Base honors late POW, WWII veteran

Published April 2, 2015
By Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --
Airmen from Travis Air Force Base performed full military honors for retired Master Sgt. Robert Foster, a World War II veteran and former prisoner of war March 31 during a memorial service at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California.

Foster died at the age of 92 on March 18 due to complications from pneumonia. The service featured a firing party, flag presentation and the playing of "Taps," all provided by the Travis Honor Guard. The memorial also included a C5M Super Galaxy flyover.

More than 30 family members attended the service, many wiping away tears as they shared memories of Foster.

"Papa we send you off today with all the love and respect that all our human bodies can muster up," said Foster's grandson, Jason Robert-Foster Funk. "You will be forever missed; the world will be a little bit darker until I see you again. We love you and we're here today to honor you."

A seven-member Honor Guard detail carried Foster's casket from a hearse and placed it inside a committal shelter where it was surrounded by attendees. The team then conducted a ceremonious folding of the U.S. flag, a three-volley gun salute and presented the flag to Foster's wife of 67 years, Jean Foster.

Since January 2014, the Travis Honor Guard has performed military honors at nearly 1,800 funerals.

"From the bottom of my heart thank you for honoring my father," said Kathy Funk, Foster's daughter, "everything was so beautiful, I'll never forget it. I felt he was honored from the moment I got here."

Foster joined the U.S. Army Air Corps on Jan. 15, 1941. He served as a B-17 crewman in the Philippines during WWII. At the young age of 19, he was taken as a POW by Japanese forces in January 1942.

Foster spent more than three years in captivity. He was released in September 1945 and discharged from active duty service on March 26, 1946. Six months later, however, he reenlisted in the USAAC, which later became the U.S. Air Force, serving another 16 years as a mechanic and administrative supervisor.

Capt. David Franck, 22nd Airlift Squadron tactics assistant flight commander and the event's flyover coordinator, said participating in the memorial was personal for him.

"I volunteered to be the ground coordinator and plan this because I wanted to honor Master Sgt. Foster, as well as my grandfathers who both fought in WWII," Franck said. "That type of sacrifice is very rare. To pay tribute to that is a great honor for me."

Before Foster died he told his family he wanted to have full military honors at his funeral; including a flyover.

"The only request that he ever asked of me was to make sure he got the flyover," Kathy Funk said. "Even though he had memory problems he didn't forget that. He said 'when I die I want a flyover.'"

"I almost fainted when I heard the flyover was approved," she added. "I was so happy."

A flyover is meaningful to both the family and the aircrew, Franck said.

"Being able to honor them in this way gives perspective and purpose to current military operations and reminds aircrew and others of the threats faced in the past," Franck added. "Recognizing those who sacrificed and paid an enormous price with a flight tribute brings together tradition and partnership between those who have served and those serving today."

Lynda Mammel, Foster's oldest daughter, shared her appreciation for everyone who supported the memorial.

"When we walked in, seeing the Honor Guard, and then watching the procession with the casket, it made it much more special than going to a regular chapel and having a service there," she said. "This meant a lot to us. We were able to honor his wishes; from the beginning to the end it was very special."

"I don't feel sad because I know that he's somewhere where he's surrounded by love, he's at peace and he got the flyover," she added. "I'm so honored that Airmen from Travis honored my father."