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From early childhood, <em>Rexford Herbert Dettre Jr.</em> had one consuming desire—to be in the military and serve his country. He joined the California National Guard at age 15, enlisted in the Coast Artillery at 17, and earned an appointment to West Point at 18. As a cadet, he was active in fencing, soccer, and wrestling, and stood in the top fifth of his class.</p>
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He elected to take pilot training as a cadet and earned his wings at Victorville, CA in November 1942, graduating two months later. He was 22 years old and his motto was, “If there is a job to be done, it should be well done.” He was a natural athlete, neat and clean in appearance. He was serious and dedicated, yet his classmates enjoyed his company and quickly accepted him. He was always on time.</p>
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Rex went to England with the 474th Fighter Group in March 1944 to fight Hitler and Hermann Goering’s Luftwaffe. He was quickly chosen as a flight leader and loaned to the 20th Fighter Group in April 1944 for advance combat experience. Even in the icy cockpit of a P-38J, Rex exulted in the jarring, roaring, plunging aerial strife of combat aviation. On 8 Apr 1944, Rex was part of a low-level sweep that successfully attacked German trains and convoys and mauled an air base key to the defense of Berlin. The entire group earned the Distinguished Unit Citation for that day’s work. Rex got partial credit for destroying an HE-177 bomber, the type already selected by Hitler to carry the Nazi atom bomb if they could get one built.</p>
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The next day, Rex was in his P-38, escorting B-24 bombers back from a mission to bomb an aircraft plant in northern Germany. He was only 12 minutes from the coast of Holland and the relative safety of the North Sea when his propellers ran away. The resulting vibration was tearing the P-38 apart. The bucking aircraft became impossible to hold steady, and Rex had to bail out. There was no ejection seat in those days. He had to clamber out onto the wing and hope the tearing wind would not bash him against the P-38’s tail booms. Additionally, it was overcast, he could not see the ground, and he was dropping with his aircraft through the clouds.</p>
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He survived, but how he lived with the underground, was picked up by a German patrol and escaped by running away when they were diverted, how he was captured through a double-agent and shipped to Stalag III, how he escaped from a rolling freight car and wandered through Czechoslovakia, and how he was recaptured and thrown into a concentration camp are the heroics from which legends grow. He was liberated at war’s end and returned to the 1st Fighter Group at March Field, where he honed his flying skills for the next four years.</p>
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When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, Rex finagled his way into the 35th Fighter Group as group operations officer. He flew 110 combat missions in close support of ground combat before he was shot down by enemy fire. Rex spent anxious moments evading North Korean bullets until he was rescued by an H-5 helicopter. He returned to attend the Air Command & Staff School and in 1952 began a three-year term at USMA as an associate professor of mathematics. He often said West Point was his most pleasant tour.</p>
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The newly formed Air Force recognized Rex’s talent and leadership, placing him in increasingly responsible positions. In 1958, he became the deputy for operations of the 65th Air Division at Torrejon, Spain. He was appointed commander of the 408th Fighter Group at Kingsley AFB, OR in 1964. In 1966 he commanded of the 4780th Air Defense Wing at Perrin AFB, TX, followed by command of the 30th Air Division at Sioux City, IA, in 1967. Rex cherished these command assignments.</p>
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His further service was in august staff positions. Rex was deputy chief of staff for plans at Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs in 1969, but he was still able to manage an assignment as J-5 (Plans) for Military Assistance Command in Viet Nam where he found ways to fly 89 more combat missions. Called to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1970 as deputy director for plans and policy, J-5, Rex retired in 1973 as a major general and proudly wore his JCS badge. Like many of his classmates, he served in three wars with distinction.</p>
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For his service to the nation, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and two Air Force Commendation Medals. He was authorized the Prisoner of War Medal, and the nations of Korea, Viet Nam, and Thailand recognized him with decorations of their own.</p>
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Rex was a man who held his own counsel and rarely offered advice. He approached everything he did with quiet, disciplined enthusiasm. He learned from his parents the value of hard work and thrift. He believed actions spoke louder than words. In later life, Rex used his keen intellect to accumulate wealth in the stock market. Consequently, his financial contributions to his beloved West Point were among the largest in his class. To him, actions were the key.</p>
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His wife, Betty, who was his right hand and comforting partner; his daughters, Teri French and Devonia Sheaffer of Dallas; and his grandchildren, Kristen Buchheim and Jeremy Sheaffer, survive him.</p>
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You were a fine son of West Point, Rex, and a steadfast friend. You were an inspiration to many and a legend to all. Hail, farewell, and happy landings.</p>
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<em>The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions. — Confucius</em></p>
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<em>Classmate Bill Steward</em></p>