Clyde R. Young “call sign Bones” aka: Romel, a proud veteran of the United States Air Force and Air National Guard, passed away on December 27, 2021 in Derby, KS. The son of Clyde Riggs Young and Julia Heaton Young, Clyde grew up in Kanab, UT, a place he loved to call home. He was born on October 9, 1935 in Kanab, UT and attended Kanab High School, Southern Utah University and Utah State.
Before attending college he spent a summer as a smoke jumper in Idaho putting out forest fires.
He left college after one and a half years to attend Flight Training for the Air Force to fulfill his dream of being a fighter pilot. Clyde was one of two people out of 100 to pass the test for pilot training. Clyde enlisted in the United States Air Force and then the Air National Guard in Wichita, KS at McConnell AFB. He valued this service highly and attained the rank of Lt. Colonel.
After joining the Air Force and while stationed at Nellis Air Force base, Clyde would sometimes take his jet and fly over his home town of Kanab, waving his wings and breaking the sound barrier, scaring everyone. They all knew it was “Romel” and still talk about it to this day.
While stationed in Spangdahlem AFB, Germany in 1959, he met and married Elfriede Boswald and adopted her son Alfons. They left Germany in 1961 for Georgia at Moody Air Force Base where he taught in the Military Assistance Program teaching young men from many different countries how to fly fighter jets to help in the Vietnam war.
In 1963 the Military Assistance Program moved to San Antonio and the family moved with it. In 1964 their first daughter, Michele Margaret Young was born on October 18, 1964. After a couple of years of instructing, Clyde put in his request to move back into fighters. He received orders back into fighters and moved to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida where after six months he volunteered to go to South East Asia to help with the expanding Vietnam war.
The family was moved back to San Antonio to be close to old friends while Clyde was in South East Asia in March of 1966. During his time there he flew 116 missions in five months, 100 of them were in North Vietnam and 16 were to Laos. Additionally, while there his second daughter, Lisa Ann Young, was born on July 2, 1966. Clyde returned home from the war in September 1966.
Clyde and family next went to George Air Force Base in California where he was the instructor of the “Night Owl” school and trained pilots in the F-4 going to Vietnam how to flight them at night. After 2 years at George Air Force Base, Clyde resigned from the Air Force and took a corporate flying job in Michigan flying the company executives around the Eastern and Central states in a Beach 18 twin engine.
Clyde and Elfriede divorced in 1971. Alfons lived with his mother, Michele and Lisa lived with Clyde.
Clyde later married Carol Doty who had two children, Michelle Doty (deceased) and Tom Doty. After the corporate job in Michigan ended, Clyde and family moved to Ft. Worth, TX where Clyde joined the Air Force Reserves for a year. During that year the Kansas Air National Guard was given a job of training pilots in the F-105 (aka: the Thud).
Clyde applied and was given a full-time job with the Civil Service as an instructor pilot in the Kansas Air National Guard in Wichita, KS. While at McConnel Air Force Base he held the jobs of Academic Instructor, Functional Check Pilot, Standardization Check Pilot, Instructor Pilot, Squadron Commander and Deputy Commander for Operations.
Clyde and Carol divorced in 1975. In 1982, Clyde married Frances Parson who had two girls, Ann Michelle Parsons and Shannon Lee Parsons where they lived in Mulvane, KS.
After a very distinguished career flying jets and training pilots, He concluded his service at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, KS in 1985, obtaining the rank of Lt. Colonel in May of 1978. After his career with the US Military he went on to work in Nevada for TRACOR Flight Systems as a pilot until 1991. While with TRACOR, Clyde was involved with research and development for ground systems, planned test profiles, advised clients of test modifications, worked with engineers and pilots regarding test profiles and coordinated all test activities regarding aircraft requirements.
To keep himself busy in early retirement, Clyde drove a School Bus for the Las Vegas School System for many years, finally retiring completely to enjoy his model airplanes, hunting and fishing. Clyde would travel to Georgetown Lake in Montana with his 5th wheel every summer to fly fish for several months.
Clyde is survived by daughters, Michele M. Young, of Kaneohe, HI, Lisa A. Johns of Mulvane, KS Michelle Bernaix of New Braunfels, TX and Shannon Parsons of New Braunfels, TX, Venita (Ken) Boren, Cedar City, UT, Carla (Mont) Griffith, Fredonia, AZ, Nancy (Randy) Merrell, Kanab, UT, Jeri (Jason) Bundy, Fredonia, AZ.
He is proceeded in death by his Mother and Father, Julia and Clyde Young, his sisters, Veon Burton and Charlotte Greenhalgh and brothers, Brigham and David Young.
A graveside military funeral was held in Kanab, UT.
Source: https://www.smithfamilymortuaries.com/memorials/clyde-young/4812889/