81R621 JGH-D
By: Hilderbran H.R. No. 37
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family, friends, and fellow veterans will forever
treasure their memories of retired Brigadier General William
Corinth Bacon of Comfort, who died on March 8, 2008, at the age of
88; and
WHEREAS, The son of Dr. W. T. Bacon and Sally Maxie Bacon,
William Bacon gave up opportunities to play professional baseball
and to attend West Point in order to join the United States Army
Flying Cadet Program in September 1940; after training as a pilot at
Kelly Field in Texas and receiving his commission as a second
lieutenant, he was assigned to the 15th Observation Squadron at
Fort Sill, Oklahoma; in 1942, he joined the 344th Squadron of the
98th Bomb Group and began training for combat in World War II; and
WHEREAS, This brave officer saw action in the Middle East and
Europe, flying 40 combat missions as a bomber pilot and earning
acclaim for his skill and tenacity in the cockpit; on one mission,
he lost the hydraulic systems and rudder control on his aircraft but
kept his plane aloft and shot down an enemy fighter on his way back
to base, where he landed safely with no loss of life to his crew; and
WHEREAS, Following the war, General Bacon attended the Air
War College in 1947 and then became commander of the 6th Bombardment
Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base; he subsequently served as
chief of the plans and programs branch for the director of plans and
operations at Air Force headquarters; throughout the 1950s, he held
a number of positions in Asia and the United States and returned to
Davis-Monthan AFB in 1958 as commander of the 303rd Bombardment
Wing; in the 1960s, he was the commander of the 12th and the 22nd
Strategic Aerospace Divisions; and
WHEREAS, During the course of his military career, General
Bacon's gallantry under fire and his dedication to duty earned him
an impressive list of commendations, including the Silver Star, the
Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf
cluster, the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army
Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal; and
WHEREAS, After his retirement from military service, General
Bacon raised cattle for 30 years on his Arrow-B Ranch in Welfare; he
became a licensed veterinarian and an expert horseman as well as a
welcome and generous neighbor to many in the Hill Country; and
WHEREAS, In the 1990s, General Bacon founded the Hill Country
Veterans Council in order to keep the Kerrville Veterans
Administration Hospital from being closed, and he served as the
organization's president for three years; the council worked
tirelessly to achieve their goal and ultimately were successful in
keeping the facility open; and
WHEREAS, General Bill Bacon was both a tough military
commander and a warmhearted friend, known for his acts of kindness
and his salty sense of humor; his dedication to his country, his
community, and to those who served in the U.S. armed forces commands
deep respect, and the admirable example of his life will long be
remembered; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Brigadier General
William Corinth Bacon and offer sincere condolences to the members
of his family: to his wife, Helen Bacon; to his daughters, Kay
Aubrey and Kari Bowers; to his sons, William S. Bacon and David G.
Bacon; to his grandchildren, Renee Pifer Farris, Margret Bacon
Hunter, William Bacon, Clint Bowers, and Lindsey Bowers Williams;
to his great-grandchildren, Lexis Pifer Farris, Abigail Bacon, Beau
Bacon, Shelby Lipe, Rachel Hunter, and Rylee Nicole Williams; and
to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of William
Corinth Bacon.