Dwight Norton Stevens, Jr.
May 2, 1924 – June 8, 2020
From the 95th BG Memorials Foundation’s Facebook page:
The Memorials Foundation and the Heritage Association remain with heavy hearts over the loss of Dwight Stevens, who left formation on 8 June 2020 in his native Shoreline, WA, at age 96. We are grateful to Doug Cerretti, Dwight’s friend and neighbor, for sharing this sad news. Dwight was a 336th co-pilot. Folded wings.
Dwight’s obituary:
Dwight Norton Stevens Jr., son of Ethel W. Cogean-Walkinton and Dwight Norton Stevens, was born in Seattle May 2, 1924. He grew up on Alki Ave. SW in West Seattle, literally across the street from Puget Sound.
After his graduation from West Seattle High School in June, 1942, Dwight enlisted in the Army and reported for Basic Training in California in December. He was selected for pilot training in the Army Air Corps and attended several phases of flight school in Arizona, before receiving his Officer’s Wings as a 2nd Lieutenant on January 7th, 1944. He and Helen Braas, his high-school sweetheart, were married later the same day. After a 10-day honeymoon in wartime Hollywood, Dwight received advanced flight training as a B-17 bomber pilot and was flown to Europe with his crew on June 7th, 1944, the second day of the D-Day invasion in France.
Assigned to the 95th Heavy Bombardment Group in Horham Suffolk, on the east coast of England, Dwight and his crew flew 33 combat missions over heavily-defended targets in Germany and flew other missions over Poland, Russia, Romania, Italy and France. For his skill, courage and success, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross along with several other medals. In 1994, 50 years to the day after participating in a harrowing low-altitude bombing mission in support of the Warsaw Uprising, Dwight was presented the Polish Home Army Medal by the President of Poland, Lech Walesa, at a ceremony in New York.
After the war, Dwight attended University of Washington and Gonzaga Law School in Spokane, Washington. He made a successful career in the insurance industry. In retirement Dwight taught an insurance adjusting course at Seattle University, founded the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association, became a Master Composter and taught composting classes, served as an English As a Second Language ( ESL ) teacher, an AAU basketball referee and as a member of American Legion Post 227 in Shoreline, he was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Veterans' Memorial Park at Shoreline City Hall. He was awarded the first Shoreline Star issued for his service to the City.
Dwight Stevens Jr. passed away at age 96 in at-home hospice care provided by his own family on June 8th, 2020. He is survived by Helen, his wife of 76 years, sons Lawrence and Jim, a daughter Janet, 5 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.