My dad graduated from Barnard High School in 1950...here is a link to the Barnard Banter: History of Barnard High School. :)

Today marks what would have been my dad's 83rd birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you and miss you!
     
     My dad, Wes Pepper, was born in Lincoln, Lincoln County, Kansas on Wednesday, 18 May 1932. He was the firstborn child of John Prouty and Reita Geraldine (Bishop) Pepper. He was born in the home of his grandparent's Frank and Hattie Bishop.
 

Below is one of many letters which my dad wrote home to his mom during his time in the US Air Force.

Postmarked:
Denver, Colo. May 6, 1952 at 1:00 PM [Age 19, will be 20 on the 18th of May.]

From:
A/3C [Airman 3rd Class] John W. Pepper 17341933
3436 Stud. Squad. Box 9150
Lowry Air Force Base
Denver, Colo

To:
Mrs. John Pepper
Barnard, Kansas

Dear Mom
     How is the situation on the floods around home yet. Have they looked too bad yet. I hope that you can get by this year without any floods. Is everyone feeling alright now. I hope so.
     Well mom, I'm in the 3436th gunnery squadron now & am on A shift which is from 6 in the morn. to 12 noon. We have to get up at 4: o clock. I suppose it will take a while to get use to the change of shifts, but I think that it will be better.
     Mom I don't know for sure when I'll get to make it home again but I hope it will be soon. I'm positive I can make it around the 17th or 18th [brother Duane and Wes's birthdates!] though if nothing happens.
     Mom, they tell us that we are going to be trained to the full extent before we ever go into combat. They say that we are going to be hot & ready before we ever go into actual action. We may be from anywhere to 6 to 12 months in training yet.
     It's is about time for lights out so I guess I'd better sign off goodbye & write soon Your Son Wes

 

Obituary prepared by Teresa (Hamilton/Pepper) Rust on September 13, 2014:

John Wesley Keith Pepper, 82

John Wesley Keith Pepper, 82, passed away from heart failure due to complications from surgery, in the early hours of Friday, September 12, 2014, at the Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, California. He was born on May 18, 1932 in Lincoln, Kansas to John Prouty and Reita (Bishop) Pepper.

Wes, as his friends and family knew him, grew up in and around Barnard, Kansas. He graduated from Barnard High School in 1950. In the fall of 1951 he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served in the Korean War and flew many combat missions as a right gunner in B-29 bombers.

In 1954, while stationed at the Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico, he met his wife to be, Evelyn Roork, and they were married on March 19, 1955. They were married for 59 years. After the Air Force, Wes took up construction and spent many years working as a building contractor in Half Moon Bay and the surrounding area.

Wes is survived by his wife, Evelyn Pepper; his three children, Teresa Rust of Redding, CA, John Pepper of Los Zacatitos, Baja, Mexico, Mrs. Terri Larson of Redding, CA; his twelve grandchildren, Daniel, Ian, Lindsay and Paul Gallagher, Holly and Johnny Pepper, Allison and Ashley Lucero, Nathaniel, Rachel, Ethan and Abbie Rust; his five great-grandchildren, Daniel Gallagher of Redding, Aidan Larsen of Redding, Lillian and Lief Stolen of Sky, Norway, and Callen Toledo of Santa Barbara; his sons-in-law, Brad Rust and Doug Gallagher; his daughter-in -law, Stephanie Pepper; his granddaughters-in-law Michelle Gallagher, Reyna Gallagher, Gabriela Rust, and Akaela Pepper; and his grandson-in-law Ernest Stolen.

Wes was preceded in death by his parents Reita Geraldine (Bishop) Pepper and John Prouty Pepper.

A funeral service was held at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, 1750 Canby Road, Redding, CA 96003 at 11:00 am, September 27, 2014. Refreshments followed in the parish hall.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to the Northern California Veterans Cemetery at 11800 Gas Point Road in Igo, California 96047 where Wes was interred.

Wes and I shared some adventures in the '60's  that Iv'e never forgotten.  Quite a man. Iv'e been looking for Him for 45 years---Sorry I'm too late to pal up with Him again, but I will never forget Him.     Mal Cooper

"I flew the last 18 bombing missions from Base on Okinawa to Korea

as a right gunner on B- 29s in early 1950s, lost many friends

who did not make it back to our base in Okinawa" from a note to Judy from Wes.