Kenneth Don Caughron, Lt. Colonel, USAF (Retired)
February 16, 1923 – March 25, 2024

Kenneth Don Caughron passed away peacefully on March 25, 2024, at the age of 101. He was born in Corbin, KY on February 16, 1923, to John D. and Etta Mae (Gibson) Caughron.
Kenneth moved to Maryville, TN in eighth grade and completed high school there. His favorite memories were joining the Thespian Society and helping with farm chores and building the family’s house.

He was attending the University of Tennessee when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps and qualified for air crew training. On December 31, 1943, he made his first solo flight at Hicks Field near Ft. Worth, TX. After several months of further pilot training, Kenneth was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in September 1944.

August 1945 found him flying from California to Hawaii, landing on VJ Day. After shuttling cargo and personnel around the Pacific, he was discharged from the Army Air Corps and returned to finish a degree in Mechanical Engineering at UT. While working for IBM in New York after graduation, he chose to rejoin the service, now the Air Force in Oct. 1949 as a 1st Lieutenant.

A new tour of duty found him in Germany, “listening” to Russian communications. In the BOQ dining room he met a group of American teachers which included his future wife, Alice. They were married twice in March of 1951, once by the Burgermeister and then a week later in the base chapel. Their marriage lasted for 67 years until Alice passed away in 2018, also at the age of 101.

Daughters Janna Sue and Jetta Lou completed his family in 1953 and 1954. They moved 9 times with his military assignments.

Kenneth considered his Vietnam tour of duty the pinnacle of his military career serving as the Commander of the 106th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group flying Jolly Green Giant helicopters. He retired from service in August 1973 as Commander of the ROTC detachment at the University of North Dakota at the rank of Lt. Colonel.

Retirement from the Air Force segued into Assistant Professor of Management and Assistant Director of the Man-In-The-Sea project at the University of North Dakota for a few years. Then to a position of Safety Engineer with Employers Insurance of Texas for 10 years having earned a Masters in Industrial Engineering while in the Air Force.

A second retirement cleared the way for extensive world traveling with Alice. He set foot on every continent except Antarctica, settling for a view of The Ice from a cruise ship. In addition to his love of traveling, Kenneth enjoyed performing in community theater, playing bridge, growing award winning African violets, building an organ with transistors, being a Grandpa, and building doll cradles for charity. He continued his life of service by managing his community’s gift shop and various church projects. “Happy to be of help” was his motto!

Kenneth is survived by daughters, Janna Caughron of Reno, NV and Jetta Neely of Bellaire, TX and their husbands, Wayne Vandergriff and Roy Neely; four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, Kenneth Kleinsasser and his sons Jake and Eli of Buda, TX, Benjamin Kleinsasser and his wife, Mandy and their son Holden and daughter Cora of Fulshear, TX, Galen Vandergriff and his wife, Itoro of Washington, D.C. and their daughter Anora and sons Nayel and Ryo and Tinian Vandergriff of Reno, NV. Kenneth is also survived by his nephew, Terry Gilbertson and his wife, Norma of Northfield, MN. And also, the extended Neely clan of La Porte and Clear Lake, TX who hosted him on innumerable holiday occasions where energetic domino games often ensued.

The family extends their deepest gratitude to the staff of Accredited Hospice and The Villa at Willow Colony who provided wonderful care and support to the end.

A memorial service to celebrate Kenneth’s life will be held Saturday, May 11th at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church located at 4600 Bellaire Blvd. Bellaire, TX. Memorial gifts may be made to the church or charity of your choice.

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As a Lt. Colonel, Kenneth served a tour in the Vietnam War as a HH-3E pilot with the 37th ARRS in the 1967–1968-time frame.