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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Sep '90
William Marion Wright No. 15946 Class of 1946
Died 23 April 1989 in Lubbock, Texas, aged 64 years. Interment:
City of Lubbock Cemetery, Lubbock, Texas.
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William Marion (Bill) Wright was born 20 April
1925 in Lubbock, Texas. Growing up in Lubbock, Bill was active
in sports and other activities, but especially Boy Scouts, where
he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Lubbock
High School in 1942 and attended Texas Tech University, in Lubbock,
for one year. A high sense of patriotism and a desire to become
a pilot prompted Bill to seek and obtain an appointment to West
Point. He entered on 1 July 1943 with the Class of 1946.
From "The Plains of Texas" to "The
Plains of the Hudson," Bill never became acclimated to living
up north. One of his roommates spent a lot of time on the ski
slopes; finally, after much cajoling, he got Bill to accompany
him. The roommate had stressed over and over to Bill the importance
of "snow plowing" down the slope to maintain control.
Bill finally tried it only to reenact the time honored cartoon
where there is a ski track on either side of a tall tree. Fortunately
for Bill, it was a small tree. Needless to say, that was Bill's
only sojourn on the slopes. Second only to his love for "The
Lone Star State" was Bill's desire to become a pilot. This
transcended the daily humdrum of academics or military discipline.
So it was with a tremendous sense of gratification when he was
selected to receive flight training as a cadet. It was a red
letter day in Bill's life when he graduated from West Point with
his second lieutenant bars and his wings as a pilot in the Army
Air Corps. His lifelong dream had come true.
Shortly after graduation, Bill married Janet York
on 21 June 1946 in Lubbock, Texas. His first assignment was for
transition training to multi-engine aircraft at Enid Field, Oklahoma.
Following this schooling, Bill and Janet moved to Carswell Field,
Fort Worth, Texas where Bill was a B-29 pilot. From Carswell,
they moved to Sandia Base, New Mexico where Bill was assigned
as an instructor. In 1950 the lure of his home state brought
Bill to the decision to leave the Air Force and return to civilian
life.
Bill's initial ventures were in farming and cotton
ginning. Later he branched out into commercial construction and
then into land management. Throughout his life, he was an active
participant in community affairs in Lubbock. A faithful member
of his church, Bill found time to work with the Boy Scouts, become
president of the local Camp Fire Girls organization and serve
on numerous boards and commissions. He liked to play tennis and
golf, and to go fishing. His first love, flying, never left him.
He continued to fly whenever he could. On the weekend of 23 April
1989, Bill and one of his friends were playing in a partnership
golf tournament in Lubbock. They had played on Saturday the 23rd
and were scheduled to tee off at 1104 hours on Sunday. His partner
was waiting for Bill on the tee when someone came out to tell
him that Bill had died suddenly Saturday night. Bill is survived
by his wife, three daughters; Betsy, Sally, and Suzy; a son,
William G.; and a sister, Dorothy.
Bill Wright's family, friends and business associates
all recall certain dominant characteristics that made him special.
First, he was one of the most honorable men they had ever known.
Second, he was devoted to his country and extremely proud to
be a West Pointer. Third, he was a loyal friend, always there
with a helping hand or a pat on the back, always there to share
the low points in life when they occurred. Fourth, he had a great
sense of humor and a love for people. Fifth, Bill was an eternal
optimist, both in his personal and professional life. In short,
Bill was a truly good man.
Bill was a loving and supportive husband and a
devoted father. He provided his children a solid moral basis
on which to live their lives. When William Marion Wright joined
"The Long Gray Line." his family lost the pillar of
their lives; his classmates and friends lost someone very special.
The memory of Bill will remain bright in the lives of all who
knew and loved him. Well Done, Bill; Be Thou At Peace!
1946 Memorial Article Project and his family
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