SUMTER - Gerald Johnson "Jerry" Dix, Col. USAF (Ret.), age 93, beloved husband of Gertrude Wulf Dix, died on Sunday, March 20, 2011 at Covenant Place.
He was born in Sullivan, Indiana, a son of the late Porter J. Dix and Roxie Johnson Dix. He graduated from Purdue University, where he was light weight boxing champion, and entered the Army Air Corps in 1940. He was credited with flying over 60 combat missions in New Guinea against the Japanese, and was forced to abandon the USS Pecos ship that was attacked by dive bombing aircraft. He went on to fly 70 missions in Europe including the longest combat flight ever made by a single-engine bomber from England to Poland and back. He was shot at on several occasions, survived a bullet on D-Day, crash landed on one of his mission's in Europe and became a prisoner of war for 11 months and was taken to Aviliar Prison in Frankfort Germany for interrogation. He became a full Colonel at the age of 27, was a Base Commander at Shaw Air Force Base and later was an advisor to both the Royal Hellenic Air Force in Greece and to the Colorado Air National Guard in Denver, Colorado. Some of his many decorations included the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. Throughout his career he considered himself to be a survivor, not a hero.
After his retirement from the US Air Force he returned to Sumter where he became Executive Vice President of the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, was Secretary of the Sumter County Development Board and worked for NBSC as Sr. Vice President. He loved to spend his time wood working shop making furniture, traveling and playing golf. He was a member of the Thalian Club, a 49 year member of the Kiwanis Club, the VFW Post #15, M.O.A.A. and the First Presbyterian Church.
Surviving in addition to his wife are: two sons, Robert W. Geyer and his wife Helen of Lexington and Edward H. Geyer of St. Louis, MO; a daughter, Susan Geyer Smith of Scottsdale, AZ; and a sister, Emma Josephine Runion of North Carolina;
He was preceded in death by: his parents, his first wife, Dorothy "Dottie" Lindsay Dix, two brothers, William Dix, and Edward Dix; and three sisters, Mary Hluchan, Estell Rushmore and Frances Closs.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:00am at the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Dr. Rev. Mark Durrett officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.
Honorary pallbearers will be: Kelly Truluck, Deuward Bultman, Bill Gardenhire, Bob Wimberly and Ed Hearten.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 4-6pm at Bullock Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the United Ministry of Sumter, 36 S. Artillery Drive, Sumter, SC 29150 or to the First Presbyterian Church, 9 W Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150.
He was born in Sullivan, Indiana, a son of the late Porter J. Dix and Roxie Johnson Dix. He graduated from Purdue University, where he was light weight boxing champion, and entered the Army Air Corps in 1940. He was credited with flying over 60 combat missions in New Guinea against the Japanese, and was forced to abandon the USS Pecos ship that was attacked by dive bombing aircraft. He went on to fly 70 missions in Europe including the longest combat flight ever made by a single-engine bomber from England to Poland and back. He was shot at on several occasions, survived a bullet on D-Day, crash landed on one of his mission's in Europe and became a prisoner of war for 11 months and was taken to Aviliar Prison in Frankfort Germany for interrogation. He became a full Colonel at the age of 27, was a Base Commander at Shaw Air Force Base and later was an advisor to both the Royal Hellenic Air Force in Greece and to the Colorado Air National Guard in Denver, Colorado. Some of his many decorations included the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. Throughout his career he considered himself to be a survivor, not a hero.
After his retirement from the US Air Force he returned to Sumter where he became Executive Vice President of the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, was Secretary of the Sumter County Development Board and worked for NBSC as Sr. Vice President. He loved to spend his time wood working shop making furniture, traveling and playing golf. He was a member of the Thalian Club, a 49 year member of the Kiwanis Club, the VFW Post #15, M.O.A.A. and the First Presbyterian Church.
Surviving in addition to his wife are: two sons, Robert W. Geyer and his wife Helen of Lexington and Edward H. Geyer of St. Louis, MO; a daughter, Susan Geyer Smith of Scottsdale, AZ; and a sister, Emma Josephine Runion of North Carolina;
He was preceded in death by: his parents, his first wife, Dorothy "Dottie" Lindsay Dix, two brothers, William Dix, and Edward Dix; and three sisters, Mary Hluchan, Estell Rushmore and Frances Closs.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:00am at the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Dr. Rev. Mark Durrett officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.
Honorary pallbearers will be: Kelly Truluck, Deuward Bultman, Bill Gardenhire, Bob Wimberly and Ed Hearten.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 4-6pm at Bullock Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the United Ministry of Sumter, 36 S. Artillery Drive, Sumter, SC 29150 or to the First Presbyterian Church, 9 W Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150.
