m: Frances Marie Lemon 28 May 1942 in Seattle, King Co, WA
Out of a crew of fourteen men, 1st Lt. Earl Rigor, of Corvallis, Oregon, was the second navigator aboard the B50 bomber "Lucky Lady II" during its nonstop flight round-the-world taking place from February 26 to March 2, 1949. The flight covered 23,452 miles in three days, 22 hours and one minute with four in-flight refuelings, over the Azores, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Hawaii. For the mission, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and later received the MacKay Trophy, given annually for the most meritorious Air Force flight of the Year. (Bios by Teresa)
Corvallis Gazette-Times, July 20, 1979
LT Col. Earl Lake Rigor, 61, whose mother, Ivy (Mrs. Cecil) and brother, Paul, live in Corvallis, died July 8 in Central Washington Hospital. Col, Rigor and his family have been living in Waterville, since 1974. Col. Rigor retired from the Air Force in 1960. After completing a course at Heald Business College of Accounting in San Francisco, he worked there as a bookkeeper for the Men's Clothing Union. He also was employed by Big Bend Motors after the family moved to JVaterville. He was born Feb. 13, 1918, in Everton, Ind.
When he was 3 years old, the family moved to Albuquerque, N.M., and then to Albany and Corvallis. He completed high school at Monroe Union High School. In 1937 he joined the Army and was in the coast artillery at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He entered the Air Force and served in the China-Burma-India theater, flying C-47s and C-46s. During World War II, he accrued 364 combat flying hours and had 91 combat missions.
In February 1949, Col. Rigor was one of the navigators on the B-50, Lucky Lady II, that flew non-stop around the world. The colonel also served in Korea in 1951, flying 55 B-26 combat missions totaling 230 hours. Among other decorations, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters and the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He was a member of the Waterville Federated Church, Badger Mountain Lodge No. 57, A.F. A.M., Islam Shrine in San Francisco, Harmony Chapter No. 56, Order of Eastern Star, and the Air Force Retired Officers Association. He was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Survivors besides his mother, Ivy, and brother, Paul, of Corvallis, are his wife, the former Frances Marie Lemon, whom he married on May 28, 1942, in Seattle, a son, Gary Earl Rigor of Maple a daughter, Jerie Lynne Serrano of Waterville; three other brothers, Laurence of Elkton, John of Riverside. and Raymond of Milwaukie; two sisters, Mary Lou Tyree of Manassas, and Doris Kindrick of Springfield, and three grandchildren. Services with military and Masonic honor rites were held July 12 with burial in the Waterville Cemetery. The family has suggested memoriali to the Waterville Clinic, Waterville, Wash..
Out of a crew of fourteen men, 1st Lt. Earl Rigor, of Corvallis, Oregon, was the second navigator aboard the B50 bomber "Lucky Lady II" during its nonstop flight round-the-world taking place from February 26 to March 2, 1949. The flight covered 23,452 miles in three days, 22 hours and one minute with four in-flight refuelings, over the Azores, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Hawaii. For the mission, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and later received the MacKay Trophy, given annually for the most meritorious Air Force flight of the Year. (Bios by Teresa)
Corvallis Gazette-Times, July 20, 1979
LT Col. Earl Lake Rigor, 61, whose mother, Ivy (Mrs. Cecil) and brother, Paul, live in Corvallis, died July 8 in Central Washington Hospital. Col, Rigor and his family have been living in Waterville, since 1974. Col. Rigor retired from the Air Force in 1960. After completing a course at Heald Business College of Accounting in San Francisco, he worked there as a bookkeeper for the Men's Clothing Union. He also was employed by Big Bend Motors after the family moved to JVaterville. He was born Feb. 13, 1918, in Everton, Ind.
When he was 3 years old, the family moved to Albuquerque, N.M., and then to Albany and Corvallis. He completed high school at Monroe Union High School. In 1937 he joined the Army and was in the coast artillery at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He entered the Air Force and served in the China-Burma-India theater, flying C-47s and C-46s. During World War II, he accrued 364 combat flying hours and had 91 combat missions.
In February 1949, Col. Rigor was one of the navigators on the B-50, Lucky Lady II, that flew non-stop around the world. The colonel also served in Korea in 1951, flying 55 B-26 combat missions totaling 230 hours. Among other decorations, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters and the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He was a member of the Waterville Federated Church, Badger Mountain Lodge No. 57, A.F. A.M., Islam Shrine in San Francisco, Harmony Chapter No. 56, Order of Eastern Star, and the Air Force Retired Officers Association. He was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Survivors besides his mother, Ivy, and brother, Paul, of Corvallis, are his wife, the former Frances Marie Lemon, whom he married on May 28, 1942, in Seattle, a son, Gary Earl Rigor of Maple a daughter, Jerie Lynne Serrano of Waterville; three other brothers, Laurence of Elkton, John of Riverside. and Raymond of Milwaukie; two sisters, Mary Lou Tyree of Manassas, and Doris Kindrick of Springfield, and three grandchildren. Services with military and Masonic honor rites were held July 12 with burial in the Waterville Cemetery. The family has suggested memoriali to the Waterville Clinic, Waterville, Wash..
