Aviator's flag to fly over Conrad Cemetery

At 1 p.m. Monday, United Veterans of the Flathead will hoist the casket flag of an unsung hero over the veterans memorial monument in C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery.

The ceremony continues a Memorial Day tradition of spotlighting a veteran by flying his flag for the next year.

Jay Ivan Shoop earned the honor, according to his friend Carol Fontaine. Fontaine and her husband, Clark, met Shoop and his wife Gladys years ago.

"He was as wonderful a guy as you ever want to meet," she said.

Shoop was 86 when he died in February this year. People in the Flathead Valley knew him from the 40 years he operated the Datsun dealership called Shoop Motors in partnership with his wife, Gladys.

Few knew of his heroic military service as a member of the Flying Sergeants during World War II. Fontaine said Shoop almost never spoke about his exploits flying numerous missions over New Guinea.

"He was a quiet, unsung hero," she said.

It wasn't until after Shoop's death that Fontaine found his log book. She then learned of the many close calls he encountered after enlisting in the Army Air Corps in April 1942 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Fontaine could almost feel the adrenaline as she read references to "ack ack holes, intercepted, intercepted, Wow! - tail shot up but good."

Shoop was sent to New Guinea in May 1943, where he flew more than 50 missions with the 5th Air Force. He received a battlefield commission to first lieutenant and several medals, including a Distinguished Flying Cross, a Distinguished Flying Cross Oak Leaf Cluster and a Silver Star.

Fontaine eventually learned why Shoop rarely spoke of his war experiences: He carried a lifelong burden of guilt familiar to many survivors of battles.

"He said, 'When your best friend and wing man are shot down instead of you, you don't want to talk about it,'" she said.

But over a decade of friendship, she managed to draw from him a few stories from those days.

Shoop told her of one instance when he asked his men to jump out of his plane when he flew low over water because he feared he would crash-land. But they all refused.

"They said, 'If you're going down, we are too,'" Fontaine said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Another story demonstrated the ingenuity required of pilots and crew in those days.

Shoop told Fontaine of a mission in which the hydraulics of the Douglas A-20 plane were severely shot up. He could fly straight and level but landing was another story.

"He requested that none of the crew relieve themselves so everyone could contribute fluid," she said with a laugh. "They were able to lower the landing gear."

Another favorite memory was the chocolate caper.

Fontaine said Shoop was assigned to fly a general back to Australia. Before taking off, he was offered some extra chocolate bars to take to the servicemen at the other end.

Since they all lived on powdered food, Shoop immediately agreed to ferry the treats. They managed to fill up every nook and cranny on board with chocolate.

"On takeoff, they barely got off the ground," Fontaine said.

The general asked why the plane was so heavy. He had no idea he was sitting amid a huge chocolate payload.

"And Jay never admitted it," she said with a laugh.

Fontaine also learned that Shoop was involved in a technique called skip bombing that allowed the Allies to more effectively knock out Japanese warships.

He was sent stateside in 1944 where he became an instructor pilot, serving until December 1945. After discharge, he served in the Reserves and reached the rank of major.

Shoop and his wife moved to the Flathead Valley in the early 1950s. Because of his reputation for honesty, he was given the opportunity to take over a Datsun dealership.

According to Fontaine, Shoop also was an unsung hero to his customers.

He shared many stories such as the time he ran a car on a treadmill-like device to find a frustrating, intermittent problem. After a week, Shoop finally found a tiny wire that shorted out intermittently.

"He really went the extra mile," she said.

Shoop never lost his love of flying. He kept his own plane for a number of years but always had a fondness for his A-20.

She recalled a poignant moment as Shoop in later years gazed longingly at a photo of an A-20.

"He said 'I'd love to fly that one more time.'"

Since Shoop and his wife (who is at Immanuel Lutheran home) had no children, Fontaine received his flag at his military burial on March 4. She agreed to donate it after learning about the Memorial Day tradition at Conrad Cemetery from Jim Korn, the cemetery sexton.

"This is exactly the right way to recognize Jay's contribution to his country," Fontaine said. "He was just an extraordinary man."

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.