Lt. Col. William J. Gibson USAF - Ret.

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Lt. Col. William J. Gibson USAF a€" Ret.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Lt. Col. William J. Gibson, (USAF-Ret.), a native of North Ogden, passed away at his home in San Antonio, Texas, on September 2, 2010 at the age of 90. Col. Gibson was a distinguished and decorated veteran of World War II and the Vietnam War. He entered active duty with the Army Air Corps in October 1941 as a B-17 pilot. Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he deployed to the Pacific Theater, where he flew numerous combat missions against enemy shipping and ground targets. At age 24, he was the youngest Lt. Col. in the Army Air Corps, commanding a squadron of B-29s. In the last mission of the war, he led a composite crew drawn from all the air crews in the Pacific Theater to fly the official photos of the Japanese surrender back to Washington, D.C. He died on the 65th anniversary of that mission. Col. Gibson served in Vietnam, completing more than 1,000 combat missions. He was rated in 62 different aircraft from bi-planes to jets, with more than 22,000 flying hours.

He was born in North Ogden, on April 28, 1920, to John William and Hazel Margaret Berrett Gibson. He married Beth Jensen of Huntsville, on May 24, 1946. He is survived by his wife and three children: Patricia Zanghi of Athena, PA; Daryl Gibson of Austin, TX; and John William Gibson of San Antonio, TX. The Gibsons have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Gerald R. Gibson of Pleasant View.

Col. Gibson was a lifelong member of the LDS Church. He earned bachelors and masters degrees from Utah State University and Weber State University. He was a member of the Quiet Birdmen, the Order of Daedalians and the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. He served the Air Force Association as Utah State President, a National Director and a trustee of the Aerospace Education Foundation and was prominent in the early development of the Hill Aerospace Museum. He also was devoted to his fellow veterans of the 505th Bomb Group, who met regularly for reunions under his direction.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 11 at 11 a.m. at Lindquist''s North Ogden Mortuary, 2140 North Washington Blvd.

Family will meet with friends at the mortuary on Saturday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.

Interment will follow at the Ben Lomond Cemetery in North Ogden.

In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Aerospace Education Foundation or the Perpetual Education Fund of the LDS Church.

Send condolences to the family at: www.lindquistmortuary.com