Henry C. 'Hank' Eales

Henry C. "Hank" Eales, 91 years old, passed on Jan. 26, 2013. He was born May 16, 1921, in Dos Palos, Calif., to Henry Clarence Eales and Florence Louise Hatch Eales. He was the youngest of three children, brother, George Luther; and sister, Ruth Remington. Parents, brother and sister, deceased. Hank learned to fly while attending Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, Calif., where the Civil Aeronautics Authority came to offer flying lessons. He never excelled in math, but when he associated it with flying his grades hit a high! The instructor taught primary flying to 10 students and this was the highest moment of his young life. As lessons continued and necessary hours of proficiency and good judgment were attained, he was awarded his private pilot's license and went on into secondary advanced flying which was 90 hours of aerobatics and night-flying. He was ever thankful for the strict discipline that was instilled in him. This was at the time rumbles of war were heard. He graduated from Santa Rosa J.C. with diplomas in flying and ground school and a scholarship in meteorology and had logged 200 hours flying time that summer, which helped greatly later on. July 1941, he signed up with the Army Air Corps at Hamilton Field Air Base, and after many more hours, days, weeks and months, he completed advanced flying at Moore Field, Mission, Texas, and graduated receiving his flying wings and 2nd Lieutenant rating. July 1942, he was assigned to the 5th Air Force - 386th Bomb Squadron - 312th Bomb Group and took part in action in the South Pacific, Pa Pau New Guinea, Port Moresby, Gusap Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea. His favorite plane was the A20 Havoc and flew a total of 85 missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. Upon leaving the U.S. Air Force, he drifted around as so many veterans do, but finally went to work with the Department of Weight, Measures and Consumer Affairs, licensed by state of California and worked for the County of Santa Clara and retired from there in September 1978. He was a member of the B.V. Flyters Club and the Quiet Birdmen. Hank is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Lois of Bella Vista; son, Michael (Sherry); five grandchildren, Kevin, Cory (Kimberly), Casey (Hillary), Kelly and Carter, all of Amarillo, Texas. Arrangements are by the Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Ark. Cremains will be placed in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Village Bible Evangelical Free Church Building Fund, 210 Town Center SE, Bella Vista, AR 72714; or to the Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Road, Springdale, AR 72762. Online condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.