Earl Eugene Chase, 82
Earl Eugene Chase, 82, died Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at his ranch in Troy.
He was born March 20, 1923, to Fred Earl and Shirley Chase in Whitefish.
Services, with full military honors, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, in the Nelson and Vial Funeral Home, 422 West Second Avenue, in Libby, followed by a reception at the Libby VFW Hall. Interment will follow at a later date in the Whitefish Cemetery veterans' section.
Earl spent his early childhood in Libby before moving back to Whitefish in the summer of 1931 at the age of eight where he began the third grade. He continued his education in Whitefish schools until he enlisted in the National Guard in 1937 at 15 by increasing his age by two years. He later completed high school as well as three years of college.
He soon transferred to the Army where he became one of the 14 members of Americas' first paratroopers, the "original 501." They were soon expanded into the 501st Parachute Battalion. The 501st was then deployed to Panama commanded by Captain William P. Yarborough, the designer of the parachutist badge. The well-known Lt. General Yarborough continued as Earl's life-long friend.
During World War II, he made about 24 combat jumps while serving with the 503rd Parachute Battalion in various battles in the Northern Solomons and other islands in the South Pacific.
After transferring into the Army Air Corps 65th Bomb Squadron (H), 43rd Bomb Group, Earl became the chief radio operator on a B-24 and was also ball turret gunner whenever the bomber was attacked by enemy planes. He was based in New Guinea.
After the war, he transitioned into the U.S. Air Force in 1946 where he continued as a radio operator, serving on B-29 bombers in the Korean War as well serving in Occupied Japan. He retired in 1960 as a senior master sergeant.
During his military service, Earl received nine medals, including the American Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, one Bronze Service Arrowhead and the Air Medal, as well as numerous campaign ribbons.
After retiring from the military, he began a second career with the National Park Service. He was assistant personnel manager at Glacier National Park, then moved on to become personnel manager at Olympic National Park.
He was later promoted and transferred to Seattle where he was contracting and property management officer of the Pacific Northwest Region. Earl retired in 1979 when he moved to Troy where he built a home and established a cattle ranch with his wife, Helen Jones Chase.
In retirement, Earl was post commander of the Libby Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1548 from 1989 to 1991. He served as Montana's VFW state commander in 1994 and 1995. He also became the national Veteran's Administration district representative for the Northwest. Earl became a familiar face in Washington, D.C., attending conventions and lobbying tirelessly on behalf of America's veterans.
He was also a life-long member of the American Legion and a member of the Libby Christian Church.
He was preceded in death by previous wives, Sylvia Pfrimmer Chase and Helen Gentile Chase, and his sister, Arlene Maddux.
Earl's survivors include his wife, Helen Jones Chase; his sister, Evelyn Maddux, and nieces, Janice Maddux and Jeanne Thorsen, of Whitefish; his daughters and their husbands, Marguerite "Rita" and Wm. Terry Hancock of Twin Falls, Idaho, and Peggy Jo and Melvin Cherry of Yakima, Wash.; sons and their wives, Fred E. and Candace Chase of Bigfork, Michael and Maria Chase of Moses Lake, Wash. and Richard and Shirley Chase of Libby; grandchildren and spouses, Wm. Hunter "Moose" and Kelly Hancock of Twin Falls, Brian and Amy Cherry, Jason and Joshua Cherry of Yakima, Donald Chase of Chicago, Traci and Tom Sowards of Auburn, Wash., Michael Chase, Stephanie and Kevin Burgess of Moses Lake, Richard (Jr.) and Lori Chase of Severna Park, Md., and Barbara and Kenneth McElmurray of Everett, Wash.; and numerous great-grandchildren.