GEORGE ROBERT ACHESON
He was also somewhat of a non-conformist and remained that ways too until his death in August of 1985. This did not endear him to his fellow classmates at Ft Sam Houston, Brooks Field, Crocket Field and Kelly Field Flying Schools. This characteristic of his, and his kinship with the inlisted man also was to aggravate other officers he met and worked with in the years to come.
While in fying school he often "buzzed" houses, cars and anything else he could find. This habit got him into a lot of trouble and almost got him thrown out of flying school.
During this time, a friend set him up with a blind date, that ended up several months later in his marriage to Barbara Corrinne Moore in Galveston, Texas in July of 1927. Since this was against the rules of the Army Flying school, they had to keep their marriage a secret until he was awarded his Lt. bars and graduated.
Connie & Bob in happier times------>
during WWII in Florida
Together they had four children, only
three of them lived to maturity. They were Virginia, Roberta (that's me),
Robert and Margaret (who died at two and a half months of age, as a premature
baby). He and his family traveled a lot from Texas, to New York, to Illinois, to Hawaii and finally when the US
entered world War II they were living in Florida.
Bob continued to rise up in the ranks of the military, from a buck private in Panama to the rank of Maj. General in charge of the Air Material Depot in Middletown, Pennsylvania. Along the way he became a Command Pilot and fought the war in Europe, flying a B24 Liberator. He dropped bombs in Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Ploesti Oil fields of Romania to name a few. His baby daughter Margaret, whom he had never seen, died and he could not take time to go home to bury her. He watched his cousin die in his arms, when a German plane strafed his own plane. He watched his men being shot, suffering and dying before his eyes and his heart cried for their loss. These things changed him greatly and took a big toll on his life. He still loved his family but he and his wife had grown in different directions. They agreed to end their marriage after a long and drawn out court fight having been married for 28 years.
Bob had faced many adversities in his life and he would survive the divorce and continued traveling with the military to Japan, Alaska and many other places.
It was in Kansas that he met another lady he would
fall in love with. Her name was Virginia Harmon.
<-----Bob, Virginia and their first grandchild, Jimmie in Connecticut in 1954
She became his wife and
they spent the rest of their lives together.
They also had a beautiful daughter
together, they named Ann while in Alaska. Bob was now in his 50's and the effects of his aging
and rich life style was catching up with him. He discovered he was afflicted
with diabetes and had to give up flying his own airplane. He said that was
the hardest thing he ever did.
He retired after thirty three years in the service after flying everything from flying Jennys to B52's. He received many medals and was given an honary Doctorate from his old alma mater the University of Maine.
In his remaining years he returned to Texas and suffered from Parkinson's disease. His death was a slow progress that only people suffering with that disease or seeing a love one with it, can comprehend.
It was in Texas that he learned to soar like an eagle and it was here that his wings were clipped forever.He is buried in a Ft Sam Houston National Cemetary, in San Antonio Texas.
He ruled his life, his family and his men with an iron hand, but sometimes the tender side of him would emerge. The people that knew him either loved him or hated him; there was no in between. But no matter what you think, he made his mark and you knew when "the Big A" (as they sometimes called him), or Big Bob" was around.
He will be deeply missed by those of us who loved him.
<-----PAPPY ACHESON
Wherever he is NOW, I sincerely hope he is STILL flying high!