Warbird Information Exchange

WWII fighter pilot, civic leader Bob Teeter dies at 93

Posted: Thursday, February 20, 2014 4:16 pm

Mike Conley

Robert W. “Bob” Teeter was for many years admired and respected throughout McDowell County as a civic leader, the executive vice president of Marion Manufacturing and most importantly as a true American hero.

Now, the many people who knew and looked up to Teeter are remembering his service to his country and his community. Teeter died Tuesday morning at the age of 93. His funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Marion.

A native son of McDowell County, he was the son of Fred and Gladys Atwell Teeter. When the United States entered World War II, young Teeter entered the U.S. Army Air Corps with the ambition of becoming a fighter pilot. As the pilot of a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane, Teeter would fly 90 combat missions in Europe during the Second World War.

“It was good and it was bad,” he said in an interview last year for the McDowell Legacy Program. “I loved to fly but not particularly where we had to fly overseas.”

In 1942, the 21-year-old Teeter enlisted in the Army Air Corps and went through training at Ocala, Fla. and Augusta, Ga. and advanced pilot training at Moultrie, Ga. He received his wings on May 28, 1943 – the same day he got married to his first wife, Jeanne. Teeter named his plane “Twerp” after his wife’s nickname. He later went to Richmond, Va., Dover, Del. and New Jersey for more training before being sent over to Europe. He and other servicemen sailed to Europe on the Queen Mary.

He flew his first actual combat mission on Feb. 25, 1944. The mission consisted of providing escorts for B-17 Flying Fortresses which were bombing Nazi-occupied France. Teeter and the other fighter pilots had the task of protecting the bombers.

“The first missions, we were led by an English captain,” Teeter said in a 2004 interview for The McDowell News. “We were going out as top cover for the bombers.”

On June 6, 1944, he flew two missions as a first lieutenant with the 365th Fighter Group, a part of the 9th U.S. Army Air Force. In his P-47 Thunderbolt, Teeter first flew a dive-bombing mission to destroy a bridge in the French city of Rouen.

“They told us they wanted us to dive bomb to keep the Germans from moving so quickly,” Teeter said in the 2004 interview.

His second mission on D-Day was another dive-bombing over the French town of Fontenay Sur Mar.

On Sept. 8, 1944, Teeter was leading a flight of other P-47 aircraft in a mission when he discovered a column of enemy vehicles traveling along a road. He made a reconnaissance flight at a dangerously low altitude to confirm that these were indeed German vehicles. After making confirmation, he directed his men “in the execution of the attack with such efficiency that the entire column of vehicles was left either burning or destroyed,” according to his citation from the military.

“The aggressiveness and skill with which Lt. Teeter led his formation in the attack reflect great credit upon himself and the Army Air Forces,” read his citation.

Later, Teeter would be one of the very first to get a close look at an enemy jet fighter. In October 1944, his squadron was flying a mission over Germany. After a rather uneventful flight, Teeter saw something in the dull, overcast sky that made him shout out to his flight leader. It was an Me-262, an early German jet fighter. At first, the experienced combat pilots were not sure what they had encountered but they followed the elusive streak in the sky until it ran out of fuel and crashed, according to a previous story in The McDowell News.

Teeter’s 90 missions took him over France, Belgium and Germany. “We kind of supported Patton after he broke through,” he said in 2004.

After the 90 missions, Teeter was given the choice of flying 10 more and being promoted to captain or going home. He chose to go home. After a rest and recuperation in Miami Beach, Fla., Teeter’s next assignment was being sent to Texas where he would train new pilots.

Teeter would continue flying for 51 years. He maintained his private pilot’s license and enjoyed taking family and friends for flights in his Cessna plane, which he kept at Shiflet Field. Over the years, he would keep in touch with his fellow veterans of the 365th Fighter Group and attended their reunions.

In May 2004, he and his family traveled to Washington, D.C. for the dedication of the National World War II Memorial. At the time, he told The McDowell News he was glad to see the memorial’s dedication to what many call “the Greatest Generation.” He also visited the National Air and Space Museum, where some P-47s like the one he flew are on display so future generations can learn and understand.

A graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Teeter went to work for Marion Manufacturing Co.

Howard Toney, 87, remembers Teeter’s dedication to the textile plant and the East Marion community.

“I worked with him until he retired,” said Toney. “He was a very dedicated man especially with our connections at the plant. At one time, I worked for him, he was what you would say my boss.”

Teeter was in charge of data processing and cost accounting. He kept in touch with the people from J.P. Stevens in New York City, which was one of the biggest firms in the textile industry. J.P. Stevens was the selling agent for the products made by Marion Manufacturing. Toney said Teeter was like a “go between” for the plant in East Marion and the selling agents in New York City.

“He was very dedicated,” said Toney of Teeter. “He was a good man to work with. When you did work for him, he seemed to be well pleased with what you did. The most I can say is he was very dedicated and everyone who worked for him could say the same thing. They knew exactly where they stood with him at all times.”

Teeter retired as executive vice president and treasurer of Marion Manufacturing after 36 years of service.

“He meant a lot to Marion Manufacturing, his community and his church,” Toney added. “He lived a full life.”

In 1984, Marion voters approved the sale of beer and wine at stores within the city limits and the establishment of an ABC store. Teeter became the chairman of the city’s ABC Board, a position he would hold for the next 24 years.

In 2008, Teeter stepped down as the chairman of the ABC Board. In recognition, the Marion City Council and then-Mayor Everette Clark presented him with a medallion and a plaque. At the presentation, city officials said the ABC store made several million dollars for Marion over the past 24 years. “The ABC board has always had good people but you were the head,” said Councilman Billy Martin to Teeter in 2008.

In addition, he was a member of the Francis Marion Club, served on the Marion Airport Commission and was a former member of the Marion Lake Club. He was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry and was an usher for 60 years.

In January 1999, Teeter was honored by the Marion City Council as the Citizen of the Month. Councilman Cecil Owenby selected him for this honor. During his presentation, Owenby talked about Teeter’s devotion to his country and his community of Marion.

City Manager Bob Boyette said Wednesday that Teeter was one of the earliest ones to be so honored by the city.

“He was a great man,” said Boyette.

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