Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Ret.), served as T/SGT during World War II on the B-24 bomber "Misschief" as an engineer/gunner in the Army Air Corps. Based in Hardwick, England with the 93rd bomb group, 329th squadron he completed 27 bombing missions over enemy territory from Sept. 1944 to April 1945. After returning to the states from Europe he married his childhood sweetheart Viola McEwen on July 4, 1945 in their hometown of Fulton, NY. He was in the process of transferring over to B-29 bombers headed for the Pacific when the war ended. Discharged from the Air Corps he returned home to Fulton where he and his wife had two sons, Harry and Ralph Jr who both became U.S. Marines and served in Vietnam. He re-entered the service in 1950 as a T/SGT and flew as a Flight Engineer on bombers, cargo aircraft and radar picket C-121's. He flew missions over enemy territory in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and recon missions during the Cold War. He was awarded several Air Medal's as well as other citations for valor and military service. Retiring from the Air Force in 1972 he settled in Charleston, SC where he worked for Amoco and Charleston Slag. He died 6 Feb. 2001 after a long illness. Charleston services were conducted by the USAF Honor Guard from the Charleston Air Force Base and Fulton services by members of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars. His wife Viola passed away two weeks later, both were buried in Fulton near their son Harry and two infant daughters.
Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Ret.), served as T/SGT during World War II on the B-24 bomber "Misschief" as an engineer/gunner in the Army Air Corps. Based in Hardwick, England with the 93rd bomb group, 329th squadron he completed 27 bombing missions over enemy territory from Sept. 1944 to April 1945. After returning to the states from Europe he married his childhood sweetheart Viola McEwen on July 4, 1945 in their hometown of Fulton, NY. He was in the process of transferring over to B-29 bombers headed for the Pacific when the war ended. Discharged from the Air Corps he returned home to Fulton where he and his wife had two sons, Harry and Ralph Jr who both became U.S. Marines and served in Vietnam. He re-entered the service in 1950 as a T/SGT and flew as a Flight Engineer on bombers, cargo aircraft and radar picket C-121's. He flew missions over enemy territory in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and recon missions during the Cold War. He was awarded several Air Medal's as well as other citations for valor and military service. Retiring from the Air Force in 1972 he settled in Charleston, SC where he worked for Amoco and Charleston Slag. He died 6 Feb. 2001 after a long illness. Charleston services were conducted by the USAF Honor Guard from the Charleston Air Force Base and Fulton services by members of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars. His wife Viola passed away two weeks later, both were buried in Fulton near their son Harry and two infant daughters.
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