Small Town News

Beverly C. Gordon

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May 16, 1921 - June 21, 2010 U.S. Army Air Corp Master Sergeant and Bombardier

Beverly C. "Bev" Gordon, age 89 of Greenville, died Sunday, June 27, at his residence.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, June 30, at Greenville United Methodist Church, with Rev. Padgett Nelson officiating. Interment followed in the Greenville City Cemetery with military honors performed by the U. S. Air Force.

Serving as active pallbearers were, Paul Jones, Butch Tigner, Winston Neal, Frank Willingham, John Norris, Emmit Collins, Rob Willburn and Bo Tidwell. Honorary pallbearers were Bill Leverette, Claude Harmon, Jim Maybon, Pierce Tidwell, Marvin Garrett, Larry Whitlock and members of the American Legion Post 186.

Bev, as he was known to his family and friends, was born May 16, 1921, in North Conway, New Hampshire, a son of Maurice M. Gordon and Mae Davis Gordon. He graduated Valedictorian from Rutland High School in Maine. In 1940 he joined the U.S. Army Air Corp and went into Aircraft Engineering School in Illinois. He became Crew Chief and Flight Engineer on the B-17 and by the time he attained the rank of Master Sergeant he was a Bombardier. In 1941 Bev's group delivered seven B-17's to Hikom Field, Hawaii, and upon their arrival they found the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor.

Paul Tibbets was Bev's Commanding Officer. Bev was sent to the factory to pick up the "Enola Gay" and deliver it to Tibbets. When Bev picked up this plane he said he had never seen an airplane configured like that before. This plane was fitted for the Atomic Bomb that ended WWII. Bev later became the Aide to General Fairchild, who was Commanding General of the Training Command. In 1946, Bev was hired as a pilot for Delta Airlines. He flew for Delta for 35 years. He stayed in the Air Force Reserves and in 1950 was called up for the Korean War flying C-54's. Bev and his wife Babs purchased a farm in Greenville in 1970 and began a future of raising registered Black Angus and three great boys. He was a member of Greenville United Methodist Church, where he had served on the Finance Committee, and was also a member of the American Legion Post 186, the Delta Golden Wings Retired Pilots, the Delta Pioneers, and was a Past President of the Meriwether County Cattlemens Association.

He is survived by his precious wife of 51 years, Barbara Frank "Babs" Gordon of Greenville, and three sons, Bob Gordon of Greenville, John Gordon and his wife Kim of Greenville, and Jim Gordon and his wife Libby of Wesley Chapel, NC; five grandchildren, Crew Gordon, Katie Gordon, Justin Gordon, Austin Gordon, and Natalie Gordon.

Smith-Steele-Meadows Funeral Home, Woodbury, was in charge of arrangements.



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© 2011 The Manchester Star-Mercury Manchester, Georgia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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