JOHN B. ALWARD

John B. Alward was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1944, the son of a physician and a nurse.  Reared in Indiana, John became a Captain in the United States Air Force, and flew a B-52 during the Vietnam War.  After his courageous service to our country, John attended law school at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he met and fell in love with his lovely, future wife.  After graduation from law school, John obtained a prestigious LL.M. degree in Estate Planning from the University of Miami.  John ably practiced law in Sun City, Arizona until his death in 1989.

John's life was tragically ended, very prematurely, on his way home from work on the night of 25 September 1989.  A detour was created on Lincoln Boulevard for the interchange with the Piestawa (formerly, Squaw Peak) Parkway (Hwy. 51), which was then under construction.  An errant driver failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway, crossed the centerline, killing both John and himself.

John was a best friend with an unparalleled sense of humor, a calm demeanor and an even disposition. He loved life and enjoyed it thoroughly.  A few months before John's tragic death, his only child was born.  In early September, 1989, John visited the newborn child of a friend.  Here is a picture, taken by the baby's mother, of John holding the newborn:

Aviator's Valor Award

John flew a B-52 in Vietnam. John received an Aviator's Valor Award for his life-saving conduct during the Vietnam War.  Just before reaching the target, John's aircraft was mortally damaged by enemy scrapnel.  John stayed on course, dropped his payload, and returned the dying B-52 for an emergency night-time landing at an unfamiliar landing field surrounded by landmines.  John aborted the first landing attempt when it became clear the ill-fated aircraft could not land on the airstrip, and then safely landed the damaged B-52, saving the lives of his crew. John said that after he landed the B-52, the plane never flew again.  John demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism under stress.  This was an innate quality that John held.  Here is an image of John's Aviator's Valor Award:

Interment

John's funeral was attended by masses of people, so many in fact that people had to stand outside the funeral home.  John touched the lives of many people: all who knew him loved him. John's final resting place is located in the St. Francis cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona: