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Lee, Wendell Ray ("TV Lee"), CMSgt.
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Contact Info
Home Town Paul's Valley, OK
Last Address Novato, CA
Date of Passing Jan 10, 2010
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Age 84, passed away in his sleep, Sunday January 10, 2010. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Anita Lee, his two sons Tommy Ryan Lee and Terry Donald Lee, his grandchildren Ryan, Joseph, Amanda, David, and Jackie and by his great-granddaughter, Kaitlyn Jeanne Ross.
Wendell was born Aug. 19, 1925 in Pauls Valley, Okla., to Genevieve and Lawrence Lee. He graduated from Pauls Valley High School in 1942 and attended Oklahoma State University before joining the Army in 1943. He served 20 years on active duty in the United States Air Force. Lee flew 23 missions with the 8th Air Force over Europe and returned home to marry Anita Calkins, the love of his life. He went on to serve in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, retiring at the rank of Chief Master Sergeant (E-9). His service decorations include the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Presidential Unit Citation, Good Conduct Medal with two bronze service stars, European/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the WWII Victory Medal.
After his retirement from Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato, Calif., he worked as the general manager of a local cable television company for 15 years, earning the nickname ''TV Lee''. He was a member of the Hamilton-Petaluma Masonic Lodge 180, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Disabled Veterans, and the 490th Bomb Group Association, the Novato Rotary Club and the Sacramento Woodworkers Association.
A viewing will be held at Keaton's Redwood Chapel, 1801 Novato Blvd., Novato, on January 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the Hamilton Center Unity Chapel on January 31 at 3 p.m., with a reception to follow. Burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
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2003 Interview w/ CMSgt Lee:
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Central Europe Campaign (1945)
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
May / 1945
Description On March 22, 1945, the U.S. Third Army established a second salient, in addition to the one at Remagen, across the Rhine River at Oppenheim, 288 miles southwest of Berlin. The next day its troops also crossed the river at Boppard, 40 miles northwest of Oppenheim. Farther north, British and Canadian forces went across near Wesel, 65 miles northwest of Bonn. Ninth Air Force and Royal Air Force troop carriers and gliders dropped an American and a British airborne division north of Wesel on March 24, while the U.S. Ninth Army crossed the river 10 miles southeast of Wesel. The next day the U.S. First Army began an advance into Germany from Remagen, just south of Bonn, and on March 26 the Seventh Army crossed the Rhine River north of Mannheim, about 25 miles south of Oppenheim. Five days later, on March 31, French troops crossed the Rhine 10 miles south of Mannheim.
Before the Allied armies began crossing the Rhine in force, Allied air forces bombed and strafed German positions in the contested areas along the river. Heavy bombers also flew battlefield interdiction missions between March 21 and 24, before returning to strategic bombardment missions against targets in Germany. Although little of strategic value remained because of the destruction wrought by the
combined bomber offensive, oil refineries and fuel depots remained primary targets.
The Luftwaffe could no longer effectively oppose the heavy bombers nor could it provide close air support for retreating German troops.
When fuel was available, the enemy continued to intercept Allied bomber formations with a few fighter aircraft. On the battle front, AAF fighter-bombers flew close air support and tactical reconnaissance missions for Allied forces, while medium bombers attacked bridges, trucks, troop concentrations, railroads, and airfields. Troop carrier and transport aircraft flew critically needed supplies to forward airfields that had been rebuilt by aviation engineers behind the advancing Allied armies. After delivering supplies, the pilots loaded wounded soldiers and liberated prisoners of war and returned them to the rear areas. The last mission of the AAF's heavy bombers in Europe involved flying supplies to the starving population in The Netherlands.
