Jayhawk Wing, Quiet Birdman, The Museum of World Treasures B-29 Docent, The Gideon International, and SEKANAIRES Gospel Quartet.
A Military Funeral Service will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, April 19, 2018 at Riverside Christian Church followed with a Military Burial Service 1 p.m. in the Winfield, KS Veterans Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to The Gideon International, PO Box 12173, Wichita, KS 67277.
