Carleton Keith Sprague

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Jose Andres "Andy" Chacon on June 22, 2006:

Carleton Keith Sprague Born April 10, 1926 - Died November 12, 1970 Carleton Keith "Carl" Sprague was born in Bangor, Maine on 10 April 1926 and was appointed to West Point from the 3rd Congressional District. His West Point classmates recall: "After a seven year campaign, now in its final phase, Carl gets Air Force! The battle was tough, relentless, and disappointing, with all the emotions confronting any leader. People he has led to see the process of building leaders have lived it with him. So after rough action, those who waited for Carl now have him and can be no prouder than those who knew him here." During his cadet days Carl went out for Boxing plebe, yearling, and cow years; was with the Sailing Team, the Sailing Club, and the French Club yearling, cow and first class years; went out for Track and was on the Howitzer staff plebe year; was on the Chapel Choir plebe and yearling years; was with the Weight Lifting Club yearling year, and was a Cadet Lieutenant his first class year. Upon graduation Carl went in the Air Force and after flying training reported to the Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in Korea; served until 1953 and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for distinguished heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight and the Air Medal for meritorious achievement beyond that normally expected, while participating in aerial flight. From 1963 to 1966 Carl with Bomb and Tactical Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 9th Strategic Aero Special Wing and was then assigned to the 432 Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in Thailand from 1966 to 1967 and was decorated with a second Distinguished Flying Cross for distinguished heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight, and 10 Air Medals for meritorious achievement beyond that normally expected, while participating in aerial flight. From 1967 to 1969 Carl served as Squadron Commanding Officer and Executive Officer of the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. Lieutenant Colonel Carleton Keith Sprague died in an air accident in the US Northwest on 12 November 1970. Click to find out what makes Fly Boys tick Air Force Values On June 21, 2006 I received the following from one of Speed's daughters: "Dear Andy, I read with interest your eulogy of my father, Speed Sprague. I don't really remember anyone calling him Carl, but maybe they did. I also read Hut Hutson's (a very dear friend of my folks; his family still is to us) piece and like very much that you added a couple of personal details. That was nice. I'd like to share a few personal tidbits about Daddy with you to give you a more well-rounded picture of this extraordinary man. Because cadets couldn't be married, Mamma and Daddy were engaged for six years. They married the day after graduation in the chapel at 9:30 A.M. They loved each other with fierce devotion until the day Daddy died. They were the happiest adults that I knew. Daddy was quiet, but he had a twinkle in his eye that one couldn't ignore. When he grinned, and he did that a lot, his whole face would light up. You just felt good when Daddy was around. He was totally committed to his family of four little girls, a little boy, and his wife. When he was home, he was with us. He didn't park in front of the TV while Mamma kept us quiet and out of his way. Daddy was a hands-on father long before it was hip to be so. However, when Daddy was at work, he was strictly the ultimate professional. He was military through and through, but his compassion always showed through. There were many times that he took money from his own pocket to give to young airmen who didn't have money to buy baby food for their infants. He encouraged many a young man who was feeling discouraged and far away from home. He was someone that everyone loved and admired. Daddy was also unfailingly honest, and he taught each of us the importance of being honorable men and women. Sometimes his honesty was not necessarily the best thing for his career, but his honor was something that he held very dear. During one training mission while stationed at Hunter AFB, Daddy dropped a "bad bomb." His CO at the time just decided to shrug it off and told Daddy to write it up a certain way and he'd sign it. Daddy wouldn't do it, though, and ended up paying the price for his honesty as he was passed over the first time. That's just one example of how important honesty was to him. When he died in that snowstorm in Idaho and was missing for seven months because the wreckage was snow covered until spring thaws, my family lost the most important person in each of our lives. He was friend, husband, father, son....the list goes on and on. We had a memorial service for him after the government officially declared him dead, and almost every single student in the high school (and many of the teachers) attended that service. It was the middle of a school day, but they were there. That speaks highly of this remarkable man. Twenty years later my brother (by then an Aggressor pilot stationed at Nellis) visited the crash site and actually found pieces of Daddy's fuselage and components of his survival kit with his name on them. We still have those treasures; they're one more piece of who Daddy was. I hope you "see" Daddy more clearly now. Perhaps you might even want to add some of this to your euology of Speed Sprague. Thank you for your time, Carole Sprague Quallio

admin