- Date Of Birth: June 23, 1921
- Date Of Death: March 10, 2014
- State: Iowa
John was born in Fort Dodge, IA on 23 June 1921, to John A Callahan and Ellen Johnson Callahan and passed away 10 March 2014 in Tampa, Florida, age 92 years 9 months. The family moved to Chariton, IA, when John was a year old and he there grew to manhood. John was the great grandson of Jeremiah Riley Callahan, a very early pioneer in Lucas County. Jeremiah participated in the War of 1812 with the Ohio Volunteers and Asa Nay Callahan and John Johnson, John’s grandfathers, were in the Union Army in the Civil War. After graduating from Chariton High School in 1939 and Chariton Junior College in 1941, he received an appointment to West Point, graduating 5 June 1945 as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He was married 6 June 1945 in the Cadet Chapel at West Point to Mary Kathryn (Kay) Combs, daughter of D Earl and Nina Lutz Combs of Chariton. To this union were born four daughters. Kathryn Marie Callahan, Redding, CA; Victoria Jo Steppy, Riverview, FL; Jeraldine Ann Depew, Katy, TX; and Cynthia Rene Payne. There are three grandchildren, John Ash Callahan Steppy, Ryan Ash Callahan and Teresa Lynn Steppy; four great grandchildren, Cassandra Fordyce, Taylor Steppy, Cheyenne Jefferies, and Zachary Allison. John is also survived by a sister, Alma Wheat of New Braunfels, TX. John was a fighter pilot and flew P-40’s and P-51s and was an early jet instructor in the jet age. He ejected from a jet over Sondrestrum, Greenland on 8 December 1969, in the middle of a snow storm. He was found and recovered without serious injury.
