Terry Wetzel 84, of Island, Kentucky passed away Saturday, December 7, 2024 at Riverside Care and Rehabilitation Center in Calhoun. Terrance Wayne Wetzel was born February 19, 1940 in McLean County, Kentucky to the late Maurice and Mary Evelyn Howard Wetzel, was married to the former Linda Lee Pittas in October of 1996, and was better known as ‘Terry’ to both his family and friends.
Terry began his career in March of 1957 when he entered the Air Force. He attended training at Chanute AFB, Illinois as a jet aircraft mechanic and served in that capacity for the next four years, working mainly on B-52 bombers, stationed at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, and Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. After being discharged, he worked in the oil field and for McDonnell Aircraft Company, working as an aircraft mechanic on F-4 fighter aircraft.
After serving two years on inactive duty status with the Air Force Reserves, he went on active status at Scott AFB, Illinois with the 932nd Troop Carrier Group as a C-119 aircraft mechanic. He was later employed as an Air Reserve Technician with the unit. When the unit converted to the C-124 airplanes, Terry attended flight engineer training at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma and became a flight engineer on the C-124 airplane, accumulating over 1,000 hours of flying time on the C-124. He then transferred to Charleston AFB, South Carolina in 1969 and attended C-141 flight engineer training at Altus AFB, Oklahoma. Terry spent the next eleven years at Charleston AFB and became the Chief Flight Engineer of the 707 Military Airlift Squadron, accumulating more than 5,000 flying hours on the C-141 airplane. In 1980, he was selected by the Commander of the Air Force Reserves to be the initial cadre and on the flight test team of the then new KC-10 airplane, being the first reserve flight engineer on the KC-10. Terry attended training at Long Beach, California at the McDonnell Douglas factory and was transferred to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana as the 78th Air Refueling Squadron Chief Flight Engineer.
Terry ended his Air Force Reserve and Civil Service career in September of 1994, when he retired from both. With thirty-two years, two months, and two days in the Reserves as a Chief Master Sergent. He was awarded the longevity medal, good conduct medal, national defense medal, expert marksmanship ribbon, NCO academy ribbon, Presidential citation award, meritorious service award, Vietnam service, and Vietnam campaign medals, the chief aircrew member badge, and the 5,000 flying safety award. He then worked for American Tans Air, flying as a flight engineer on their Boeing 727 airplanes until July of 1996, when he left the flying career for good with over 12,000 hours flying time. He was a licensed commercial pilot, flight engineer, airplane and engine mechanic, advanced instructor, and was a designated FAA flight engineer examiner on the DC-10 airplanes.
After his retirement from the Air Force, he served as a deputy for the McLean County Sherriff’s Office until he later retired in 2006. Terry was also a member of the Island Baptist Church.
In addition to his parents, Terry was preceded in death by his two brothers, Gaylen Wetzel and Ralph Wetzel.
Terry is survived by his wife of 28 years, Linda Pittas Wetzel; three daughters, Terry Sue Burden (Chris) of Livermore, Cathy Dossett (John) of San Antonio, Texas, and Donielle Wetzel of Island; 7 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Pamela Daniels of Atlanta.
Memorial services for Terry Wetzel will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday, December 13, 2024 at Muster Funeral Homes, Livermore Chapel. Friends may visit with Terry’s family from 12:30 P.M. until 2:00 P.M. Friday at Musters in Livermore. Military Honors will be conducted by the McLean County Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post # 5415.
The Terry Wetzel family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Hosparus Health Western Kentucky; 200 Clinic Drive; Madisonville, Kentucky 42431.
Terry’s services will be streamed live on musterfuneralhomes.com at 2:00 P.M. Friday.
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