By Staff
Lt. Col. John S. Litchfield (USAF Ret.), 90, died Monday morning, November 30, 2009 at his Country Club home, Washington. A graveside memorial service with military honors to celebrate his life will be held 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 3, 2009 at Oakdale Cemetery with the Rev. Kevin Johnson officiating. John Clifton Belcher, Robert Joseph Tyburski, Jr., Derrick Nathaniel Belcher, Thomp Litchfield, Bill Litchfield, Fritz Tanner, Jr. and John Litchfield will serve as pallbearers.
Col. Litchfield was born in Aurora Nov. 11, 1919, the son of William Anderson Litchfield and Garnet Kathleen Bonner Litchfield. He graduated from Aurora Schools and Elon College and attended Wake Forest.
His military career began in Sept., 1939 when he entered the National Guard at Fort Jackson, S.C. A year later he entered aviation cadet training at Quero, Texas and advanced to the basic aviation course at Brady, Texas. He then advanced to pilot training at Kelly Field, Texas, where he was graduated as a Staff Sergeant Pilot in March, 1942.
Col. Litchfield’s first assignment was flying P-38 “Lightning” aircraft with the 95th Fighter Squadron at Mines Field, California, which later became Los Angeles International airport. The Colonel’s military career then led him to ferrying P-38’s to Alaska and Africa as part of the effort to halt Nazi and Japanese aggression.
In September, 1942, the Colonel was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and shortly thereafter was transferred to North Africa with the 97th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group. While stationed in Africa, and later in Italy, he shot down two German ME-109 aircraft and had a probable kill on another, besides destroying three others on the ground. In December, 1943, he became Squadron Commander of the 97th.
At war’s end, Col. Litchfield was sent to McDill Field, Fla., where he was separated from the Army Air Corps until he was recalled into the Air Force in 1951 to attend a six-month course at Command Staff and Warning operations at Tyndall AFB, Fla., where he became Commander of the school and of the flying squadron.
Following that, he had assignments at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, Johnson Air Base, Japan where he flew B-57 fighter-bombers, the Chicago Air Defense sector, Keflevik, Iceland, and, finally, in 1964, he was transferred to the 33rd Air Division at Fort Lee, then known as the Washington Air Defense sector where he was the Directive Center Chief.
Col. Litchfield’s decorations include the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal and numerous campaign ribbons.
Col. Litchfield married Ysobel Morton DuPree of Miami, Florida June 28, 1958. He was predeceased by his parents and brother, Thompson Dumont Litchfield. He is survived by his children Guy Gibson Campbell, III (Gib), Pamela DuPree Litchfield, and Cathy Litchfield Tyburski and six grandchildren: Bonner Litchfield Tyburski, John Clifton Belcher, Robert Joseph Tyburski, Jr., Derrick Nathaniel Belcher, Sarah O’Hagan Campbell, and Penelope Rose Williams.
Family will receive friends after the service or at the home later. Flowers are welcome, however memorials may be made to the American Heart Assoc., P. O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, VA 23058-5216.
You may address condolences to the Litchfield family by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com.
Paul Funeral Home of Washington is honored to serve the Litchfield family.
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