Mills County, Military
Captain Jack Pershing Roll
Memorial Page
United States Air Force
September 14, 1951
Council Bluffs, IA; Nonpareil
“Glenwood Jet Pilot Dies In Texas Crash”
Glenwood-Funeral services are pending for Captain Jack Roll, 33, who was killed Thursday night in a plane collision at Kelly Field, Texas.
He was piloting a T-33 jet plane which struck the tail of a C-54 on the ground during a heavy shower. The T-33 was on a routine training flight from Tinker Air Force Base at Oklahoma City to Kelly Field.
Stationed at Williams Air Force Base, Chandler, Arizona, Roll had been at Tyndall Air Base in Panama City, Florida, several weeks for special training.
He is survived by his widow Vernelle; two sons Richard and Douglas, all of whom have been staying in Glenwood. He is also survived by his mother Mrs. A.H Roll; sisters
Mrs. Myrtle Hofmockel and Mrs. Nannie Rahr; and two brothers, Dorsey of Glenwood and Henry of Jefferson City, Missouri. Reid Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Panama City,, FL; News Herald
September 14, 1951
“2 Tyndall Field Officers Killed in Air Collision”
Jet hits tail of C-54 in Texas; Captain Roll and Major Noblitt Die
Two Tyndall Field officers were killed last night when a jet plane, on which they were flying, hit the tail of a C-54 while attempting a ground-controlled approach at Kelly Air Force Base
during a heavy rain.
The San Antonio accident brought death to Major Lewey James Noblitt, 32, a flight commander in the instrument school there, and Captain Jack P. Roll, USAF pilot, here attending instrument school.
The jet plane was wrecked, but the C-54 was not badly damaged, The Associated Press reported from San Antonio.
The T-33 was on a routine training flight from Tinker Air Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Kelly Field.
Major Noblitt is survived by his widow Emma Mae Noblitt, and two children Barbara 13 and Lewey Jr. 9. They made their home here at 115 Bune Ave. Their hometown residence is 333 W ?? Tracy, California.
Captain Roll, here to attend instrument school from Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, is survived by his widow Vernelle Harriett Roll, and two children Douglas Ralph and Richard Shannon.
Their ages were unavailable. Captain Roll was living in bachelor officer’s quarters here and his home address was 306 Myrtle Street Glenwood, Iowa.
September 16, 1951
Jefferson City, MO
News and Tribune
“Captain Jack P. Roll Dies in Plane Crash”. Captain Jack Pershing Roll of Glenwood, Iowa, a brother of Henry S. Roll of Jefferson City, was killed in a jet plane crash at Kelly Field, San Antonio
Friday morning.
The plane he was driving was demolished when making a landing when a C-54 crossed its path during a severe rain storm.
Captain Roll was born north of Centertown, Missouri on September 11, 1918, the son of Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Roll. He is survived by his wife, two sons Douglas 6 and Rickey 2, his mother,
Mrs. Hattie Shannon-Roll; two sisters Mrs. Lawrence Hofmockel and Mrs. E.L. Rahr; and two brothers, Dorsey Roll and Henry Shannon Roll. All the survivors live in Glenwood except Henry Roll.
Captain Roll enlisted in the Air Force as a cadet in 1940 and received his wings at Eagle Pass, Texas. He was made an instructor and then served two years in the Canal Zone.
Glenwood (Iowa) Opinion Tribune September 20, 1951
Jack Roll Is Air Crash Victim
A sympathetic hush seemed to fall over this community Friday morning as the word went around the square that Jack Roll, smiling, carefree Captain Jack Roll had been killed in a jet plane
at Kelly Field, Texas. The Air Force planes, any planes, but most recently jet planes, played a big part in Jack Roll’s life. But to lose it as he landed one of them, on his last “routine mission” just
a few days before he was due home! That’s something like fate!
Captain Roll, flying on instruments, in the interior of a jet craft, died when his ship hit a cargo plane as he landed it at Kelly Field, after successfully completing the last flight of
the instrument course in advanced instrument training. It was just 2 days since his 33rd birthday.
Escorted by a guard of honor from Williams Air Base, Chandler, Arizona, Capt. Roll was brought “home” for burial. The funeral service was conducted at the Christian Church, Tuesday afternoon,
with Rev. J. W. Taenzler, pastor, officiating , assisted by Chaplain Tunis S. Cordill, SAC Hq, Offutt Air Force base.
William Lugsch, Jr. dang the vocal solos, accompanied by Mrs. R.O. Wimer. A group of friends served as bearers, Ellison Van Pelt, Verris Hubbell, Charles Hunt, Nelson Williams, Howard Mintle
and Arno Miller.
Full military rites were accorded Capt. Roll at the Glenwood cemetery by a detachment from Offutt Air Force Base. A firing squad gave a full salute and an aerial salute came from overhead,
as Taps sounded a last farewell.
The Reid Funeral Home was in charge of all arrangements.
Jack Pershing Roll, son of Albert and Hattie Roll, was born September 11, 1918 at Centertown, Missouri. He came to Glenwood with his parents and family in August of 1921 where he grew to manhood.
Early in his life, he united with the Christian Church of this city. He attended public school and graduated from high school in 1935.
On August 27, 1939, he was married to Vernelle Harriett May. To this union, two children were born, Douglas Ralph, age 6 years, and Richard Shannon, age 2 years, all of whom survive him.
Early in World War II, he enlisted in the Air Force, and reported for duty at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri on January 31, 1942.
He took his primary training at Jones Field, Borham, Texas, his basic training at Perrin Field, Sherman, Texas and advanced training at Eagle Pass, Texas, where he received his “Wings”.
He returned to Sherman as basic instructor and was sent from there to Randolph Field to train Chinese flyers for which he received “Wings” from the Chinese government.
Later, he was sent to France Field, Canal Zone, where he served as an instructor for twenty two months.
The following two years he was an instructor in jet aircraft at Williams Air Base Chandler, Arizona.
In July of this year, he was sent to Tyndall Field, Panama City, Florida for eight weeks of advanced instrument training. The course would have been finished today.
Photos and news paper articles contributed by Stacy (Roll) Page, 2018. |