The love of flying came early for Major Stewart. Yup, that is his real first name.

He was born in Gooseneck Bend, a swing in the river, 9 miles east of Muskogee,
OK. His mother Ethel died in childbirth when he was 6 years old. Shortly after the
death of his mother and sister, he was out at his Dad's farm. He was watching his
father plow with a cultivator when he heard a plane overhead. He looked up and
saw a plane doing Immelmans (Wikipedia: ½ looping up followed by half a roll) and slow rolls.

The pilot landed, cut his engine and came out of a tail spin, and walked over to
Major and his Dad. He chatted then flew away. Major whittled wood airplanes
for the next 6 years while he went to school in Boynton.

As a child, he lived with different relatives of his Mom, the Simmons, and Dad, the
Stewarts. As a paperboy in Boynton, he knew everyone in town and had many
colorful memories.

In junior high, he discovered the autobiography of Baron von Richthofen, "The
Red Baron", WWI ace. He read everything he could about flying¸ especially
Daredevil Aces. He even joined the 4-H Club so he could go to Muskogee to see a
master rod of a Pratt & Whitney radial aircraft engine.

WWII changed everything except his hope to be a pilot. Major and 3 high school
buddies joined the Army Air Corp in August 1941. One of the young men became
his very best friend, Frank Ashlock (B-17s). They were very close. Frank often told
Dad that he was lucky to have flown with 2 great Stewarts, Jimmy (of movie fame)
and Major. Later as First Lieutenant, Major lead a squadron of 48 B-24 bombers
in the bombing of Baleek Papan, which was a highly defended refinery that
produced 30% of Japan's military fuel. On the longest flight of a B-24 in WWII,
the planes flew a 17 hour mission. Major received the Distinguished Flying Cross
for this mission (one of 70). His family did not know of this award until finding a
letter in a bag of important papers a few years ago.

Major had a million war stories but his favorites were about his crew and the
planes. A family favorite is the story of his solo flight. After a few bounces on
landing with the trainer, the trainer unexpectedly sent him up alone and told him
to make 2 good landings. Major did & lost his hat. He asked the trainer, "Why
did you solo me today?" The trainer quipped, "Whenever I get a student that I
think is going to kill himself, I solo him."

After the war, he married his true love Jeanne Hardy in 1946. He then worked on
planes at the Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City, OK. Major and Jeanne had a
girl Patricia and a son Michael, and later 4 granddaughters, 5 great-grandchildren,
and a great-great-grandson.

While at Tinker, Major went to night school and graduated from the University of
Central Oklahoma with a bachelors in math. In 1958, he taught math in Grove ,
Oklahoma. He took a one year break to attend the University of Illinois. He and
44 other math instructors in the US were selected by the Kennedy administration
to write the "new math" textbooks. He received his masters in math in 1962.

As a reserve veteran, he received his rank of Lt. Colonel in the Air Force in 1963.

In 1965, Major and Jeanne moved to southern California where they continued
teaching math and English respectively (she got her masters at Northeastern State
in Tahlequah, Ok). They enjoyed flying his Stinson L-5 (WWII trainer), boating and
traveling.

In the late seventies, Major and Jeanne retired to Red Springs, Texas. They
absolutely loved their new home. They told their family that the "fine people" of
Red Springs and Seymour had "no match on earth". Good years.

In his 90's, Major enjoyed talking about planes and the exploits of the 22nd Bomb
Group, detailed in "Revenge of the Red Raiders" (Evans). His plane "Buzz Job" is
pictured in volume 4 of the kindle version on amazon.com.

In 2014, he and other WWII veterans were given the Keys to the City in Cedar
Park, TX outside Austin. A short video of him talking is shown at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9Z-LL01AKpA

Later, in 2015, an historian of National Museum of the Pacific War in
Fredericksburg Museum, interviewed Major and asked, "Did you ever want to be
a fighter pilot?" Major answered, "You wanted to fly everything you saw. But
sure, I wanted to be a fighter pilot. You get a little more glory."

Later the interviewer asked, "What was it like flying a B-25?" Major replied, "Was
almost like a dream."

A few months later, Congressman John Carter of the 31st District of Texas
presented Major with a Congressional Veteran Commendation for his wartime
service and community involvement after the war.

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2015-10-21/html/CREC-2015-10-21-pt1-
PgE1503-3.htm

Sadly at the end of 2015, Major lost his best co-pilot, Jeanne. On many a day, he
showed more courage than in the war facing decline without his mate. His best
friends Ron and Margaret helped him keep a sense of humor and competitiveness
at dominoes. In 2016, his son Mike moved him to the veterans home in Norman,
Ok to be closer to family. An angel Valerie befriended Major and kept him
laughing, involved in activities, and connected with his daughter Pat in California
by SKYPE. He became ill in November and passed at the age of 94.

Until his final years, Major could memorize a full-page poem after reading it once
or twice. Jeanne was a poet and Major was her narrator. Also, a night owl, Major
usually watched the TV sign off each night to watch his favorite poem on video.
(60's version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoL-KCFbIpA

There are no better words to describe Major's love of flight and his maker than
the poem by Canadian pilot, John Gillispie Magee, Jr.,

Private interment for Major and Imogene Stewart will be held at Pioneer Cemetery
in Wagoner, Oklahoma.