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Lt. Col. Welborn LaRoy “Pete” Matthews, Sr.
Army of the United States retired Lt. Col. Welborn LaRoy “Pete” Matthews, Sr. of Valley Head, passed away, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2010 at Valley Head.He was born on May 3, 1928, in Birmingham, to John Thomas Matthews and Mabel McCaleb Matthews. He was a 1946 graduate of Holtville High School, Deatsville. He served as a Seaman 1st Class in the U.S Navy – 1946 – 48; he was at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, D.C., 1946-47, and served on year abroad the Flagship USS Estes AGC12 of the 7th Pacific Fleet, homeport Tsingtao, China 1947-48.He married Patsy LaJean Hammond on Nov. 23, 1949 at the Coosada Baptist Church, Middlebrook. They were married 60 years at the time of his death. President Harry S. Truman signed the Field Artillery Commission of 2nd Lt. Matthews in 1952, the year he received a degree in agriculture from A.P.I. (Auburn University), He was an Alpha Gamma Rho.Matthews was Executive Officer of Artillery Combat Development Command, Ft. Sill, Okla. when he retired after 23 years – 20 active duty. He earned awards and commendations including: Combat Infantryman Badge; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; world War II Victory Medal; National Defense service Medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster; Korean Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; United Nations Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Korean Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/Silver Star; Vietnam Medal of Honor (First Class); and the Good Conduct Medal (Navy).His postings overseas consisted, in part, of Basic Artillery Officer’s Course; Air Artillery Observer’s Course, Counter Insurgency School; Artillery Missile Advanced Course; ROTC Professor’s Readiness School; and the Command and General Staff College.Matthews was commander of a basic training company, Camp Chaffee, AR. 1953; Battery Commander 297th Artillery Korea 1954 - 55; Battery Commander 27th Field Artillery of 1st Armored Div, Ft. Hood, Texas and Camp Polk, LA., Battery Commander; 1st How, 14th Armored Cav. Regt, Fulda, Germany 1954-60.; Professor of Military Science and tactics Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Fla.; Deputy Sr. Sector Advisor Bien Hoa, Vietnam; Executive Officer - Artillery Combat Developments command, Ft. Still, Okla.GS12 Matthews had a 17 year career with the United States Department of Agriculture 1971-88. He was Assistant Farmers Home Administration County Supervisor in Dale, Morgan, Lawrence, and DeKalb counties. He served as a County Supervisor in Fayette, Marion, and DeKalb counties.He was a Scoutmaster for Lake Morton United Methodist Church Troop 361. He was on the Board of Stewards of Lake Morton United Meth-odist Church, Lake-land Fla.He was baptized and confirmed as a member of The Valley Head United Methodist Church on Oct. 7, 1957. He was a communicant at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Chattanooga, Tenn. at the time of his death.He held memberships in Kiwanis; Master Mason, Mt. Scott Lodge, Lawton, OK; Honorary Kentucky Colonel; Landmarks of DeKalb; the Lookout Mountain Fairyland Clun; Gulf Shores, AL Tennis Club; Life Member Auburn Golden Eagles; Life member 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment Organization; Ft. Payne VFW; The National Philip Hammond Family Association; The Disabled Vietnam Veterans; and The Underhill society.“Colonel” is survived by his wife, Jean; daughter, Leslie (Jim) Bunch; grandchildren: Kelly Jane Bunch; West Point Cadet J.E.B. Bunch, Jr; daughter-in-law, Carolyn Fitzgerald Matthews; grandchildren: Carrie Matthews Tidwell (Brett) and Katie Matthews Sparkman (Jeremy) and two great-grandchildren, Ella and Matthews Tidwell.Welborn was preceded in death by his son, Welborn L. “Chip” Matthews, Jr.; (Oct. 5, 1950 - Feb. 11, 2000). His parents: his step-father, John Henry Smith, Sr., and Mabel McCaleb Matthews Smith. Step-brother, Eastern Airlines Captain John Henry “Dixon” Smith, Jr., (Ouida), sister, Jewell Clydene Morgan (Late James Hines, Sr.) and brother, Glendon Matthews.A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. at Burt Funeral Home Chapel, Valley Head. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday prior to the service.Officiants: The Rev. Dr. Timothy Randolph Smith; Alpha Gammo Rho Brother, The Rev. Dr. Belon Friday; and The Rev. Dr. Jack Bailey. Pallbearers: Jim Bunch, J.E.B. Bunch, James Hines Morgan, Jr., David Glen Morgan, Harry Kenneth Hammond, Jr., and James Leak Hammond. Honorary Pallbearers; Lowell Barron, Seth Hammett, Kenneth Hammond, Sr., Patrick Henery Tate, Donald Ray Morgan, Charles Hester, Jr., Dr. Ira Gore, Jr., Dr. George S. Bacon, and MG James Pocock, Ronnie Jones, Alva Marshall Hammond, and Dr. Ralph Charles Hammond.Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery on March 16, 2010 at 9 a.m.In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be sent to The Valley Head Cemetery Association, c/o The Citizens Bank of Valley Head, P.O. Box 147, Valley Head, AL 35989, where a Valley Head Cemetery Association Discretionary Fund will be established In Memoriam in the name of Lt. Col, ( R ) Welborn L. Matthews, Sr.
Published February 4, 2010
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