More detail on this person: BOZEMAN - Billy
Lee Odneal, 80, a decorated military veteran, died
of pulmonary fibrosis Monday at Fort Harrison
Veterans Hospital. A memorial service is 10 a.m.
Friday at Dokken-Nelson Sunset Chapel, followed
by a reception at Riverside Country Club. Burial
with military honors will take place in Fort
Harrison at a later date. Dokken-Nelson Funeral
Home of Bozeman is in charge of arrangements.
Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Evelyn;
his children, Ann of Bozeman, Holly (Steve)
O'Toole of Sidney, Katherine of Palmer, Alaska,
and Mary Lee (Dana) Schmidt of Lancaster, Pa.;
his cherished grandchildren, Mark and Erin
O'Toole, Joshua Shurman, Daniel Faught, Lindsey
and Dillon Schmidt and Ben, Devon and Ryan
Conroy; cherished family, Larry Shurman, David
Conroy, Sam Ortega and Lee LaRue; sister-in-law
Shirley Wiedenmeyer; and nieces Wendy
Wiedenmeyer, Connie (Tom) Kammerman and
Shelley (Bill) Baker.
Billy died Nov. 6, 2006, with members of his
family at his side.
Billy was born Nov. 15, 1925, in Los Angeles,
Calif., to Frances (Thompson) and Horace Odneal.
He moved to Great Falls, where he graduated from
Great Falls High School. After serving in the U.S.
Navy during World War II, he returned to complete
a degree in applied science from Montana State
College. While at Montana State, he was
co-captain of the 1946 fighting Bobcat
championship football team, which in 1993 was
inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame. Billy married
his soul mate, Evelyn Harrison, on Aug. 15, 1949.
He graduated from Montana State College on June
1, 1950, and was inducted into the U.S. Army as a
2nd Lieutenant, receiving the William Galt
Memorial Medal. While serving in Korea, Billy and
Evelyn's first daughter, Ann, was born. Daughters
Holly, Katherine and Mary Lee soon followed.
His distinguished military career included service
in three theaters, World War II, Korea and
Vietnam, where he served as the commanding
officer of the 159th Assault Helicopter battalion,
a part of the 101st Airborne Division. Billy's
numerous citations and decorations included the
Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with
bronze cluster, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air
Medal with four oak leaf clusters and the Army
Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
Billy was a lifetime member of the U.S. Army
Aviation Test Board and holds the world speed
record in a UH-ID Huey helicopter. As a member of
the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP) a
highlight of his career came in 1978, when he was
a guest speaker at their annual convention in
Brussels, Belgium. Billy retired in 1979, and he
and Evelyn returned to Bozeman, where he received
a degree in accounting from MSU, and pursued his
lifelong passion, golf.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his
brother, Jack; and brother-in-law Al
Wiedenmeyer.
Memorials may be made to the Disabled American
Veterans, 1900 Williams St., Helena, MT 59601; or
to a charity of the donor's choice.
Condolences may be sent online to
greatfallstribune.com/obituaries.
Published in the Great Falls Tribune on 11/8/2006.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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