Richard Mallery

Lt. Col. Richard C. Mallery
Richard C. Mallery, 90 of Noblesville, flew his last mission on Friday, 23 September, 2011.
Richard Calvin Mallery, born 20 January, 1921 in Noblesville, Indiana, was the first born of John Calvin Mallery and Della Cragun Mallery. Richard attended school in the Wheeler, a one-room schoolhouse on Cumberland Road. He was a 1934 graduate of Durbin School and a 1938 graduate of Noblesville High School. During his high school years, he played drums in the band and participated in Future Farmers of America, 4-H Junior Leaders where he placed first in 4-H club boy swine judging in the State of Indiana. His interest is flying was sparked by his first airplane ride at Purdue University while attending a Winter Short Course. During that Winter Short Course he was introduced to experimental hybrid seed corn, and then became one of the early farmers to use hybrid seed corn.
Thereafter, as the result of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Richard joined the Army Air Corps in the Spring of 1942 and was assigned to Kelly Air Field in Texas. Richard trained as a fighter pilot and received his wings at Randolph Air Field in Texas in 1943. Early in his career, he was a flight and navigation instructor. He was assigned to the 9th AF in France during WWII and served as an A-26 Invader pilot with the 416th Bomb Group. Richard and his fellow pilots enjoyed buzzing the Eiffel Tower until General Eisenhower stopped the flyboys. As a senior pilot, he flew over 135 missions in Korea and was instrumental in airlifting the wounded marines out of the Chosin Reservoir. He was also involved in one of the largest paratroop drops during the Korean War. In addition to his tours in Europe and Africa, he served three tours of duty in Japan. During his military career, he flew over 5000 hours, 20 different types of aircraft, and was a Veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
While stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as a Liaison Officer, he flew an L-20 to Indiana and met his future wife, Eula Ileen Gibbs of Lebanon, Indiana. They were married 10 September, 1954. Their daughter, Linda Leigh, was born at Sewart Air Force Base in Tennessee, and daughter, Katrina Ileen, was born at Itazuke Air Force Base in Japan. Richard retired from the Air Force in 1964, returned to Noblesville to continue farming and became the Hamilton County Veterans Service Officer, serving from 1966-1987. He had a life-long love of farming and enjoyed raising cattle, hogs, and sheep on the Dunflyin Farms. He was especially proud of the fact that he planted corn the day before he left for Kelly Air Field. Richard had a special love of horses and often checked his crops on horseback.
Membership: VFW, DAV, American Legion, Chosin Few, Air Force Association, Military Officers Association of America, Blinded Veterans Association, National Association of Uniformed Services, Hamilton County Historical Society, Connor Prairie, Hamilton County Cemetery Board.
Honors: Military Officers of America, awarded the title of "Sagamore of the Wabash" by Governor Robert Orr in 1986 and Veteran Service Officer of the Year in 1987, Honorary Life Member of Hamilton County Senior Citizens Organization.
Survivors are Eula Gibbs Mallery of Noblesville, Linda Mallery (Philip Vargas) of Herndon Virginia, and Katrina Fossa (Anthony) of Mystic Connecticut, granddaughters Mallory Fossa, Andrea Fossa, and Natalie Vargas, brother Garrick E. Mallery of Noblesville, sister Jane Smith of Indianapolis, and several nieces and nephews.
Richard's family would like to express their appreciation of the care given by the Staff of 3 West at Riverview Hospital, Noblesville. And, a very special thanks to all the staff members of the West Wing at Harbor Manor for their great care and professionalism.
Services will be held at 2 PM on Wednesday, 28 September, 2011 at Randall & Roberts Funeral Home, 1150 Logan Street in Noblesville, with the Rev. Richard Bell officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday, 27 September from 5-7 PM at the Funeral Home. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the DAV, American Legion Post 0045, VFW Post 6246, and Union United Methodist Church of Noblesville.