More detail on this person: Colonel William H.
(Harry) Harper
Living a life to rival a Hollywood action story is
something few can claim. Harry Harper was one of
the few.
Colonel William H. (Harry) Harper passed away on
December 23 at 88. For more than 60 of those
years, he was airborne. Harry logged 14,000 hours
in his flying career. His time at the stick
included six years flying helicopters for
Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson.
The Tallahassee Airport inducted Harry into its
Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Federal Aviation
Administration awarded him the Wright Brothers
Master Pilot award for 60 years of continuous safe
flying. Well after he stopped flying
professionally, he remained passionate about
aviation. In his beloved v-tail Bonanza, he
ferried friends and family to destinations in the
Caribbean and Canada and across the United
States. He also founded Eagle Aircraft
Corporation, chartering flights and training
aspiring pilots at the Tallahassee Airport.
Harry was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on April
13, 1926, the only child of Harold and Gladys
Petree Harper. In 1947, he married Jean Lipscomb,
and they raised three children: Gail, Harry, and
Tina.
Harry attended the Citadel before enlisting in the
US Army at eighteen, the start of a distinguished
30-year military career. In addition to his White
House service, he commanded the 13th Combat
Aviation Battalion in the Mekong delta in Vietnam
in 1967. In that role, he led missions to rescue
U.S. infantry in peril. His heroism earned Harry
the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross,
the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, and 22 air
medals.
After Harry retired from the military in 1975, he
and his wife Jean moved to Tallahassee. He served
as an information officer for the Florida
Department of Natural Resources and as a
Lieutenant Colonel, chief pilot, and Chief of the
Bureau of Operations in the Florida Marine Patrol.
In addition to flying, Harry was a championship
golfer and marksman, who frequently claimed his
buddies' allowances after friendly bets at local
golf courses and shooting ranges. Harry loved his
family, friends, and animals. He will be
particularly remembered for his unparalleled joie
de vivre. Harry was always the life of the party.
Harry is survived by his wife of 67 years, Jean,
his son Harry of Panama City, his daughter Gail
(and son-in-law Frank Flynn) of Fort Lauderdale
and New York City, and his daughter Kristina (and
son-in-law Don Swenholt) of Washington, D.C.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday,
December 26th, at 2:00 pm at Roselawn Cemetery,
815 Piedmont Drive, in Tallahassee. In lieu of
flowers, contributions may be made to Goose Creek
Wildlife Sanctuary, 3400 Williams Road,
Tallahassee, FL, 32311.
Published in Tallahassee Democrat from Dec. 25 to
Dec. 27, 2014
This information was last updated 06/18/2013
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association