Col. Robert F. Hemphill Sr. (USAF, Retired), 91, died June 9, 2010, in Fairfield, Calif. A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. July 21 at Church of the Resurrection, 2280 North Beauregard St., Alexandria, Va., followed by a reception. Interment with military honors will be at 9 a.m. July 22 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Robert Frederick Hemphill was born Nov. 18, 1918, in Blair. He was a graduate of Blair High School, Dana College, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (BA), the University of Denver (JD), the Air Command and Staff College, and American University (MA).

He married Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Roach in 1942, while an aviation cadet at Mitchell Field in Stamford, Texas.

Col. Hemphill had a long and distinguished U.S. Air Force career that featured many years spent in Japan.

He earned his wings and was subsequently commissioned an officer in the Army Air Corps. He saw World War II combat service in the Pacific with the decorated 507th Fighter Group, flying the P-47 fighter. At the end of the war, he elected to remain in what became the U.S. Air Force, serving for more than 26 years as a pilot, judge advocate, operations planner, and diplomat. He held the designation of senior command pilot and flew a wide range of aircraft.

He had tours of duty in Palestine with the United Nations under the leadership of Dr. Ralph Bunche during the formation of the State of Israel; the Strategic Air Command (SAC) under the Gen. Curtis B. LeMay; the Fifth Air Force in Japan; the Office of the Air Force Chief of Staff in the Pentagon; and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Fluent in spoken Japanese, he was proudest of his service as Air Attaché at the American Embassy in Tokyo, Japan from 1964 to 1967, serving under the leadership of U.S. Ambassador Edwin O. Reischauer. Upon completion of that assignment, he received an award seldom given to foreigners, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Degree, from the government of Japan in recognition of his distinguished service to both countries. He was also the recipient of the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Unit Citation, and numerous other military decorations.

He was an active member and leader of several church congregations. He authored or co-authored two church histories. He was also a clever and gifted storyteller, and published a book of humorous children's stories. He was also a prolific poet, and compiled a book of poetry.

Upon retirement from the military, he lived in Hawaii for 20 years, serving as a legislative staff member in the Hawaii State Legislature. He subsequently moved to Olympia, Wash., where he also lived for 20 years. He moved to Paradise Valley Estates in Fairfield, Calif., in 2007, where he continued to live independently.

He is survived by his sons, Robert F. Hemphill, Jr. of Potomac, Md. and David F. Hemphill of Kensington, Calif.; four granddaughters, Megan and Claire Adams of Alexandria, Va.; Lydia Hemphill of Oakland, Calif.; and Elizabeth "Bizzy" Hemphill of Chicago, Ill.; five great-grandchildren, Aidan and Ainsley Simmons of Alexandria, and Leo, Gus, and Daphne Confalone of Washington, D.C.; sister, Janet Lydia Jenkins of Lincoln; and dear friend Mary Jane Van Buren of Salt Lake City, Utah.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty, and daughter, Virginia Anne "Gia" Adams.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Robert and Elizabeth Hemphill Scholarship for Cultural Studies in Education at San Francisco State University. Checks may be made payable to San Francisco State University Foundation and mailed to: College of Education, Burk Hall 506, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

Find A Grave Memorial 60545927