Joel Owens Obituary

May 8, 1920 - January 19, 2008. Lt. Col. Joel A. Owens Jr. (USAF ret.) WWII fighter Ace and long-time Colorado Springs resident, Lt. Col. Joel A. Owens (USAF ret.) passed away January 19, 2008 at the age of 87. Joe is survived by three sons; Ned(Lisa) of Santa Clarita, CA; Jim(Kathy) and Clint (Marie) all of Colorado Springs; three grandsons, Jeff (Karen), Steven and Michael of Colorado Springs, one granddaughter; Erin(Michael) de Leon of Ft. Hood, TX, and one great-granddaughter, Norah. He was born May 8, 1920 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma to Joel A. and Ida Owens. His wife of 61 years, Joan; sisters Naomi, Edna and Katherine and his younger brother Ben preceded him in death. Joe graduated from Oklahoma Military Academy and entered the Army Air Corps in 1941. He flew 147 missions over Europe and North Africa and was credited as an Ace flying the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. He retired from the Air Force after 33 years which included serving in the Korean War and during the Vietnam conflict. At the outbreak of WW II, he was flying with the First Pursuit Group, 27th Fighter Squadron, at Selfridge Field, Michigan, and soon after was participating in Operation Bolero, the first Trans-Atlantic flight of fighter aircraft. Owens flew the first fighter-escorted United States Army Air Corps bombing raids over Europe. He also participated in Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, and the longest fighter mission recorded up to that time - eight hours and forty-five minutes (England to Algeria). He led ground-support missions over the Normandy beaches on D-Day and the assault on the bridges at Arnhem and Nijmegen in Holland. In February of 1943, Owens received a Personal Commendation from General George Marshall, Chief of Staff, U. S. Army, on being named as one of the 15 leading Fighter Pilots in the European Theatre of Operations. Awards and decorations include the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Medal with 23 Oak Leaf Clusters and many others. He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre. Some of his proudest moments were being inducted into the Oklahoma Space and Aeronautics Hall of Fame in 1995, and the Oklahoma Military Academy Hall of Fame in 2003. Services will be held on January 29, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. at Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Home. Burial will be at Ft. Logan National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Pikes Peak Hospice, 825 E. Pikes Peak Ave. 80903, or Memorial Hospital Rehab Center, 1400 E. Boulder St. 80903.