Clyde L. Willhoit, former Chattanooga Chief of Police, died Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at the age of 87. He was born June 25, 1922 in Bradley County, TN and later his family moved to Chattanooga where he attended Ridge Elementary School, Brainerd Junior High, Central High School and Cleveland State College.
At the age of 20 Willhoit volunteered with the U. S. Army Air Corps on October 7, 1942 and served during World War II with the 449th Bomber Group known as the “Flying Horsemen” based in Italy where he flew 45 missions as a radioman. Fifty missions was the maximum permitted any service member; the odds of being shot down and killed or captured were extremely high.
The 449th Bomber Group’s main emphasis was in the Italian Theater of Operation flying missions over Northern Italy, Southern France and Southern Germany. The work of the 449th is credited with shortening the war in Europe by effectively shutting down Nazi supply and transportation capabilities including shutting off petroleum. The later disallowed Germany from training new pilots though they had plenty of aircraft.
Willhoit entered the service as a private and retired 33 years later as a Colonel. He continued his military service in the Army Reserve until his retirement and was recalled to active duty during the Vietnam War as a survivor’s assistant.
The day after Willhoit returned from the war he went to work for the U. S. Post Office and later joined the Tennessee Highway Patrol where he returned decades later as the THP’s Executive Officer during the Patrol’s 50th Anniversary.
Willhoit would say that his proudest achievement was convincing Mary Ruth Smith Willhoit to marry him which she did on November 10, 1945. The couple was married 62 years with Mary Ruth passing November 4, 2007.
Clyde said he was introduced to Mary Ruth by a mutual friend. Mary Ruth was a nurse at Baroness Erlanger Hospital where she had served during World War II associated with the Army WAC. Clyde was instantly attracted to Mary Ruth and sought to date her arriving in a sharp convertible. A double date was arranged whereupon during the date Mary Ruth said Clyde’s car literally ran out of gas! They were constant companions raising four children. In later life, the two very much enjoyed traveling to annual meetings of his old 449th Bomber Group at locations all over the U. S. and once in Germany. In 2004 Willhoit helped arrange the meeting of his old group at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo at the group’s 14th Reunion with over 100 persons in attendance.
Al Allen, now 89 and living in Peoria, IL was also a Member of the 449th. Though he and Willhoit did not serve in the same unit he said that Brigade had over 2,000 personnel – 600 of whom were flyers. They flew in the P24J Bomber and he recalled a mission over Albania when they saw over 6,000 Nazi troops in a parade. Allen said the group flew in at less than 1,000 feet and wiped out the enemy soldiers below. Less than 500 of the Brigade Members survive today.
Willhoit was sworn in to the Chattanooga Police Department on August 10, 1948 as a Patrolman working his way up through the ranks to become Chief of Police in 1976. He retired in 1979 with 33 years of service.
Chief Willhoit was among the first enrollees at the then new Cleveland State Community College in 1967 where he received an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. He was a Certified Senior Radio Engineer who was instrumental to moving the CPD from the VHF to UHF Radios in the 1970’s which for the first time allowed officers to carry radios with them when away from their squad cars.
Following his retirement from the Chattanooga Police Department Willhoit was asked by the new State Commissioner of Safety Gene Roberts to join him in Nashville when Governor Lamar Alexander was elected. At his departure from the Department of Safety Willhoit returned to Chattanooga and he and his beloved Mary Ruth built the log cabin of their dreams on the farm in Bradley County complete with its own fishing pond.
But Willhoit’s service was not yet complete. Chattanooga Mayor Gene Roberts called on him once again to assume the duties of City Court Clerk during an important time of court growth and transition.
He was a member of Ridgedale Masonic Lodge, where he became a 32nd Degree York Rite Mason. Later he became a Member of the Alhambra Shrine Temple where he was an active member of the Bus Unit at the temple taking the children and parents to the Masonic Hospitals for treatment and surgery. He was a member of the Missionary Ridge Chapter Order of the Eastern Star
The 449th Bomber Group was part of Eighth Air Force, established in 1944 at High Wycombe Airdrome, USAAF, England. 8 AF was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the European Theater of World War II, engaging in operations primarily in the Northern Europe. It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft and equipment.
Clyde and Mary Ruth had been active members of the Brainerd Baptist Church for over 60 years where he was on several committees. He was an avid fan of the University of Tennessee Volunteers and attended football and girls basketball games.
He and Mary Ruth enjoyed spending time with their family especially their grandchildren and great grandchildren hosting them on the family farm where Clyde also raised livestock and did farming in retirement.
Willhoit, while assistant chief of the Services Division at the CPD, was instrumental in assisting Roberts in unparalleled growth and professionalism of the police and fire departments with emphasis on increased personnel, training, education and equipment.
Willhoit also helped secure Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) funds for the building of the then new $1.5 million dollar Police Services Center in 1974. Willhoit had oversight for its building and location on Amnicola Highway. For the first time in many years, all divisions of the Chattanooga Police Department were placed under one roof. This site was selected because it was in the geographic center of the city.
Willhoit also led the effort that in 1972 saw the department acquire its first two helicopters. He also oversaw installation of a closed circuit television monitoring system in the City Jail and parts of City Hall for enhanced security.
A verified story is that late one night in the late 1960s Clyde and Chattanoogan Gene Pike met a flight at Lovell Field with the remains of a returning soldier killed in action in Vietnam. Upon inspection of the body, Pike says, it was evident that in transit that the corpse had purged soiling the shirt of the service member. Pike told Willhoit that the man had to have a replacement shirt, “and now.” Given the hour and circumstances, Willhoit removed his own shirt and put it on the man who had made the supreme sacrifice for his country. It is the perfect example of the life that Willhoit lived – always in service and consideration of others.
Willhoit is survived by four children and spouses: Ruby and George Roettger, Knoxville, TN C.L. and Gayle Willhoit, McDonald, TN, Mary Alice and Phil Neal, Lee’s Summit, MO and Clarence W. Willhoit, Chattanooga, TN; two brothers and Spouses: Rhoten and Jimmie Willhoit, Milton, Florida and Roy A. and Louise Willhoit, Chattanooga, TN; 10 grandchildren and spouses, Joel and Stacy Roettger, Knoxville, TN, Mark and Cristin Roettger, Maryville, TN, Allen and Melanie Huggins, Ooltewah, TN, Kandy Huggins and Chip Griffin, Chickamauga, GA, Laurel and Gary Abernathy, Chickamauga, GA, Richard Armstrong, Iowa City, IA, Maggie and Esteban Minsk, New Bern, NC, Josh Armstrong, Ft. Collins, CO, Jenni and Dustin Reeve, Blue Springs, MO, Jeremy Willhoit, Chattanooga, TN; 12 great-grandchildren, Noah, Ella, and Claire Roettger, Maryville, TN, Tristan, Bodie, and Piper Huggins, Ooltewah, TN, Christian Richards, Chickamauga, GA, Brooklyn Abernathy, Chickamauga, GA, Emma and Seth Minsk, New Bern, NC, Ethan Armstrong, Blue Springs, Mo, Sydney, Logan and Lawson Reeve, Blue Springs, MO, Paige Armstrong, Ft. Collins, CO.
Willhoit was preceded in death by his parents Aner P. and Ruby D. Willhoit and his wife Mary Ruth Smith Willhoit
The Family will receive guests at the Chattanooga Funeral Home East Chapel on Thursday starting at 3:00 p.m. Services will be held on Friday at 11:30 a.m. at the Brainerd Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Winford Hendricks presiding. Interment will follow at Chattanooga’s National Cemetery with full Military Honors at graveside.
Active pallbearers will be Allen Huggins, Jeremy Willhoit, Joel Roettger, Mark Roettger, Rich Armstrong and Esteban Minsk.
Honorary Pallbearers will be former mayor Gene Roberts, Bud Miller, Gary Abernathy, Chip Griffin, Ronald G. Eberhardt, J. Michael Pearson and Gene Pike, the Brainerd Baptist Church Dixon Sunday School Class and the Alhambra Bus Unit.
Ronald G. Eberhardt, of San Diego, formerly of Chattanooga and a longtime friend and associate of Willhoit will present a Eulogy on behalf of former mayor Gene Roberts.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be sent to the Alhambra Shrine Bus Unit.
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