Howard was born the eldest son of Milton Sewell and Fannie Pearson Sewell on April 29, 1940, in Newnan, Georgia. Howard was raised on a farm near the Chat-tahoochee River. Howard married local girl, Gayle Logan in 1959. Together they enjoyed sixty-one years of the joyous married life.
Howard graduated from Newnan High in 1958 and with Gayle’s support, West Georgia College in 1962. Commissioned in 1963 - Howard with Gayle and their son, Howard Jr - traveled the world during a twenty-six-year Air Force career. They were stationed in seven different states, as well as Iceland, Canada, and Aus-tralia.
Howard served as a Weapons Controller at radar installations where he was in-volved in air defense operations. In 1975, He was assigned to the initial training crew for the Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft. Later in his career Howard commanded the Seventh Missile Warning Squadron. This warning radar squad-ron was responsible for surveillance of the Pacific basin. Colonel Sewell’s last as-signment was as vice commander of the First Space Wing. The First Space Wing was responsible for Space Operations and Missile Warning worldwide.
Colonel Sewell’s decorations include: The Legion of Merit, The Defense Meritori-ous Service Medal, The Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, The Air Force Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and several other medals. His Squadron was recognized in 1987 with the Seth McGee Award as the outstanding unit in Space Command.
After his Air Force career, Howard with Gayle’s support, completed a Master of Science degree from Jacksonville State University and taught economics at Ben-jamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Alabama. He was extremely proud of three “Teacher of the Quarter” awards.
Howard and Gayle enjoyed travel, especially river boat trips in Europe. They also cruised with Royal Caribbean for whom their grandson worked as an entertainer. Howard enjoyed reading nonfiction and playing golf. Wherever they moved, Howard and Gayle were active in the United Methodist Church, lastly at Chapel Hill United Methodist in OKC. They taught Sunday School, participate in Bible Study, and spent a lifetime celebrating their faith.
Surviving includes his wife, Gayle Logan Sewell, his son, Milton Howard Sewell, Jr., daughter-in-law Emily Sewell, grandson, Jacob Howard Sewell, grandson-in-law, Michael McCarthy, brother, Richard Lee Sewell, sister-in-law, Marcia Sewell, nephew Preston Sewell, niece Megan Sewell, and sister and brothers-in-law Ger-ald and Brenda Faver and James and Lynda King.
Gifts requested as donations at this website: TheMMRF.org
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