Funeral service for M/SGT (ret) Jimmy D. Bennett, Sr., 74, of Lawton will be at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 24, 2009 at Cameron Baptist Church with Rev. Bob Jones, pastor and Rev. Mike Teel, associate pastor of Cameron Baptist Church officiating.
Burial with full military honors will be at Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, Oklahoma under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home.
Mr. Bennett died on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 in Lawton.
Jimmy was born on March 8, 1935 in Cache, Oklahoma to Clarence H. and Ola Pearl (Adams) Bennett. He grew up in Cache and Lawton and graduated from Folsom High School in Folsom, California. He married Merry Stamper on November 12, 1955 in Lawton. He worked for Sears and Roebuck Company before joining the United States Air Force in 1957. He served in many locations including Mather Air Force Base, in Sacramento, California, Traux Field in Madison, Wisconsin, Korea, Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri, where he served as Missile Site Manager for 6 years and 3 months of his tour, Vietnam, during the Tet Offensive Era, and he also served on the Elite Combat Ready Heavy Construction Team in the 555th Civil Engineering Squad (Triple Nickel), Nhatrang Air Force Base, Phanrang Air Force Base in Vietnam, Bitburg Air Force Base, Bitburg, Germany, and Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan. He received many awards and medals including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, Army Good Conduct Medal with two devices, Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with four devices, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four devices, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Department of the Army Certificate of Service for 25 Years Federal Recognition Award, Department of the Army Certificate of Service for 30 Years Federal Recognition Award, Department of the Army Certificate of Service for 35 Years Federal Recognition Award, Department of the Army Dedicated Service Award in Support of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Department of the Army Customer Service Excellence Award, Certificate of Achievement Award, and United States Army Training and Doctrine Command Certificate of Commendation in Recognition of Support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He retired from the United States Air Force in 1980 and began his career of Civil Service in the Adjutant General Section as a Director of Information in the Printing Plant at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He retired in 1995. He was a member of Cameron Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Merry, of the home; his daughter and son-in-law, Christine and Terry Priddy, of Lawton; four brothers, Roy Don Bennett, of Lawton, Tommy Bennett and his wife, June, of Lawton, Jerry Bennett and his wife, Karen, of Elgin, Terry Bennett, and his wife Betty, of Lawton; three sisters, Bobbie Joyce Mullins , of Lawton, Letha Owens, of Lawton, and Kay Ray and her husband, John, of San Antonio, Texas; three grandchildren, Michael Couffer, of Lawton, Shanna Warner and her husband, Dustin, of Oologah, Oklahoma and Sean Bennett, of Anchorage, Alaska; two great grandchildren, A.J. Warner and Taelor Yvonne Warner, both of Oologah, Oklahoma; his mother-in-law, Viola E. Stamper, of Lawton and his sister-in-law, Bonny Hartline, of Lawton; numerous nieces, nephews; and a host of other family members and loving friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; Clarence and Ola Bennett; his son, Jimmy Dale Bennett, Jr.; his brother Clarence "Jack" Bennett and his father-in-law, Artie E. Stamper.