Robert G. Lehman, 75, St. Augustine, passed away Feb. 18, 2009 ,at Shands in Jacksonville. Memorial services will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, 2009, at the VFW Post No. 239, 6184 U.S. 1 South, St. Augustine.

He served in the U.S. Air Force and he was a commander of the United Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 14-07 for two years and an active member for many years.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy J. Lehman; daughter, Melinda Lehman and husband, Jim Cybul; son, Rob Lehman and wife, Jeanine and their children, Katie and Andrew.

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By coincidence, I have been working on the Far East USAFSS history in the last few days and came across (Robert G. Lehman) story on the Internet, where he tells about the round-about itinerary that USAFSS sent him on to his first overseas assignment. Upon completing Chinese language school at Yale in 1954, USAFSS mistakenly sent his Chinese classmates to USAFSS HQ where they languished for a month on casual status before being flown suddenly via a Gooney Bird to Parks AFB, CA for a port call and further shipment to the 29th RSM at Clark AB, PI. Arriving too late to board a troop ship bound for Manilla, they waited at Parks another month before their 17-day cruise to the PI. Ultimately, he spent limited time with Flight A, 29th RSM at Yontan, Okinawa, then was shipped to Det 3, 29th RSM on Taiwan. In mid 1955, Lehman volunteered for flying status--one of the first Chinese linguists to fly missions on RB-29 44-62290 from Yokota while assigned to the 6924th at Shiroi and Det 1, 6924th RSM at Yokota. Bob was discharged in 1957, obtained a degree in industial engineering and retired to St Augustine in 1996.

RIP ROBERT G LEHMAN!

Thank you,

Larry Tart, Founder of the Prop Wash Gang