- Date Of Birth: March 8, 1921
- Date Of Death: February 24, 2012
- State: Texas
March 8, 1921 – February 24, 2012
Lt. Col. Clifton R. Toepperwein, USAF, (Ret.) passed away on Friday, February 24, 2012. He was born in Boerne, Texas, the son of Rudolph and Alma Toepperwein on March 8, 1921. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Lester L. and Marion B. Toepperwein, and his sisters, Elsie Pearl Wales and Verda Mae Pue. Clifton graduated from Boerne High School and attended Southwest Texas State College prior to entering the U. S. Army Air Corps soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He received his pilot wings at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, TX. He married Georgia Lovelady June 2, 1943 in Pocatello, Idaho. He had found his two greatest loves: flying and Georgia. Still honeymooners, Clifton and Georgia walked to a friend”s one cloudless, moonlit night. Georgia exclaimed, “Just look at that moon!” Clif”s romantic reply” “What a night for flying!” In August, Clifton was sent to the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations assigned to the 380th Bombardment Group of the 5th Air Force. Besides being aircraft commander, he served as squadron operations officer and acting commanding officer to the 529th Bomb Squadron. He was a decorated combat veteran awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart, WWII Medal and the Victory Medal. Upon returning stateside, Clifton was stationed at Westover AFB in Massachusetts. From there he had the honor of flying in the bomber formation over Washington, D.C. for President Franklin D.
