Jack L. Dillon Sr., 97, of Texarkana, Ark., entered into rest Nov. 23, 2019, in Fort Smith.
He was born in Texarkana, Ark., on Oct. 28, 1922, to Charles S. Dillon, Sr. and Alice Camilla Waldrop.

He was the second youngest of 11 children. He was of the Methodist faith and a U.S. veteran of World War II. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) at the age of 18. With war looming, he received permission to leave the CCC and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp in January 1941,. He trained on B-26 bombers and flew anti-sub service out of Washington State until May 1942. He spent the remainder of 1942 training on the B-25 bomber. In 1943, he was sent to the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean to fly anti-sub service. At the end of 1943, he was sent back to the states to begin training in the B-29 bomber. In October 1944, he was sent to the island of Saipan where he flew with the 879th bombardment squadron, serving as tail gunner aboard the B-29 bomber Dream Girl and completing 30 bombing missions over Japan. In July 1945, he completed his tour of duty in the Pacific and was sent back to the United States, where he was discharged at Fort Chaffee in September.
In January 1946, he attended Magnolia A&M College, where he met Betty Lou Grissette, who he married in September of that year. They eventually moved back to his hometown of Texarkana where he began working for the U.S. Postal Service, retiring in 1983 after 36 years of service. He was an avid fisherman all his life and in later years enjoyed his lake house on Millwood Reservoir, near Texarkana.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Camilla (Waldrop) Dillon.

He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Betty; two sons, Jack Lee Dillon Jr. and wife Arlene of Fort Smith and Robert Allen Dillon of Johnson; five grandchildren, Jami Fisher and husband Todd of Little Rock, Sara Dillon of Fort Smith, Steven Skidgel of Fort Smith, Brian Dillon and wife Shaylan of Springdale and Katie Wilson and husband Josh of Cave Springs; and five great-grandchildren.

Graveside memorial service with military honors will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019, at the U.S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith, officiated by the Rev. Sid Ree. Cremation is under the direction of Lewis Funeral Chapel in Fort Smith.