From Alumni News, Fall 1998:

Col. John Steven Childress, ANG, of Columbia died June 18. During his time at The Citadel, he received the Rowland Wooten Award, was commander of the Junior Sword Drill, was named Southern Conference Wrestling Champion and graduated as the top ROTC cadet. He received a master's degree in business from the University of South Carolina and then entered the U.S. Air Force. He was a member of the 7206 flight training class at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and spent eight years on active duty. During his Air Force career, he flew reconnaissance missions over Vietnam and was also stationed with the RAF at Alconbury, United Kingdom, and later at Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter. After leaving the Air Force, he joined the Montgomery, Ala. Air National Guard while flying with Eastern Airlines for nine years. During his career as a pilot, he flew RF-4s, F-4s, F-16s and the Hawker Hunter. He served as executive officer to the commanding general of the Air National Guard at The Pentagon and for the past five years he served at Shaw Air Force Base as the air national guard advisor to the commanding general of the 9th Air Force. Colonel Childress also served on the board of directors of Classic Jet Aircraft Association, where he flew restored fighters; with his favorite being the Hawker Hunter. He was a life member of the Citadel Alumni Association.

Surviving are his wife Gail A. Childress, 2416 Duncan St., Columbia, S.D. 29205; a son; a daughter and son-in-law; his father; a brother; a sister; and a grandson.

From John I. Moore, Jr.

John Childress died a hero’s death, staying with his failing plane in order to guide it away from populated areas before it crashed.