David Wells Mcentire

David Wells McEntire, age 95, died on July 31st at Rigdon Farm Senior Living Center in Fort Collins. David was born in Ogden, Utah, on March 27, 1915, to Wells and Ida Davis McEntire. He grew up on the family farm in Preston, Idaho, and graduated with honors from Preston High School. He attended Utah State University in Logan, and LDS Business College in Salt Lake City. In 1939, David joined the Army Air Corps and trained as an aviation cadet. He became a lieutenant and received his wings at Luke Field in Arizona. When World War II began, he was sent to England as a fighter pilot. Flying the P-47 Thunderbolt and the P-51 Mustang, he completed 61 combat missions over Germany, protecting American bombers. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. Following his combat missions, he trained fighter pilots. Following World War II, David remained in the air force. During the Korean War, he was an intelligence officer in Japan, briefing air crews flying missions over North Korea. He also served in Guam. He retired from the Air Force as a Major in 1960 and settled in San Diego, where he completed his degree in Finance at San Diego State College. David married Iris Mumby-Croft of Cleethorpes, England, on October 21, 1944. She accompanied him to all his military postings for sixteen years. After retirement, the two traveled frequently to England to visit her family. Iris died in 1967. In 2009, David moved to Fort Collins to be close to his sister and her family. He is survived by one brother, Warren McEntire and his wife, Faun, of Rupert, Idaho; and four sisters, June Fischer of Preston, Idaho, Ferne McEntire of Logan, Utah, Virginia Christensen of Twin Falls, Idaho, and Laurel Madsen and her husband, Albert, of Fort Collins; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; and three brothers, Davis McEntire of Berkeley, California; Earl McEntire and Reed McEntire of Logan, Utah. A memorial service will be held in Preston, Idaho.