Billie Dwight Jantzen

© Hammon Advocate

07 Nov 2002

Submitted by: Wanda Purcell

Jantzen, Billie Dwight - - Services for T SGT Billie Dwight Jantzen were held Monday, June 11, 1951, at 2:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Hammon High School. Officiating ministers were Rev. W. L. Magar, Hammon, and Rev. Albert Trent, Hobart. Burial was in Red Hill Cemetery, Hammon, Roger Mills County, Oklahoma.

Sgt. Jantzen, a flight engineer, stationed at Reese Air Base, Lubbock, Texas, was killed in a crash and explosion of a B-25 training plane Friday, June 8, 1951, at 2:48 p.m., ten miles southwest of Lubbock.

Music for the services was arranged by Brown Dugger. Mrs. John Flick was the accompanist. Casket bearers were Ted Dean, Pete Dean, Sollie Hiatt, Winfred Lister, Morris Blaylock and Shelton Dick. Honorary bearers were Art Nelson of Granite, Oklahoma; Doyle Choplin of Butler, Oklahoma; Neal Edwards of Elk City; Pete Jayroe of Sentinel; Bill Buttry of Marlow, Oklahoma; and Joe Frank Moad, Utis Noblitt, Elbert Flynt, Georgie Boulware, Bud Hollingsworth and Carl Dean, Jr., all of Hammon.

Sgt. S. J. Jones accompanied the casket from Lubbock to Hammon; among the airmen from Reese Air Base, attending the services were Sergeants Rip Edwards, Homer Miller, Chick Jones, Frank Kruljac and Clinton Taylor. {Other names unavailable.}

Relatives of Mrs. Jantzen attending the services were an aunt, Mrs. Tom Byrd, and great-aunt, Mrs. Berta Neal of Lubbock, Texas.

T SGT Billie Dwight Jantzen was born November 8, 1922, near Clinton, Oklahoma, and departed this life at Lubbock, Texas, June 8, 1951 at the age of 28 years and seven months.

Dwight made a profession of faith in Christ at the age of 13 and was baptized into the membership of the First Baptist church of Hammon, Oklahoma, where he was a member at the time of his death. When home on furlough, he entered prayer with his parents in the home and rededicated his life to the Lord, living in a consecrated manner---a new life.

Dwight enlisted in the Army Air Corps {later became Air Force} in November 1942, and went overseas to the European theater in 1944. He flew out of Italy with the 15th Air Force as an engineer-gunner on a B-24 liberator bomber. After completing 44 missions over the Balkan countries and Germany, his plane was shot down near Beslan, Germany, July 7, 1944. He spent ten months as a prisoner of war in Germany. He was liberated May 2, 1945.

After his discharge he went into the trucking business for two years, then re-enlisting in the Air Force in January 1948, went to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and later was transferred to Reese Air Base at Lubbock, Texas. At the time of the accident which claimed his life he was a Flight Engineer on a B-25 bomber.

He was married November 4, 1950, to Miss Joyce Estep of Lubbock, Texas.

His going leaves his wife, Mrs. Dwight Jantzen of Lubbock; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. E. Jantzen of Hammon, Oklahoma; four brothers, Orville of Edmond, Oklahoma; Orland of Hobart, Oklahoma; Edgar of Hammon, Oklahoma; and Paul of Enid, Oklahoma; two sisters, Mrs. Delmar Suffridge of Abilene, Texas; and Mrs. Wayne Vignal of Butler, Oklahoma. He also leaves his grandmother, Mrs. C. W. Steward of Weatherford, Oklahoma; four nephews and four nieces, and a host of other relatives and friends. His friends were numbered by his acquaintances.

We do not grieve as those who have no hope, but have within our hearts the everlasting hope of reuniting with him in the eternal presence of our Savior in the Heavenly land.