SCHOOL NEWS
| MUSCATINE COUNTY, IOWA SCHOOL NEWS | |
Transcribed, as written, by Beverly Gerdts on June 26, 2019Page 94
MARGARET BOHLING WEBER Margaret, Charles, and Cameon Bohling attended Old Garfield during the 1920's at the same time their mother was teaching at Old Garfield. Miss A. Marea Othmer was the principal at that time also.
She is writing this as a tribute to her bother, Charles who died in 1974 at the early age of 54 after suffering a heart attack. She is hoping that someone who read this tribute will remember him. Bud, as they called him, graduated from Davenport High School and from the University of Riverside, California.
In the book there is a picture of the first grade class that Charles was in. He is the little boy on the bottom row left. In 1963 Bud retired from the United States Air Force with the rank of Lt. Col after 21 years. During World War II he served in the South Pacific Theater of Operations, flying over 35 missions out of the Marianas, either as a Bombardier or Navigator on B-29's. He was awarded the following decorations: Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal and the Soldiers Medal. Quite a feat for a South-ender. Following the war he was assigned to Strategic Air Command Headquarters where he became a pilot on the newly developed jet bombers. He also taught and served in several other command positions in SAC until his retirement. At the time of his death he was Assistant Manager of the Security Pacific Bank in Riverside, California. He has one son, Charles, Jr, two grandchildren and one great grandchild.