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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly May '92
Harry John McPhee, Jr. No.15883 Class of 1946
Died 26 July 1969 in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, aged 44 years.
Interment: St. Joseph's Cemetery, Kingston, Massachusetts. |
John McPhee, Jr., sometimes known as "Buzz" by family
and friends, was born on 30 December 1924 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Always a good student, Buzz was interested in all things military
and in flying in particular. Following graduation from Boston
College High School, he was overjoyed to receive an appointment
to West Point. Shortly before he was to enter the Academy, Buzz
was present when the famous "Coconut Grove" nightclub
fire occurred and helped in the rescue attempts. On 1 July 1943,
Buzz joined the ranks of the Class of 1946 on the banks of the
Hudson.
One of Buzz's roommates, E. Gibb Sharkoff, recalled
that they adopted a low-profile technique to stay out of trouble,
especially during Plebe year. Buzz had little trouble with academics,
although there were a few anxious moments. One of Buzz's boyhood
friends, James L. McCarthy, was an enlisted man in the Navy (this
being in the middle of World War II). James made plans to visit
Buzz to see a football game and to go to the Saturday night hop.
James' date for the weekend was a beautiful dancer with the Radio
City Rockettes. When Buzz arrived at the Hotel Thayer that night,
he informed James that, as an enlisted man, he could not attend
the hop; Buzz magnanimously offered to escort James' beautiful
date. Being very devoted to his family, Buzz felt that one of
his sisters, Kay, might not have the opportunity to get to a
West Point dance, so he escorted her to both plebe and graduation
hops. When the opportunity arose to apply for flight training,
Buzz jumped at the chance. At graduation, he received his wings
as a second lieutenant in the US Army Air Corps.
Following graduation, Buzz joined his multi-engine classmates
for advanced twin-engine training at Enid Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
From there he traveled to the Philippines, where he served as
an aide de camp. Buzz returned to the States to attend the Air
Tactical School at Tyndall Air Force Base. His next stop was
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia It was there that he met and
married Helen C. McDowell in September 1951. September 1952 saw
Buzz arrive in Chunchon, Korea, where he was a forward air controller
with the 6147th Tactical Control Group flying T 6 "Mosquitos."
In this capacity, Buzz flew 100 aerial missions (279 combat hours)
and received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The following excerpts from the citation for this award
attest to his valor: "As pilot of an unarmed
T-6 type aircraft, Captain McPhee successfully directed four
flights of fighter-bombers on known enemy strong-points. When
artillery was unable to furnish marking rounds, Captain McPhee
skillfully dived low through intense small arms and automatic
weapons fire to pin-point the target with his smoke rockets.
With complete disregard for his own personal safety, he then
remained over the target, using his technical knowledge of enemy
tactics to direct verbally each fighter-bomber on its bombing
and strafing runs. As a result of these actions, thirteen bunkers,
ten mortar positions, six artillery positions, three caves and
one hundred seventy-five yards of trench lines were damaged."
From Korea, Buzz moved to Craig Air Force Base, Alabama
to attend the Basic Instructor Course before assignment to Williams
Air Force Base, Arizona as an instructor pilot in 1954. Next
the McPhees went to Fairford, England, where Buzz was squadron
commander of the 3919th Civil Engineering Squadron and was base
engineer. After four years, the family traveled to Glasgow Air
Force Base, Montana, where Buzz was again the base engineer.
His daughter Monica, who was about five at the time, recalled
the tremendous amount of snow in Montana and how much time her
father had to spend having it removed from the runways. From
Montana, Buzz and his family moved to Alaska in February 1966.
Almost immediately, in April 1966, Buzz learned he had cancer
of the throat. He was transferred to Walter Reed General Hospital,
where he discovered that he had a maximum of three years to live.
He was retired for physical disability as a major on 11 May 1967.
The McPhees returned to Kingston, Massachusetts so that Helen
and the children would be among his family in the trying years
ahead. He was in and out of Walter Reed, Valley Forge and veterans'
hospitals for the remaining years of his life; he died of cancer
on 26 July 1969. He was survived by his wife Helen; three sons,
James, John and Stephen; two daughters Monica and Patricia; two
brothers, Albert and William; and two sisters; Catherine and
Evelyn.
Harry John (Buzz) McPhee was a devoted family man. He
was so proud of his five children, the oldest of whom was only
seventeen at the time of Buzz's death. Daughter Monica remembers
her father as a kind, loving man. Sister Kay remembers that Buzz
was totally devoted to his wife Helen and wanted to ensure that
she and the children were provided for when he could no longer
look after them. His beloved Helen died ten years after him.
Probably the most important event in the life of Buzz
McPhee was his graduation from West Point and entrance into the
Air Force. Very disciplined, military life was a natural for
him. He held strong convictions and believed strongly in tradition.
There was never any doubt in his mind what the pillars were in
his life: Duty, Honor, Country and Family. His family, friends
and classmates will always remember Harry John (Buzz), Jr. as
a loving and devoted father and brother, a true friend and a
brave and gallant airman. It is with a great deal of pride that
the Class of 1946 says, "Well Done, Buzz; Be Thou At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article
Project and his family
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