Robert Sanders

Robert Lee Sanders, Jr., of Boulder City, passed away on March 11, 2015, at his home in Boulder City. Known as Bob, he was an avid pilot and fisherman. Bob was born in Electric Mills, Mississippi and graduated from Mississippi State University after serving a tour in the US Army. He earned a commission in the US Air Force and served 24 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Along the way, he became an Instructor Pilot who introduced many to the joy of flight, and was a rated multi-engine and instrument pilot his entire adult life. After retiring from his second career as a civilian engineer for the U.S. Navy, he and his wife Barbara moved to Boulder City. Boulder City Airport was his "second home", and he remained active in aviation until his death. Bob also loved football and rarely lost a bet. He fished the waters from Mexico to Alaska with a wide circle of friends, and will be dearly missed. Bob was preceded in death by his wife in 2010. He is survived by his brother Sam. Internment will be on April 3, 2015 at 12:40 pm in the Southern Nevada Veterans Cemetery, with his beloved wife of 50 years. A celebration of his life will be follow at the Boulder City Elks Lodge.

I was born in Electric Mills, Mississippi on September 13, 1927. Yes 13 is a LUCKY DAY! I attended high school in Macon, Mississippi. After graduation I wanted to join all my friends in the military to defeat Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany. I enlisted in 1946 at age 19. I took my induction physical in Biloxi, Mississippi and reported for duty at Camp Lee Virginia for basic training. After basic training I was stationed in Germany on occupation duty with our first infantry unit (Red One). Our mission other than protecting the border with Russia on the east side was serving on guard duty for the German prisoners and the former elite Hitler staff and storm troopers imprisoned at Nuremberg, Germany. This was among our other duties which include fraternizing with the German public. Germany at the time was devastated from bombing and artillery fire during world WW 2 by the allied forces. After the tough Army duty on the firing range and too much good German beer I returned to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey for discharge and enlistment in the Air Force Reserve. The Air Force looked much better than the Army since there was no live ammunition being fired over your head while lying on your stomach on the ground. While in the Air Force Reserve I enrolled in Mississippi State College's School of Business and Industry in September of 1948. I graduated from Mississippi State in 1952 with a Bachelor's Degree in finance from Mississippi State. In addition, I had two years of R.O.T.C. training and received my officers' commission in the U.S. Air Force. I reported to Travis Air Force base for active duty in May of 1952 where I started my military career as a second lieutenant in the U.S.A.F. After four years and receiving my flight training in a T-6 trainer in Texas, I was transferred to the headquarters of the Third Air Force in London, England. While stationed there we were flying jets, and props in the Tactical Air Command. While stationed in England I met my wife Barbara and we started our adventure which lasted 50 years. We spent five great years of fun and travel through out Europe, we were married on the first June 1959 in London England, and we spent our honeymoon touring France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. While stationed in England I also flew small airplanes in my spare time based out of an airport in a small town called Denham outside of London. Babs, my wife, was able to get some illegal flights in military aircraft, but we did most flying in small airplanes out of Denham. My primary military duty was to brief the commanding general on all Third Air Force maintenance and operations on all Third Air Force aircraft operations throughout Europe When we returned to the U.S. we arrived at McGuire Air Force Base via military air in May of 1960. We moved to Pensacola, Florida for a year when I transferred to an active Air Force reserve unit. I continued reserve service at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California in 1961. For the next six years I worked for the U.S. Navy in the Naval Ordinance Laboratory at the Naval weapons station and ammunition depot in Concord, California where we tested ammunition and rocket motors, including non-destructive testing on early Polaris first-stage rocket boosters on behalf of Rockwell Industries. I transferred to Southern California and worked in a Naval Ordinance Laboratory in Corona, California. I flew out of March Air Force base in active Air Force Reserve military aircraft. I spent six years stationed at March field and later Norton Air Force base. I retired from Norton in 1988 ending my 24 years of military service in the Air Force but continued to work for the navy as an engineer for a total of 17 years. These Navy positions required master's degree courses in engineering to keep up with technological advances of that era. Some highlights of the engineering job were: in Washington D.C. I was on the source selection team to award the largest Navy contract since WW2 on the Spruance-class destroyer. Also, I acted as project engineer on the Aegis class radar missile development and test programs weapons quality. The Navy programs were rich in experience and required project managers with considerable experience in engineering management. After retirement from this position, while still in Corona, Riverside and Chino, CA area I did flight instruction for 16 years with over 3,000 hours as a C.F.I.I. I also did charter flights throughout the south west and lots of fun fishing trips to Alaska and Mexico. Ed Snyder, Jerry Berney, and my self operated an aircraft leasing business we nicknamed it Taco Airlines. We were very lucky to combine flying, fishing, and travel during this part of our life journey. We traveled extensively with many trips to Europe, and considerable travel within the U.S.A. plus military aircraft after retirement from active duty with the U.S. Air Force. I served in Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and M.A.A.T.S., (now A.M.C.) In each assignment we were fortunate to have good assignments as well as a good social and professional life. We also enjoyed having second homes in Palm Springs and Lake Tahoe. After moving to Minden, Nevada we operated two mobile home parks with considerable help from my wife Babs, my life, love, and soul mate.

Our passions were travel and flying. Babs was also an avid painter in several styles and had a career selling her paintings all over the Southwest. I loved to fish.

Branch head in charge of 15mil$ budget, army of contractors, qc work all over the US on missilie systems including working on the test and development team for Tomahawk missiles. As a 2nd Lieutenant I worked for Gen Curtis Le May. "My retirement rank from the Air Force was as a Lt Colonel."