Donald Raymond Butterfield (1921 - 2015)

Born 20 Dec 1921 in Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Jane (Wriston) Baker — married 26 Dec 1941 in Gallia, Gallia, Ohio, United States

Husband of Margaret Yvonne (Middleton) De Carlo — married about 1957 (to about 1957) in Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada, United States

Husband of Thelma May (Noble) Sneed — married about 1961 in California, United States

Husband of Lois Jean (Vineyard) Bland — married about 1967 (to about 3 Nov 1971) in White Sulpher Springs, Greenbrier, West Virginia

Husband of Marjorie Elinor (Welling) Butterfield — married 2 Apr 1976 in Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada, United States

Died 16 Jan 2015 at age 93 in Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sue Picard [send private message]

Biography

Donald was born in Waterloo, IA, raised in Manchester, IA with his parents and brother, John Gordon until the death of his father, Raymond in 1937. He then moved to McGregor, IA to finish the last two years of high school and lived with his Uncle Glade and Aunt Gean Butterfield. He graduated with the class of 1939. His mother, Zola Butterfield had moved to West Virginia to teach (where she eventually remarried). She sent Donald to a private college in Missouri and he eventually moved to Montgomery, WVA where he continued his education. He wanted to become a lawyer.

He married 21 Dec 1941 in Cincinnati, OH to Elizabeth Jane Wriston, the first of Don's wives(7). They had two children: Elizabeth Betty Jane and Donald Raymond, Jr. They divorced about 1956.

Donald enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on 4 August 1944 to become a pilot. He was transferred to Maxwell Field in Alabama and earned his wings in May 1945. He was a 2nd LT and was discharged from US Army Air Corps 25 May 1945. The next day, 26 May 1945 he was transferred to the newly formed US Air Force. After the end WW II he was stationed in Germany during the war Criminal Trials and the Berlin Blockade Relief Program. He was assigned as an observer and liaison to the Nuremburg Trials, the International Military Tribunal in Germany. He was one of 57 witnesses to the execution by hanging of the German war criminals and spent 200 days at the trials. He was then assigned to the First US Military Tribunal at Dachau concentration camp where he assisted Brig. General Emil C. Keil, USAF who was the president of that court. He was photographed helping with the Berlin Blockade Relief Program where he flew "Clarence the Camel" to promote the program. (There are photo's of him and Clarence on the plane.) He worked with General Irvine for many years in aircraft and weapons systems procurement and he sent Donald to Harvard Business School through the AFA University Program where he received his Masters degree. There was a period of time when he was assigned to fly General Curtis LeMay (one of many fine military officers that he worked for) to all his meetings. He was relieved of that duty to be assigned as a fighter pilot in the Korean War. During the 1950's he was a Wing Commander of the B-36 Bomber Program based in Fort Worth, TX.

Major Donald Butterfield's final six years of service were as jet test pilot for Air Force Procurement at Edwards AFB, Palmdale, CA. He tested more than 70 models of aircraft manufactured by both American and foreign countries.

Don was a business consultant for various companies through the 1960's and 1970's in the financial and insurance industries.

Short Biography

Donald was born in 1921. He passed away in 2015. He and Elizabeth had two children.

Don married actress Margaret Yvonne Middleton DeCarlo abt 1957 in Las Vegas, NV while on a party weekend with her and friends, three days later when they got back to Los Angeles the marriage was annulled. (According to Don, the movie industry was not going to like her being married and the Air Force was not going to like him being married to a Canadian)

Sources

"Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V46S-G46 : 10 March 2018), Donald Raymond Butterfield, 20 Dec 1921; citing Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States; county district courts, Iowa; FHL microfilm 1,561,083

"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2QCH-F9D : 10 December 2017), Donald Butterfield and Elizabeth Wreston, 26 Dec 1941; citing Marriage, Gallia, Ohio, United States, , Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus; FHL microfilm.

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1D-1HYM : 15 December 2015), Donald Raymond Butterfield, 2015; Burial, Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States of America, Elmwood Cemetery; citing record ID 141824791, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141824791/donald-raymond-butterfield