WILSON, John Maj. Gen. John Andrew Wilson, III, (USAF, Ret.) 84, husband of Elizabeth Bunch Wilson, of Charleston, died October 31, 2007. Born July 26, 1923, in Kuling, China, he was the son of the late Rev. John A. Wilson, Jr., and Bess Gillespie Wilson. He attended The Citadel from 1942-1943 and 1946-1950 and was awarded a BS in civil engineering. He is a graduate of the Army Air Corps Pilot Training, 1944, and Air Command and Staff College, 1978. The General began his military career as an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps. After receiving his pilot wings he was assigned to the 63rd Squadron, 43rd Bombardment Group, stationed in the southwest Pacific. In 1953, he joined the West Virginia Air National Guard as a fighter pilot (P-51) with the 167th Fighter Bomber Squadron. He then became the squadron operations staff officer for the 130th Air Command Group. General Wilson retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel in May 1972. In 1982 he was appointed as the Adjutant General of West Virginia. He was the President of JA Wilson & Company in St. Albans, WV, and State Director of Aeronautics in Charleston, WV. His military decorations include Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service medal, Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation medal, American Campaign medal with Battle Star, Asiatic Pacific medal with seven battle stars, and 12 other service ribbons. General Wilson was preceded in death by his brother, MacDonald G. Wilson. He will be sadly missed by his wife of 57 years and by his daughters, Elizabeth W. Harrison and her husband, R. Alan Harrison, of Florence, SC, and Gail W. Zapf and her husband, John A. Zapf, of Bethlehem, PA. The family will receive friends from 5-7PM, Thursday, November 1, 2007 at MCALISTER-SMITH FUNERAL HOME, DOWNTOWN CHAPEL 150 WENTWORTH ST. Funeral services will be held 11:00AM, Friday, November 2, 2007, at St. James Episcopal Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to St. James Episcopal Church, 1872 Camp Road, Charleston, SC 29412. Online condolences may be sent to the family via www.mcalister-smith.com.
Posted in:
Posted on:
Link to original obituary: