Louis "Lou" Guy Virden MSgt-Ret

US Air Force MSgt (retired) Louis (Lou) Guy Virden was born on August 24, 1936, in Haskell County, Oklahoma, and passed away in his Bossier City, Louisiana, home surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, September 3, 2022. His family joyously celebrated his 86th birthday just weeks before.

Louis was born and raised on a small farm in southeastern Oklahoma. His mother, father, and four brothers all worked hard in their fields and gardens alongside their team of mules. They never owned a vehicle; mules and a wagon were all the equipment or transportation they ever had. Louis grew to be a tall, strong country boy, and he played right tackle for the Stigler High School Panthers football team. He lettered all four years, earned an all-conference selection, and served as team captain his senior year. How fitting that years later his four children and two of his grandchildren would attend Parkway High School in Bossier City, LA – also home of the Panthers.

After high school graduation in 1954, Louis joined the United States Air Force, ready to leave the small-town farm life behind and discover the world. The one thing he could not leave behind was his high school sweetheart, Coweta Wiles. Although her first name was Glenda, and most people knew her as Coweta, he called her “Glenda C” his entire life. Louis and Coweta were married in Oklahoma on June 13, 1955. His Air Force enlistment would take him to McChord AFB, Washington; Tachikawa AFB, Tokyo, Japan; Altus AFB, Oklahoma; Minot AFB, North Dakota; and finally, to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Those were just the air force bases where he had a house and would stay in place with his family for a few months at a time. He would end up seeing so much more of the world after he completed the training and passed the tests to become a B-52 tail gunner, assigned to the 720th Bomb Squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota, in the mid-1960s. The B-52 crews practiced maneuvers constantly. He was often “on alert” on his current assigned base or off on TDY (temporary duty) in another country. Louis and his family left Minot AFB in 1968, when he was reassigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing’s 596th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. With the volatile situation in Southeast Asia, there were times when Louis could not tell his family where his crew was going or when they would return. There were harrowing aspects of his military career his family will never know about, especially during the Vietnam war. During Operation Arc Light in southeast Asia, with the B-52s taking off from bases in Okinawa, Guam, and U-Tapao, Thailand, the B-52 crews Louis was assigned to flew 289 missions over Vietnam, including participating in Operation Linebacker II, an 11-day bombing campaign in December 1972, flying directly over Hanoi and Haiphong, North Vietnam, dropping bombs during the nighttime hours. Between March and December 1972, Louis earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses for “single acts of heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.” His third Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded for a bombing mission when on “December 18, 1972, near Hanoi, in the lead aircraft in one of the mightiest forces of bombers ever amassed, and engaged in the largest conventional bombing raids in the history of aerial warfare, Sergeant Virden exhibited superior skill and heroism in the face of devastating air defenses directed against his aircraft, while totally disrupting lines of communications and destroying stockpiles of resources.” Louis survived the war, though sadly, many of his close friends did not. The cost of that conflict was enormous, both mentally and physically, but he had no regrets. He loved his country and was so proud to serve it. The Vietnam war ended in 1975, as did his flying career. Louis suffered a heart attack that year while on alert at Barksdale AFB and was “grounded” from ever flying again. No longer able to engage in the career he so loved, he retired from the Air Force in 1978, after 23+ years of service.

Louis was still a young man and found his way into a federal civilian role on Barksdale AFB that kept him gainfully employed for the next twenty years. He spent several years as a game warden on Barksdale’s East Reservation where he met four lifelong friends. His civilian career eventually led him to a completely new passion – the game of golf. He worked each day until early afternoon at the golf cart barn at Barksdale, and then hit the golf course for the rest of the day. Golfing was a true passion.

This period of his life also brought lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren onto the scene and his large growing family was a major focus for him. There were so many holidays, birthdays, and graduations that he no longer had to miss because now he was home with his family rather than thousands of miles away flying over a foreign landscape. Louis loved every minute of every family get-together. And there were hundreds of them. The last few years of Lou’s life took a toll on the tough old soldier’s body, and he began to slow down. He was no longer able to play golf and it was harder to do the things he had always enjoyed. His family was by his side often and understood that he was on borrowed time. Louis left his earthly body surrounded by his family and their immeasurable love. He was truly the heart of his clan; adored, admired, and respected by all. He was a gentle soul who will be revered and remembered for all his laughter and joy, strength and wisdom, compassion, and courage. He made friends everywhere he went and cherished the time he spent with each of them. He loved his family, and he loved his country. He sacrificed all he had for both and served them equally well.

Louis was preceded in death by his father James Jefferson Virden, his mother Louisa Lavina (Risenhoover) Virden, his brothers James Newton Virden, Everett Wesley Virden, and Dennis Lee Virden, and his only son, Nathan Louis Virden. He is survived by his wife of sixty-seven years, Glenda Coweta (Wiles) Virden of Bossier City, LA, his brother Roger Benton Virden of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, his three daughters, Rhonda Virden Failey of Shreveport, LA, Phyllis Virden Perkins and her husband Donnie of Adel, IA, and Carol Virden Reuschling and her husband Rick of Sioux City, IA, six grandchildren, Heather Collins, Shannon Pitts and husband David, Amanda Reglin, Stephen Failey and fiancé Leslie Peck, Jessica Failey, and Candice Jo Freese, and seven great-grandchildren, Desirea and Gisele Pitts, Savannah Bordelon, Ava Collins, Rachel and Luke Reglin, and Sophia Grimm, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at Bellaire Baptist Church, Bossier City, LA, on Monday, September 12, from 10:00AM to 11:00AM. Dr. Randy Harper will officiate a celebration of life service in the church sanctuary from 11:00AM to noon. Burial will follow, with a military graveside service, at the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville, Louisiana, at 2:00PM. Those wishing to attend the burial service should reach the cemetery no later than 1:50PM to join the vehicle procession up to the service pavilion.

Pallbearers will be Stephen Failey, Luke Reglin, Donnie Perkins, and David Pitts.