m: Frances Marie Lemon 28 May 1942 in Seattle, King Co, WA
Out of a crew of fourteen men, 1st Lt. Earl Rigor, of Corvallis, Oregon, was the second navigator aboard the B50 bomber "Lucky Lady II" during its nonstop flight round-the-world taking place from February 26 to March 2, 1949. The flight covered 23,452 miles in three days, 22 hours and one minute with four in-flight refuelings, over the Azores, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Hawaii. For the mission, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and later received the MacKay Trophy, given annually for the most meritorious Air Force flight of the Year. (Bios by Teresa)
Corvallis Gazette-Times, July 20, 1979
LT Col. Earl Lake Rigor, 61, whose mother, Ivy (Mrs. Cecil) and brother, Paul, live in Corvallis, died July 8 in Central Washington Hospital. Col, Rigor and his family have been living in Waterville, since 1974. Col. Rigor retired from the Air Force in 1960. After completing a course at Heald Business College of Accounting in San Francisco, he worked there as a bookkeeper for the Men's Clothing Union. He also was employed by Big Bend Motors after the family moved to JVaterville. He was born Feb. 13, 1918, in Everton, Ind.
When he was 3 years old, the family moved to Albuquerque, N.M., and then to Albany and Corvallis. He completed high school at Monroe Union High School. In 1937 he joined the Army and was in the coast artillery at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He entered the Air Force and served in the China-Burma-India theater, flying C-47s and C-46s. During World War II, he accrued 364 combat flying hours and had 91 combat missions.
In February 1949, Col. Rigor was one of the navigators on the B-50, Lucky Lady II, that flew non-stop around the world. The colonel also served in Korea in 1951, flying 55 B-26 combat missions totaling 230 hours. Among other decorations, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters and the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He was a member of the Waterville Federated Church, Badger Mountain Lodge No. 57, A.F. A.M., Islam Shrine in San Francisco, Harmony Chapter No. 56, Order of Eastern Star, and the Air Force Retired Officers Association. He was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Survivors besides his mother, Ivy, and brother, Paul, of Corvallis, are his wife, the former Frances Marie Lemon, whom he married on May 28, 1942, in Seattle, a son, Gary Earl Rigor of Maple a daughter, Jerie Lynne Serrano of Waterville; three other brothers, Laurence of Elkton, John of Riverside. and Raymond of Milwaukie; two sisters, Mary Lou Tyree of Manassas, and Doris Kindrick of Springfield, and three grandchildren. Services with military and Masonic honor rites were held July 12 with burial in the Waterville Cemetery. The family has suggested memoriali to the Waterville Clinic, Waterville, Wash..
Out of a crew of fourteen men, 1st Lt. Earl Rigor, of Corvallis, Oregon, was the second navigator aboard the B50 bomber "Lucky Lady II" during its nonstop flight round-the-world taking place from February 26 to March 2, 1949. The flight covered 23,452 miles in three days, 22 hours and one minute with four in-flight refuelings, over the Azores, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Hawaii. For the mission, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and later received the MacKay Trophy, given annually for the most meritorious Air Force flight of the Year. (Bios by Teresa)
Corvallis Gazette-Times, July 20, 1979
LT Col. Earl Lake Rigor, 61, whose mother, Ivy (Mrs. Cecil) and brother, Paul, live in Corvallis, died July 8 in Central Washington Hospital. Col, Rigor and his family have been living in Waterville, since 1974. Col. Rigor retired from the Air Force in 1960. After completing a course at Heald Business College of Accounting in San Francisco, he worked there as a bookkeeper for the Men's Clothing Union. He also was employed by Big Bend Motors after the family moved to JVaterville. He was born Feb. 13, 1918, in Everton, Ind.
When he was 3 years old, the family moved to Albuquerque, N.M., and then to Albany and Corvallis. He completed high school at Monroe Union High School. In 1937 he joined the Army and was in the coast artillery at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He entered the Air Force and served in the China-Burma-India theater, flying C-47s and C-46s. During World War II, he accrued 364 combat flying hours and had 91 combat missions.
In February 1949, Col. Rigor was one of the navigators on the B-50, Lucky Lady II, that flew non-stop around the world. The colonel also served in Korea in 1951, flying 55 B-26 combat missions totaling 230 hours. Among other decorations, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters and the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He was a member of the Waterville Federated Church, Badger Mountain Lodge No. 57, A.F. A.M., Islam Shrine in San Francisco, Harmony Chapter No. 56, Order of Eastern Star, and the Air Force Retired Officers Association. He was an avid reader and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Survivors besides his mother, Ivy, and brother, Paul, of Corvallis, are his wife, the former Frances Marie Lemon, whom he married on May 28, 1942, in Seattle, a son, Gary Earl Rigor of Maple a daughter, Jerie Lynne Serrano of Waterville; three other brothers, Laurence of Elkton, John of Riverside. and Raymond of Milwaukie; two sisters, Mary Lou Tyree of Manassas, and Doris Kindrick of Springfield, and three grandchildren. Services with military and Masonic honor rites were held July 12 with burial in the Waterville Cemetery. The family has suggested memoriali to the Waterville Clinic, Waterville, Wash..
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NAVIGATOR FOR THE FIRST NON-STOP FLIGHT AROUND THE WORLD FEB 26 TO MAR 2, 1949
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