Robert (Bob) Walton was born Feb. 24, 1923, to Roy and Ruth Walton at his grandfather’s house in Leedey, Okla. The attending doctor charged $15.

The first school he went to was a one room school. All eight grades were in one room with one teacher. Bob was the smartest one in his grade, he was the only one in his grade. Bob graduated from Leedey High School in 1941.

After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he joined the Army Air Corp. He became a second lieutenant before he was 21. He went through B-17 school and then went to McDill field to assemble a crew. They picked up a new B-17 and flew it over the North Atlantic to England. Bob was the commander with a total of 300 flying hours. He completed 35 missions in the 8th Air Force, flying from England over Germany. After he returned to the states he went through airline pilot school learning how to fly C-54’s. He was assigned to Travis AFB to fly over the Pacific. He commanded one airplane that flew into Japan to pick up prisoners of war.

He was assigned to Hanede airport near Tokyo and flew diplomatic missions to Manila, Shanghai and Peiping then back to Tokyo. He spent three days at each stop. On one stopover in Shanghai, he went to a dance at the French Club. He met Marianna (Mara) Nadeyeff there. They dated several times. Bob got out of the Air Force to go to college. He and Mara corresponded and they decided to get married. She flew to the states and they were married on Christmas day 1947.

When the Korean war started, Bob was recalled to the Air Force. He was assigned to McChord AFB. After that, Bob and Mara were assigned to Maine, Delaware, California, Florida, then back to England, to Kansas and back to California. Bob was in missiles at Vandenberg AFB. In the year before he retired, he was the commander on the four Thor missile launches. One put the first weather satellite into orbit, a first for a military crew. After over 10,000 hours of flying time, over a year in the air, mostly in 4 engine propeller planes, he retired at age 47 to become a full time fisherman and prospector.

Bob and Mara spent 40 years in Lompoc, Calif., they moved to Whidbey Island in 2004, then to the Regency Retirement home in 2008.

Bob died peacefully at Ebey’s beach, June 7, 2012, exactly one week after his beloved wife. He is survived by daughters Elaina in Coupeville, Diane of Colorado, and son Bill of California, five grandchildren and two great grandkids.

There will be a joint memorial service for Bob and Mara Saturday, June 23, at 2 p.m. at Burley Funeral Chapel in Oak Harbor. Full military honors will be presented.