Tifton in Tift County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
John Larkin Wright, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
August 15, 1915 - January 2, 2006
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, April 19, 2022
1. John Larkin Wright, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Marker
John Larkin Wright, born in Des Moines, Iowa, received his formal education at Milliken University in Decatur, Illinois, and the Drake Conservatory of Music in Des Moines, Iowa.
Enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps, Wright served as a Flight Instructor at Spence Field in Moultrie, Georgia. During this time he met his future wife, Kathryn Claudia “Kitty” Webb of Tifton.
In 1944 Wright volunteered for overseas duty as a P-47 Fighter Pilot with the 36th Fighter Group of the 9th Air Force. He flew eighty-four combat missions and lead his squadron’s attack on Remagen Bridgehead in Germany.
Lt. Col. Wright received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with 11 Oak Leaf Clusters, The European-African-Midwestern Theatre Service Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. After a seventeen year military career, he retired as Deputy Base Commander at Turner Air Force Base in Albany, Georgia.
Wright’s distinguished service record designates him as a proud member of “The Greatest Generation.” Wright died in Tifton, Georgia, at the age of ninety.
Jack Wright by his family.
Erected by Jack Wright Family.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space
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Location. 31° 27.202′ N, 83° 30.625′ W. Marker is in Tifton, Georgia, in Tift County. Memorial can be reached from Main Street (Love Avenue) (U.S. 41) just north of 1st Street East, on the left when traveling north. Marker is mounted on the memorial wall in Tifton Veterans Memorial Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tifton GA 31794, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "Major" Jack L. Woolard (here, next to this marker); Purple Heart Memorial (here, next to this marker); William W. Outerbridge, Rear Admiral, USN (here, next to this marker); A.V. "Bubba" Akin (here, next to this marker); Henry Bostick (here, next to this marker); Henry Tift Myers (here, next to this marker); M60A3 Tank (within shouting distance of this marker); The Olympic Torch Paused at this Site (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tifton.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Tifton Veterans Memorial Plaza
Also see . . .
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, April 19, 2022
2. John Larkin Wright, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Marker
He served as a squadron commander for the 36th fighter group in Northern France, Central Europe, the Ardennes, and Rhineland. During these campaigns, he was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with eleven oak leaf clusters, and numerous citations for bravery and heroism. He held the rank of Lt. Colonel. Later he served as Base Commander at Turner Field in Albany, GA during the Korean War and received an honorable discharge in July 1958.(Submitted on May 11, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, April 19, 2022
3. Tifton Veterans Memorial Plaza
Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 11, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 232 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 11, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
