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- Fayetteville Observer, The (NC) - July 23, 2004
Deceased Name: Willis Freed Lowrey
LIEUTENANT COLONEL, UNITED STATES ARMY
America has lost another soldier hero of The Greatest Generation. Willis Freed Lowrey, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army, Retired, died peacefully in his sleep at The Woodlands Nursing Home in Fayetteville, NC, USA, on Saturday, 17 July, 2004. He was 93 years old.
Freed Lowrey was born in Henderson, TN, USA, on 6 February 1911, the second youngest of seven children to James Perrin Lowrey and Anna Hornsby. At the time of his birth his father was a professor at Freed Hardman College (now University) in Henderson. While still a very young boy, the family moved back to their roots in Mississippi, settling in the small town of Senatobia, where Freed grew up.
During the Great Depression in 1931, Freed moved from Senatobia to Helena, Arkansas, in search of work. He became the owner of a successful gas station and garage in Helena. More importantly, he met the great love of his life, Helen Irene Rabb. They were married in Helena on 10 February, 1934. This union lasted 54 years, until Helen's tragic death from cancer in July 1988, and produced two sons, Mark Perrin Lowrey, born 30 March 1937, and Willis Freed Lowrey, Jr., born 25 November 1945.
Freed's military career began in 1928, when he joined the Mississippi National Guard, where he served in the 31st Infantry Division until moving to Arkansas in 1931. In the mid 1930s he joined the Arkansas National Guard, and was assigned to the 206th Coast Artillery Regiment (AAA). In 1940 he was commissioned a 2d LT of Infantry in the US Army Reserve, and was assigned to Company B, 153d Infantry Regiment, which had been one of the first two National Guard Regiments to be called onto active federal service in that year. The 153d Infantry was the first regiment deployed overseas during the events leading up to US entry into WWII, being sent to Alaska in 1941. The primary mission of the regiment at the time was to help build and secure the string of airfields in Alaska that were used as staging points for airplanes being given to the Soviet Union under the Lend Lease Act.
After the US entry into WWII, Freed participated in the Aleutian Island campaign, serving on Amchitka, Kiska and Attu. He returned to the Continental US in 1944, and was stationed at Camp Blanding, Florida, where he commanded an Infantry training company.
From 1946 to 1949 he served on the staff of I Corps during the occupation of Japan. During this time he attended Airborne School with the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 11th Airborne Division, in Japan. In 1949, he returned to Ft. Jay, Governor's Island, NY, USA, where he was the Aide to the First Army commander, MG Roscoe Woodruff (First Captain of the USMA class of 1915) until 1950, when he attended the Army Command & General Staff College.
In 1951, he returned to combat, being assigned as commander of the 3d Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in Korea. For more than a year he participated in some of the most bitter fighting of the war, including the battles of Heartbreak Ridge, Triangle Hill, Chip Yong Ni and the Kumwa Gap.
Following Korea, Freed was assigned to Ft. Benning, GA, USA. He spent 18 months as Commander, 2d Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team, and as Regimental Executive Officer. He was then assigned to the Staff & Faculty of the Infantry School until June, 1956.
In 1956, he was transferred to Headquarters, United States Army, Europe, where he served as Chief, Soviet Order of Battle Section, G2 (Intelligence). In 1957, he was assigned first as Deputy Commander, then Commander, of the 2d Battle Group, 502d Airborne Infantry, 11th Airborne Division, which was re-designated in 1958 as 1st Battle Group, 21st Infantry, 24th Infantry Division.
In 1959, Freed was reassigned to Headquarters, XVIII Airborne Corps, Ft. Bragg, NC, USA, as Chief of Operations in the G3 section. He retired from active duty in 1961. He and Helen settled in Fayetteville. Upon his retirement from active duty, Freed worked for a while as an intelligence analyst for the Army's Continental Intelligence Command at Ft. Bragg before deciding to return to college to complete his education. Taking advantage of the Army's "Bootstrap" program, Freed and Helen spent a year in Omaha, Nebraska, while he completed his degree at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. He then returned to Fayetteville to become a full time teacher at the North Carolina State University extension program at Ft. Bragg. In this capacity, he helped hundreds of NCOs and junior officers earn their college degrees. Few things in life gave him greater pleasure. Freed retired fully in the late 1970s.
Freed is survived by his two sons, Mark Perrin Lowrey and Willis Freed Lowrey, Jr., both of whom graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and proudly followed in his footsteps, serving full careers as Airborne Infantry officers in the Army; six grandchildren; and six great grandchildren. He was greatly loved and is sorely missed by all of them.
There will be a memorial service at St. John's Episcopal Church, 302 Green Street,, Fayetteville, NC, USA at 2:00pm on Saturday, 7 August, followed by a reception at the Church. Freed will be buried next to his beloved Helen in the Cross Creek Cemetery in Fayetteville. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Cause, a volunteer 501 (c) (3) organization providing financial support and aid to our wounded Soldiers hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The address is Cause, P.O. Box 218, Herdon, VA, USA, 20172.
Now that your work is done, your course on Earth is run, may it be said "Well Done!" be thou at Peace. Rest well, dad. You were the greatest in all you did - father, husband, soldier, teacher, mentor, friend.
The Lowrey Family
Fayetteville Observer, The (NC)
Date: July 23, 2004
Record Number: 954604
Copyright 2004, The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer [2]
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1911 - 2004 (93 years)
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