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<em>Andrew Stevenson Low, Jr., the </em>son of Andrew S. and his wife Jessie Love Low, both of Scotland, was born in their new American home in Westerly, RI. After high school, Andy studied for three years at the Rhode Island College of Education, and concurrently served two years in the 3rd Battery, 243rd Coast Artillery, reaching the rank of corporal. He then entered West Point with the Class of ’42.</p>
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Andy’s college years prepared him for the academic grind of the Academy. On Graduation Day, he ranked 90th in the class and selected Coast Artillery and the Army Air Corps. A cadet with many interests, he ran track and cross-country, played golf, and was an active member of the Dialectic Society. He acted also in the 100th Nite Show and was an academic coach all four years. Militarily, he served as cow corporal and A Company’s outstanding first sergeant as a first classman.</p>
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His companymates knew and loved Andy’s Rhode Island OAO, Helen P. Freeborn. They married the day after graduation, 30 May 1942. Their honeymoon was short as they made their way to Florida, where Andy began flight training in early June. After basic pilot training, he moved to 4th Engine Transition and Combat Crew Training before becoming an instructor pilot, flight commander, and group assistant operations officer. In January 1944, Andy then went to England as a squadron commander and, later, became group operations officer. There, he met, worked, and flew with Hollywood’s Jimmy Stewart, beginning a close and lifelong friendship.</p>
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Andy was very proud that as a captain, he was chosen to be lead pilot for the Eighth Air Force on five missions, one of which led to the Distinguished Flying Cross. On his 16th mission, he was shot down over Ludwigshaven, captured and spent the rest of WWII in the Stalag Luft III prison camp.</p>
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Classmate A1 Hunter wrote two articles for <em>ASSEMBLY</em> the summer of 1999 about the experiences Andy and classmate Dick Scott had while prisoners of war. One favorable experience was the return of Andy’s class ring by a thoughtful interrogator.</p>
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Liberated 29 Apr 1945, Andy returned home for processing and a well-deserved leave before reporting to the Intelligence Division of the War Department General Staff in early August 1945. There, he was one of the first in the Class of ’42 to earn the General Staff Identification Badge. In addition, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and promoted to lieutenant colonel. In 1947, when the Unification Act was passed, he transferred to the new U.S. Air Force. The Lows then moved to Maxwell Field, where Andy completed the Regular and Logistics Courses, before serving as executive to the Director of Operations, HQ, Strategic Air Command. In August 1951, Andy was promoted early to colonel. The Lows also were rewarded during their first 10 years of marriage with five children: Andrea, Drew, Laurinda, Jessica, and Stephanie.</p>
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In 1955, the tour with SAC ended with a rewarding assignment with SHAPE in Paris. A "vacation’s over" recall sent the Lows to SAC in Salina, KS, for three years. Andy first served as division director of operations and, then, 40th Bomb wing commander. In 1957, their son David reported for duty.</p>
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Andy attended the Air War College, so the family returned to Maxwell. Then, he served on the Air Staff in research and development, followed by a move to the Secretary of Defense’s "Weapons Systems Development Office. Concurrently, Andy squeezed time to earn a master’s degree at George Washington University. In 1965, he was assigned to the Military Assistance Group in Turkey for a two- year tour, after which he was called back to the Air Staff in Washington. Initially, he served in the Office of Weapons and Logistics for two years, but then he was selected as the Aerospace Programs director, his last uniformed assignment for which he was awarded the USAF Distinguished Service Medal. After 29 years of service in peace and war, Andy retired in 1971.</p>
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Drawing on his three years of study before attending the Academy, he immediately stepped into a second career as a professor for the University of Southern California for six years before becoming an adjunct professor in 1977. He traveled around the U.S. and Europe teaching college courses to airmen and women as they earned graduate credits.</p>
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Throughout the years, he maintained relationships with his wartime associates as well as those in his progressive assignments. Andy was one of our class leaders and orchestrated our big 55th reunion. An accomplished raconteur, he was in great demand at Founders Day Dinners as toastmaster and, later, as the Oldest Grad speaker. He participated in many Rhode Island civilian and military affairs meetings and was elected by the Governor to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.</p>
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Over the years, Andy was awarded the USAF Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, two Air Medals, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army Commendation Medals, and the Purple Heart.</p>
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We have lost another distinguished soldier and airman. Andy has made his contributions and left his mark in several fields: military, education, community and class affairs, and of course, family leadership. He was a worthy member of "the Greatest Generation." As he joined it, the Long Gray Line was strengthened. He well merits our accolade of "Be thou at peace."</p>