Born in Sterling, IL 15 September 1920 and graduated from Sterling Township High School in 1938. He married Mary Alice Janssen on December 24, 1941 and she passed away in October 1971. He remarried Doris Orr in August 1973.
He started employment at the Rock Falls, IL works of International Harvester Company as an office boy in March of 1939 and retired in 1978 after 39.5 years of service in Production and Material Management Supervision. The last four years with IH were spent with the Overseas Division in England, Iran and Turkey.
He entered military service in the U.S. Army Air Force in October 1942 and spent 13 months in the European Theater of Operations as a pilot on the B-26 Martin Marauder medium bomber, receiving credit for 68 combat missions. He was separated from active military duty as a Captain in December 1945 and remained in the Active Reserve until his retirement as a Lt. Colonel in October 1971. The last ten years of his Reserve service was as an Air Force Academy Admissions Counselor Supervisor in addition to his regular specialty as a Production and Procurement Officer.
His military decorations included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 2 silver and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart, Distinguished Unit Citation with one cluster, European Theater Medal with one battle star, Air Force Outstanding Unite award, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hourglass device and Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with a silver oak leaf cluster.
He was a Life Member of the Air Force Association, the American Defense Preparedness Association, the Daedalians, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Military Order of the World Wars. He was a Charter Member of the Air Force Academy Athletic Association, the Ninth Air Force Association and WWII Memorial. He was a founding member of the American Air Museum in Britain and the National Air & Space Society and an active member of the Air Force Museum Foundation, Arizona Aerospace Foundation, Aviation Cadet Association, BPOE, B-26 Marauder Historical Society (of which he was Public Relations Director from 1993-2003) and the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
He was a member of the Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Memphis and is survived by his Craig Havener of Albert Lea, MN and grandson John Havener of Bolingbrook, IL, granddaughter Marion Hanson of Chicago, IL, great-granddaughters Corie Ann Havener and Sloane Olive Hanson, step-son John P. Orr of Germantown, TN and his brother William Havener of Sterling IL.
A Graveside service will be at Memphis Memory Gardens at 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 20.
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