Lester Personeus Jr

Kingston Daily Freeman

November 25?, 1967, page 5

(blurry and hard to read)

COL. PERSONEUS, 26-YEAR VETERAN, RETIRES FROM AF

Colonel Lester Personeus Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. lester Personeus of 124 Hawich Street, Kingston, has retired from the U. S. Air Force at Eglin AFB, Fla., after more than 26 years service.

Colonel Personeus served as director of operations at the Tactical Air Warfare Center at Eglin prior to his retirement.

The colonel received his commission in 1942 through the ?????? cadet program. During World War II, colonel Personeus was a member of the first B-17 crews to fly 25 missions in the European Theater of Ooperations without being shot down, losing a crew member or an airplane, or aborting a combat mission.

After the European assignment he trained a B-29 aircrew and joined the 19th Bomb Group at Guam in the Pacific. The colonel flew the initial B-29 fire raids on Tokyo and later made lone night pathfinder raids over targets in Japan dropping initial fire bombs for follo on bombers to use as aiming points.

The command pilot holds three Distinguished flying Crosses, eight Air Medals and two Air Force Commendation Medals.

Colonel Personeus, a 1937 graduate of Suffern High School, attended Bergen Junior College, Teaneck, N. J. and received his BS degree in 1963 from the University of Maryland.

The colonel and his wife, the former Eleanor Nagle, and children will reside? in St. Louis where he will be employed by the Emerson Electric Co.

(both obituaries below found on www.staugustine.com)

Published Thursday, February 05, 2004

Lester Personeus Jr., 85, of St. Augustine, died Feb. 1, 2004, at his home, He was a native of Kingston, N.Y. He was retired from the United States Air Force.

Services: 10 a.m. Feb. 14, 2004, at Craig Funeral Home Chapel.

Survivors: Daughter, Leslie Personeus, Jacksonville; sons, Terrance Personeus, St. Augustine, and Lester Personeus III, Cornville, Ariz.; sisters, Harriet McGowan and Constance Bird, both of St. Augustine, and Priscilla Pierce, Syracuse, N.Y.; brother, Douglas Personeus, Cortese, Colo.; four grandchildren.

In charge: Craig Funeral Home and Crematory.

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Published Saturday, February 07, 2004

Lester (Les) Personeus, Jr. Col. (USAF retired), 85, of St. Augustine, died Sunday Feb.1, 2004, at his home in St. Augustine. He was born in Kingston, N.Y., Jan. 3, 1919; he was the son of the late Lester and Hattie (Barringer) Personeus. He was one of 11 children his parents raised in Suffern, N.Y., and was a 1937 graduate of Suffern High School. He was also educated at Bergen College, New Jersey Pilot Training, Army Air Corp Flight Training, Army Command/General Staff College and obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in 1962.

Col. Personeus served in the U.S. Air Force from Feb. 1941 through Nov. 1967. Les piloted B-17 Flying Fortresses for two combat missions in Europe and 23 missions in B-29 Super Fortresses in the Pacific. He is credited with 7 fighter aircraft shot down, and served seven years in war plans, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross three times; Air Medal seven times; Outstanding Achiever Medal two times; along with many other medals and achievements in his 26-year career in military service.

Following his retirement, Les relocated to St. Louis, Mo., where he worked for Emerson Electric in development of aircraft special weapons. Les also owned an auto parts warehouse and boat sales & services. He served 10 years actively in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and finally retired again to St. Augustine in 1986. Les was still actively flying airplanes through 2003. He served on various City and County Boards in City of St. Augustine and served six years as long term care ombudsman. Les was also in many other and diversified endeavors in the St. Augustine area.

Memorial services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, 2004, at Craig Funeral Home Chapel. Committal services with military honors will be held later at Keyser Memorials, Kingston, N.Y.

He is survived by three children, Leslie Personeus, Jacksonville, Terrance Personeus (Marsha), St Augustine, Lester "Chip" Personeus III, Arizona; one brother, Douglas Personeus, Colorado; and three sisters, Harriet McGowan and Connie Bird, both of St. Augustine, Priscilla Pierce, Syracuse, N.Y.; four grandchildren, Anna Kristine Dresser, Lisa Michelle Helmstetter, both of Virginia, Kenneth and Nicole Personeus, both of Florida, also many nieces and nephews.

Craig Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.