Posted by Courtney Shawe on April 30, 2004:

Hamilton Bruce Shawe, Jr. was born in Corvalis, Oregon on June 29, 1923. When he was a year old, he and his family moved to Gardnerville, Nevada. He was son of high school principal H. Bruce Shawe, Sr. and Frieda Rhodes Shawe. He developed a love of education, reading hard work and service early in life. He graduated from Douglas High School in 1941, spent one year at the University of Nevada, Reno and was appointed to the United State Military Academy (West Point) by the late Senator Pat McCarran in 1943. He graduated with the class of 1946 due to the acceleration of the four year program as a result of WWII. Among the life long bonds he created, he counted as friends and classmates individuals such as Gen. Al Haig, former Secretary of State (his Lacrosse teammate), Gen. Lew Allen Jr., former Chief of Staff of the AF, Col. John Doolittle (Jimmie Doolittle?s son), and B. Gen. Robbie Risner (well-known Vietnam POW). He began his AF Fighter Pilot career at Langley AFB in 1947. He then served in occupied Japan and was one of the first pilots to fly over Korea at the outbreak of the Korean War in June of 1950. Lt. H. Bruce Shawe Jr. was executing his 88th Combat Mission in December of 1950 when his aircraft crashed in North Korea. H. Bruce Shawe spent the next 33 months in a North Korean POW camp. He was finally released across the freedom bridge at Panmunjon in September of 1953. He continued his career flying F-86's and F-100's at George AFB, where he met his wife of 48 years, Bettie. He then taught at the newly established AF Academy in Colorado. After an exchange tour at the Royal Air Force Flying Command and Staff School and at stint with the Royal Air Force flying British Lightenings, he returned to George AFB. There he eventually became the squadron commander of the 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which flew the relatively new F-4. As a squadron commander, he felt he had to lead his squadron into combat, so he requested a waiver to be allowed to fly combat missions once again due to his previous POW status. Following a safe return from a challenging tour in SE Asia, he took his family to Rhode Island, where he attended Naval War College. He returned to George AFB for one year and then moved on to another educational hiatus, where he served as the Director of Curriculum at Squadron Officer School. He finished his Air Force Career at Kelly AFB where he had served in a logistics outfit. While awaiting future assignment opportunities, he decided to begin a new career with his family in S. California. His career in real estate was challenging and different, but he couldn't stay away from the "Big Blue" for long. He re-joined the team as an engineer with Rockwell on the B-1 program. As that matured, he eventually transferred to Northrup's B-2 program; and eventually retired completely at the age of 70. He and Bettie returned to Nevada to live out their days on the Dayton Valley Golf Course. During the last months of his illness, he lived once again at Langley AFB with his daughter and her family. Bettie joined him there in November and was with the family when he died. The recipient of the Silver Star and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, H. Bruce Shawe epitomized the slogan of his alma mater... Duty, Honor, Country! A fighter until the bitter end, he died in his sleep Christmas morning. He is survived by his wife Bettie, two sons, Charles (Benicia, CA) Bruce (Dayton, NV) and two daughters, Sheron (Bellingham, WA) Betsey (Langley AFB, VA), a sister, Cody Shawe (Gardnerville, NV) a brother Daniel Shawe (Lakewood, CO); 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and several cousins, nieces and nephews. Memorial Service was held May 10, 2003 in Dayton, NV.

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