Obit of Lt. John William (Jack) Thurman (t655) - Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Wanda Purcell 2 Sep 2002 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ==================================================================== Surnames: Thurman, Todd, Eakins, Warren Originally posted at: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5YB.2ACE/5072 Lt. John William (Jack) Thurman, son of Mr. and Mrs. L.K. Thurman, was born February 25, 1922 at Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, and died at William Beaumont General Hospital, El Paso, Texas, December 25, 1946, at the age of 24 years and 10 months. Jack spent his childhood at Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Hooker, Oklahoma. He was a graduate of the Hooker High School and was a student at P.A.M.C. at Goodwell, Oklahoma when he was then called into the service. At an early age he united with the Baptist Church. On February 14, 1943, he was united in marriage to Lois Todd of Perryton, Texas. To this union two children were born, O-te_ka Rhea 2 1/2 years old and VeAnne 1 1/2 years old. He enlisted in the army about a year before he was called into service, April 6, 1943. He joined the army Air Corps and received most of his training in various parts of Texas, receiving his wings in August 1944 at Moore Field, Mission, Texas. He also received a gold identification bracelet as award for highest scholastic average. While overseas Jack was one of the eight fighter pilot chosen to escort the presidential party to the Big Three Conference. For gallantry in service he received two Presidential Citations, the Oak Leaf Cluster and was awarded the Air Medal. Jack's plane crashed in Germany and it was while trying to help his friend and buddy out of the burning plane that Jack received the burns that finally proved fatal to him. The mother of the other boy who died has been a visitor, constant friend and letter writer to Jack since he was brought to the states in March 1946. He leaves to mourn his passing wife, Lois, and two daughtgers, O-te-ka and VeAnne of Perryton, Texas, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. L.K. Thurman of Hooker, Oklahoma. His sister, Mrs. J.B. Eakins Jr., Durham, Oklahoma, and his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Juda Warren of Kansas City, Missouri, besides a host of other relatives and friends. Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK