Obit of Lair, Herley Daniel "Red" - Caddo County, Oklahoma

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::Anadarko Cemetery--Anadarko OK

Lt. Col. Herley Daniel "Red" Lair

ANADARKO, Okla. - Lt. Col. Herley Daniel "Red" Lair, 83, died Monday, 
March 15, 2004.

A simple service will be held and burial will be at 10 a.m. today in 
Anadarko Cemetery. Arrangements are by Steverson Funeral Home.

Mr. Lair fought with dignity and independence in his declining health 
years, not wanting to burden anyone. Red was born Oct. 12, 1920, on the 
Pioneer Lair Homestead in rural Caddo County, Okla. He was the middle son 
of four children born to Walker Leighton and Sophia (Crabtree) Lair.

As a young man, Red was a redheaded, freckled-faced farm boy, a product of 
rural Oklahoma in the Depression-era dustbowl. He grew to become a 
brilliant, self-made career Army aviator and artilleryman, excellent 
husband, father and a wonderful man of character, true to his beliefs and 
convictions.

He graduated from Stecker High School in 1938, where he and his two 
brothers Walter Jr. and Merle were the core of the track and basketball 
teams. Red was activated in World War II with the Thunderbird 45th 
Division of the Oklahoma National Guard. At the time of activation, Red 
was attending Southwest Normal Teachers College at Weatherford, Okla., now 
Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

On Dec. 27, 1943, while on leave from the Army, Red married Alice Marie 
"Bennie" Benson from White Bear Lake, Minn. Red met Bennie in Anadarko 
where she was a laboratory technical nurse at Anadarko Municipal Hospital 
in Anadarko.

Red did well in the military. After graduating from Officer Candidate 
School at Fort Sill, Okla., Second Lieutenant Lair attended flight school 
for both fixed-wing and helicopters. In Pacific Theater duty during World 
War II, he flew forward observer and mapping missions for the Navy, 

attempting to re-take dozens of islands from the Japanese forces. Later, 
during his assignment to Germany, in 1953, Red flew heroic helicopter 
rescue missions as part of an international effort to save thousands of 
people stranded on rooftops in the flooded Netherlands after the Zuider 
Zee dikes gave way to furious Atlantic storms.

Upon promotion to captain, he was assigned stateside in 1954 to 
Montgomery, Ala., where he piloted at a small Army airfield. Red also 
served in Korea and attended Advanced Artillery School at Fort Sill. In 
1958, Red was assigned to Fort Rucker, Ala., where he commanded and 
piloted for the Army Aviation School. Red, now a major, was assigned in 
1962 to the HQ, Southern command in Panama, where he piloted liaison 
missions to military contingents located in Central and South America.

Upon return from Central America, Red returned to the Avaition school at 
Fort Rucker, where he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

At 47 years old, after 27 years, Red retired in 1967 from the Army and 
flying airplanes and helicopters. He and Bennie returned to Anadarko for 
retirement. During the retirement years, Red supervised the local golf 
course while Bennie ran the pro shop. Red helped coach local high school 
golf students and was instrumental in the success of several young 
golfers, namely son John Benson Lair, who was awarded a college golf 
scholarship, participated in championship golf teams and became a PGA 
professional.

Red, along with Bennie, enjoyed many years after retirement by traveling 
and visiting grandchildren, until 1987, when Red lost Bennie to a two-year 
illness. He will be interred next to his beloved Bennie.

Survivors include three sons, John Benson, Walter Leighton and Daniel 
Herley; two daughters, Mary Catherine and Susan Diane; a sister, Mary; a 
brother, Merle; five grandsons; and a granddaughter.

Amarillo Globe-News, March 19, 2004
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