DEDICATED
TO 97th BG
B-17 GUNNER
AND RADIO OPERATOR
LT.COL.
JESSE S. RAYBOURN
15th AF 97th
BG 341st BS
Material
submitted by his daughter
Laura Raybourn
[laura.raybourn@comcast.net]
Site edited and
maintained by Doug Cook
Contacts from 97th BG Squadron Welcome!
Last Update July 28,
2011
Lt. Col. Jesse S. Raybourn (USA, Ret.), age 86, of Exton, PA, formerly of
Newark, DE and Clovis, NM, passed away on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at Christiana
Hospital in Newark.
Born in Clovis on
September 4, 1924, Lt. Col. Raybourn was the son of
the late Claud Raybourn and
Mary Elizabeth Mayes Raybourn and was one of seven
children raised on a ranch outside of town.
Upon graduation from Clovis High, Jesse was offered a football
scholarship to the University of New Mexico.
But like so many
fine men of the “Greatest Generation”, seventeen year old Jesse instead
enlisted in the US Army Air Corps to serve his country during World War
II. As a gunner and radio operator
aboard the famed B-17 “Flying Fortress”, Jesse and his crew flew 51
missions in their beloved plane “The Sandman”.
Part of the 15th Air Force, 97th Bomb Group “The
Sandman” raided strategic transportation targets in Italy and southern
Europe. Jesse later risked daring
shuttle missions to free Russia and flew as part of the bomb group targeting
the Nazi’s eastern front during the Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
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Model: B-17F-95-BO |
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Transferred 341BS/97BG 7/15/44 |
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Following World War
II, Jesse remained in the military and served in both the Korean War and the
Vietnam War. He retired from his
distinguished military career as the US Army’s military Advisor to the Delaware
National Guard in 1967 after serving for 26 years.
Jesse began his
next career in his beloved Newark, Delaware as the Vice President of the
Produce Marketing Association where he worked for 18 years, retiring in
1984. He was well known in the local
community as a 50 yard line season ticket holder for the University of Delaware
Varsity Football program and was a familiar figure among the fans in the stands
each year. He was also an “almost
scratch” golfer and long time member of the Newark Country Club where he
enjoyed doffing and dancing for many years.
He was active in the Masonic order throughout his life and was a senior
member of the Scottish Rites. He and
his family also were members of the Newark United Methodist Church for almost
half a century. Jesse was also a fine
artist, champion poker player, family fudge maker and pool shark.
Despite his many
brave feats in the defense of liberty and his many fine talents, Lt. Col. Raybourn’s proudest accomplishment was his close-knit
family, including his wife of 70 years, Nita Mae Walker Raybourn,
son, Michael Raybourn, daughter Susan Raybourn Klein (Irving), daughter, Laura Raybourn (William Kownurko),
grandchildren, Ben (Barb), Adam, Alix, and Noelle,
great-grandchildren, Vanessa, Sarina, Addi, and Jilli, niece Claudia
and nephews, Randy and Bobby.
In May of 2003, Lt.
Col. Raybourn flew his final official mission. The Governments of the United States and
Russia celebrated the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Poltava, Russia which marked the end of the Russian
involvement in World War II. Lt. Col. Raybourn was flown to Moscow to be
part of the commemorative celebration in Red Square where he was honored by Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin. A celebration on United States soil was held
at the Russian Embassy and at
the World War II Memorial
where Lt. Col. Raybourn was honored by then President
George W. Bush.
A funeral service
will be held at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE
where visitation will begin at 10 am.
Internment with full military honors will follow at 2pm in Delaware
Veterans Memorial Cemetary, 2465 Chesapeake City
Road, Bear DE. (Transportation to and
from the Veterans Cemetary will be provided. )
In lieu of flowers,
contributions in memory of Lt. Col. Raybourn may be
made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 399 Market Street, Suite 102,
Philadelphia, PA 19106; or to the University of Delaware Football Program, 631
S. College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716.
To sign guest book,
visit: Spicermullikin.com