He also leaves behind his extended family which included Clairetta’s six children: Carla Ehlis (Jeff); Karen Payne (Munchkin); Theresa Beehler (Steve); Jim Payne (Jaye); Joe Payne (MaryAnn); and Mary Jones.  Jerry was blessed with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Jerry will be missed by Clairetta’s sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Jack Parker. When Clairetta was visiting in Missouri, Shirley and Jack arranged a blind date to introduce them. It was the start of something big. Jerry moved west to Washington State to be with his bride.

Jerry is preceded in death by his father Earl W. White, mother Marjorie Lee (Copeland) White, daughter Beverly Ann White, great-grandson Kyrese Anderson, brothers: Earl Junior, William, Richard, Everett (aka Jack), Robert, Johnny, Gary, James, and Larry and sisters Mary and Betty. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, JoAnn Wilson; with whom he had 4 daughters.

A Memory Maker: Jerry loved his family staying in close contact with his siblings enjoying many road trips to include camping trips back home to West Virginia to visit family throughout the years. His daughter Sharon said she fondly remembers their trips, adventures, storytelling, dancing and all the songs they sung. She will cherish the memories and the lessons he taught her. He was very intentional in creating memories. He always took time to include his young children in projects allowing them to join the fun, like painting the white picket fence each year. Jerry would do anything he could to help his family. He loved each of his children, bonus children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He found great love and happiness when he met and married Clairetta Payne-White.

The Soldier – Jerry was a military man through and through. He served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He wanted to join the Navy but was too young, so he begged his mom, and she signed a waiver for him to enlist. He retired as a Sergeant First Class with 26 years of combined service in the Navy and Army. He was a combat engineer and a proud soldier in the 70th Engineer Battalion. Jerry may have retired but his army pride and love of country never did.

The Comedian and the Carpenter – Jerry was funny and loved to tell jokes; he crafted them with perfect timing. When he delivered the punchline, he would laugh his infectious laugh bringing joy to all who heard it with a smile and twinkle in his eyes. Jerry could make, repair, revise, or repurpose anything. He recycled his whole life taking useful things, cleaning them up, and giving them to people in need. He and Clairetta were regulars at the local thrift stores where they would find delightful treasures.

Jerry was so generous and kind he once let a family live rent free in a doublewide he owned. At a thrift store, he overheard a mother trying to find inexpensive sleeping bags. He told her to just stay there, went home and loaded his truck with sleeping bags and anything else he could find. Kindness to strangers were perfectly normal to Jerry and Clairetta. People were a stranger one day and a friend the next.

Jerry’s motto was “Life is Good” and he always tried to live that way.

Clentis Turnbow, 76, of Cordova, TN, formerly of Hickman went to be with his Heavenly Father on October 21, 2020.

He had been a 911 dispatcher for the City of Hickman for twenty years.  Clentis was a US Army veteran of the Vietnam War in which he served two tours of duty and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy to further serve his country.  While in the Army from 1966-67, he served in headquarters company with us.  If you’re a member of “Together We Served” you can read about his full service here.

Harold Walter Aleshire, 73, of Delaware passed away Tuesday morning, November 9, 2021 at his residence surrounded by his loving family.

He was born August 24, 1948 in Delaware to the late Harley and Jessie (Matlack) Aleshire. He proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army during the Vietnam War earning a purple heart and 3 bronze stars.

Harold worked as a traffic technician for the City of Delaware and he was a lifetime member of the AmVets Post #102 and the American Legion. He was also a member of the Delaware Eagles #376. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing, classic cars, baseball and OSU football.

Left to cherish his memory are his children, Cindy (Marcus) Deemer of Marion, Harold Aleshire of Marion, Christy (Vince) Lavette of Marion, Chad (Kim) Aleshire of Prospect, and Tammy Aleshire of Columbus; 11 grandchildren and 13 greatgrandchildren; brothers, Robert (Caroll) Aleshire of Medina, Gene (Laura) Aleshire of Texas and Richard (Debbie) Aleshire of Delaware; several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Harold was preceded in death by his grandchildren Lyndsay Clever and twins William and Zachary.

Richard A Burch	Benjamin P Calloni

We sent out emails this week announcing that we were beginning to plan for another Battalion reunion this week and got two sad emails back in return from relatives of two of our members. Both were members of “D” Company while in Vietnam, and both have been attendees at previous reunions with whom you may have shared stories.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family members and anyone Engineer who may have been close to them throughout the years.  We will miss their happy faces at this next reunion.  You can click the link under their pictures to read through their obituaries.

Robert Ayers
April 30, 1931 – June 27, 2020

He was a devoted father and family man, a loyal friend, and an engaging conversationalist who always sought to put others at ease. He loved travel, leading many family travel trailer adventures all across the country on the way to the next assignment or down to Florida to visit his parents. He valued friends and family and greatly enjoyed spending time visiting with them through all his years.

Born in Woodbury, Georgia on April 30, 1931 to Ed Lee Ayers and Elizabeth Garrison, he grew up in Bradenton, Florida. He attended the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating with the class of 1953, and subsequently attended California Institute of Technology. On June 4, 1960, he married Harriett Ann Mahle of Baltimore, Maryland.

He served in the Army Corps of Engineers, rising to the rank of Colonel, and retired in 1981 to work for Brown and Root in Houston, Texas. He grew out his hair and adapted to corporate life, rising from Project Manager to Vice President of the Brown and Root Services Corporation he helped to found, and then on to Program Director of KBR Services. He retired from corporate life in 1999, and aside from occasional consulting jobs, enjoyed many years of camping, fishing, and visiting with family and friends before and after his wife, Harriett, passed away on their anniversary in 2006.

Bob is survived by daughters; Jennifer Ayers of Austin, Texas and Elizabeth Ayers who, with her husband. Philip Wattenbarger lives in Houston, Texas, with granddaughters; Marisa, Tamara and Evelyn. He is also survived by brothers; Capt. William Ayers of Seguin, Texas, Cicero Ayers of Tampa, Florida, and Ed Lee Ayers of Brownsville, Texas.