Douglas D. Wells

Our father, Major Douglas Dean Wells, retired USAF, was born on September 5, 1928 and passed away on June 28, 2014. As a young airman stationed in San Antonio, TX, he met and married a young Army nurse, Bernice \"Bunny\" Lorraine Cushner and they were married for 61 years. A B-47 pilot with the USAF, he served in the Korean Conflict and Vietnam. Dad had an amazing life, born the son of a tenant farmer in rural Alabama; he grew up and traveled the world. Later in life, he liked to talk about the different places he had been such as Japan, Greenland, Turkey, Libya, and skirting the edge of the Soviet Union with the Strategic Air Command aerial reconnaissance. Dad loved flying the B-47 and said \"Nothing could catch them...until they could\" (he did take Russian just in case). The Cold War wasn\'t cold from where he was living it. When the B-47 was decommissioned, he had the privilege of flying the last one in service to the bone yard. The truth can finally be told, he liberated the clock on the instrument panel. After 22 years he retired from the Air Force and then worked for the State of Louisiana for an additional 15 years leaving after serving as a Supervisor of Blind Services. Dad\'s family and friends knew he was the one to go to when anything from cars to a second story on one of his sons\' house needed to be built or fixed. He had a wealth of knowledge and a willingness to share it to help others. He could be counted on to help when asked. That was his way of letting you know that he loved and cared for you. We are grateful for the last few years because we were able to truly know and appreciate him. Dad was preceded in death by his wife and eldest son, James Wells. He is survived by his sisters, Dorthy Holland and Betty Wells, children, Katie Wells, Suzanne Adey, Carol Wallace, Diane Legendre and husband David, David Wells and wife Claudia, and daughter-in-law Beth Wells. Grandchildren: Chris and Lauren Gordon, Samantha Simpson, Hank and Olivia Wells, Bryan and Sarah Legendre, Alex, Dustin and Cody Stewart, Jake, Margaret and Adrianne Wells, and Trinity Wallace. Great-grandchildren: Gavin Thornton and Taylor Wood. The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude for his longtime physician, Dr. John Brady, and to the staff at the Northwest Louisiana War Veterans Home. Visitation will be held at Rose-Neath in Bossier from 1-3:30, with a memorial service to be held immediately after. Interment will be at Hill Crest Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to the Fisher House Foundation.