Gale Cleven
Gale Winston "Buck" Cleven was an American pilot who flew 22 missions with the 100th Bomb Group of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, continuing in the newly created United States Air Force, where he served during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Early life and military service
Gale Cleven was born on December 27, 1918, in Lemmon, South Dakota, before the family moved to Wyoming for his father to work in the oil fields. Cleven grew up slightly north of Casper, Wyoming and graduated valedictorian at his high school. He worked as a roughneck in the oil fields throughout his undergraduate career at the University of Wyoming. During his time at the University of Wyoming he studied mathematics on a full academic scholarship and was a council member for Phi Delta Theta. He later completed another degree at the University of Wyoming, majoring in geology.Military
On February 20, 1940, Cleven enlisted in the Army and received flight training at Randolph and Kelly Fields, Texas. He was an instructor for the 29th Bomb Group at the McDill Air Force base in May 1942 and was promoted to commander of the 350th Bombardment Squadron in July 1942.His service with the 100th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force began on October 27, 1942. In January 1943 he was promoted to the rank of major. He was a part of the Regensburg shuttle mission, piloting one of the few B-17s to reach North Africa. In a post-mission report, it was recommended that Cleven receive the Medal of Honor for his actions during the mission; he instead received a Distinguished Service Cross.
On October 8, 1943, while on his 22nd mission, he was shot down over Bremen, Germany. Cleven was then taken as a prisoner-of-war to Stalag Luft III and Stalag VII-A, before escaping to American lines in March 1945. During his time in the camp, Cleven taught advanced calculus to other prisoners.
Cleven continued to be a member of the Air Force and served throughout the Korean and Vietnam wars before he retired, with the rank of colonel. While in the military, Cleven held positions in management in data processing divisions of the Atomic Energy Commission, US Air Force, and the Office of Defense.
Personal life
Cleven married his childhood sweetheart Marjorie Ruth Spencer from Lander, Wyoming, in July 1945. She died from a brain aneurysm in August 1953 shortly after contracting polio while visiting her family in Coffeyville, Kansas. At the time, Cleven was being transferred from an Army Air base in Albuquerque, New Mexico to the Norton Army Air Base in San Bernardino, California. In 1955, he married Esther Lee Athey, to whom he remained married until he died in 2006, leaving behind his wife, a daughter and two grandchildren.During flying school, Cleven was given the nickname Buck by fellow airman and best friend John "Bucky" Egan, as the latter thought that he looked like his friend from Wisconsin named Buck. Egan reportedly brought a silk parachute to Cleven's and Spencer's wedding to be used as bridal dress material for Spencer.
After the war, Cleven earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1949 and a Ph.D. in interplanetary physics from Georgetown University in 1964. After retiring from the Air Force, Cleven held a number of different jobs including in aeronautics and as the president of Webber College from 1979–1986. During his time as president at Webber College he was credited with increasing enrollment and the academic offerings of the college, and laying the foundation for the school's athletic programs.