SUMTER - Gerald Johnson "Jerry" Dix, Col. USAF (Ret.), age 93, beloved husband of Gertrude Wulf Dix, died on Sunday, March 20, 2011 at Covenant Place.
He was born in Sullivan, Indiana, a son of the late Porter J. Dix and Roxie Johnson Dix. He graduated from Purdue University, where he was light weight boxing champion, and entered the Army Air Corps in 1940. He was credited with flying over 60 combat missions in New Guinea against the Japanese, and was forced to abandon the USS Pecos ship that was attacked by dive bombing aircraft. He went on to fly 70 missions in Europe including the longest combat flight ever made by a single-engine bomber from England to Poland and back. He was shot at on several occasions, survived a bullet on D-Day, crash landed on one of his mission's in Europe and became a prisoner of war for 11 months and was taken to Aviliar Prison in Frankfort Germany for interrogation. He became a full Colonel at the age of 27, was a Base Commander at Shaw Air Force Base and later was an advisor to both the Royal Hellenic Air Force in Greece and to the Colorado Air National Guard in Denver, Colorado. Some of his many decorations included the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. Throughout his career he considered himself to be a survivor, not a hero.
After his retirement from the US Air Force he returned to Sumter where he became Executive Vice President of the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, was Secretary of the Sumter County Development Board and worked for NBSC as Sr. Vice President. He loved to spend his time wood working shop making furniture, traveling and playing golf. He was a member of the Thalian Club, a 49 year member of the Kiwanis Club, the VFW Post #15, M.O.A.A. and the First Presbyterian Church.
Surviving in addition to his wife are: two sons, Robert W. Geyer and his wife Helen of Lexington and Edward H. Geyer of St. Louis, MO; a daughter, Susan Geyer Smith of Scottsdale, AZ; and a sister, Emma Josephine Runion of North Carolina;
He was preceded in death by: his parents, his first wife, Dorothy "Dottie" Lindsay Dix, two brothers, William Dix, and Edward Dix; and three sisters, Mary Hluchan, Estell Rushmore and Frances Closs.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:00am at the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Dr. Rev. Mark Durrett officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.
Honorary pallbearers will be: Kelly Truluck, Deuward Bultman, Bill Gardenhire, Bob Wimberly and Ed Hearten.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 4-6pm at Bullock Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the United Ministry of Sumter, 36 S. Artillery Drive, Sumter, SC 29150 or to the First Presbyterian Church, 9 W Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150.
He was born in Sullivan, Indiana, a son of the late Porter J. Dix and Roxie Johnson Dix. He graduated from Purdue University, where he was light weight boxing champion, and entered the Army Air Corps in 1940. He was credited with flying over 60 combat missions in New Guinea against the Japanese, and was forced to abandon the USS Pecos ship that was attacked by dive bombing aircraft. He went on to fly 70 missions in Europe including the longest combat flight ever made by a single-engine bomber from England to Poland and back. He was shot at on several occasions, survived a bullet on D-Day, crash landed on one of his mission's in Europe and became a prisoner of war for 11 months and was taken to Aviliar Prison in Frankfort Germany for interrogation. He became a full Colonel at the age of 27, was a Base Commander at Shaw Air Force Base and later was an advisor to both the Royal Hellenic Air Force in Greece and to the Colorado Air National Guard in Denver, Colorado. Some of his many decorations included the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. Throughout his career he considered himself to be a survivor, not a hero.
After his retirement from the US Air Force he returned to Sumter where he became Executive Vice President of the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, was Secretary of the Sumter County Development Board and worked for NBSC as Sr. Vice President. He loved to spend his time wood working shop making furniture, traveling and playing golf. He was a member of the Thalian Club, a 49 year member of the Kiwanis Club, the VFW Post #15, M.O.A.A. and the First Presbyterian Church.
Surviving in addition to his wife are: two sons, Robert W. Geyer and his wife Helen of Lexington and Edward H. Geyer of St. Louis, MO; a daughter, Susan Geyer Smith of Scottsdale, AZ; and a sister, Emma Josephine Runion of North Carolina;
He was preceded in death by: his parents, his first wife, Dorothy "Dottie" Lindsay Dix, two brothers, William Dix, and Edward Dix; and three sisters, Mary Hluchan, Estell Rushmore and Frances Closs.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 11:00am at the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Dr. Rev. Mark Durrett officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.
Honorary pallbearers will be: Kelly Truluck, Deuward Bultman, Bill Gardenhire, Bob Wimberly and Ed Hearten.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 27, 2011 from 4-6pm at Bullock Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the United Ministry of Sumter, 36 S. Artillery Drive, Sumter, SC 29150 or to the First Presbyterian Church, 9 W Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150.
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