Allard Guy Russell

Russell, Allard Guy
June 27, 1920 - May 17, 2009

Captain Allard Guy "Slim" Russell, U.S. Navy (Retired) and honorary Marine, 88, of Sarasota, died May 17, 2009 at Doctors Hospital in Sarasota.
Survivors include his wife, Edith Russell of Sarasota; son Ron Russell and his wife Paristo of Sterling, Va.; daughter Joan Veselka and her husband John of Houston; daughter and loving caregiver Dr. Diane Warren of Sarasota; and daughter Donna Russell Martin and her husband Rob of Culpeper, Va. He is also survived by his grandchildren Kimberly Thaxton of Cornelius, N.C.; Christopher Russell of Sterling, Va.; William Veselka of Houston; Marc Veselka of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Jason Veselka of Norfolk, Va.; Elizabeth "Holly" Martin of Cornelius; and Margaret "Maggie" Martin of Culpeper. In addition, he left five great-grandchildren.
He was born in Williston, N.D., and was truly one of the "Greatest Generation." Slim joined the Navy, out of the University of Washington, in 1940. He became a carrier pilot, flying in combat during World War II and the Korean War; including dive-bomber support for the First Marine Division during the battle of Guadalcanal, flying off the USS Saratoga. When the ship was torpedoed, he was moved to an airstrip on Guadalcanal, living with the Marines and flying air cover missions. He proudly identified himself as both a Naval Aviator and a Marine.
As a Naval test pilot, he flew 125 different types of airplanes, specializing in night flight operations. During his career he amassed some 6,500 military flight hours and 3,000 civilian flight hours. His combat awards include two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 5 Air Medals and the Presidential Unit Citation.
In 1957 he was a leading pioneer in the All-weather Carrier Landing System and made the first aircraft carrier landing completely by computer. He planned and led the first flight of combat jets across the Atlantic to support the Lebanon crisis in 1958. He was the first licensed hydro skimmer pilot and flew exchange duty with the British Royal Navy.
Upon his Naval retirement in 1962 he worked for Bell Aircraft, as director of flight research, participating in the development of early air cushioned vehicles. Later, Slim worked for Hughes Aircraft as head of military programs. He served in the White House Action Agency and in the State Department as deputy chief, Navy Division, Vietnam. Later he joined Boeing Aircraft as the coordinator for the AWACS flight radar system on behalf of the Air Force and NATO during the early 1980s.
He was nominated and inducted into the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviation Association, known as the Golden Eagles, which functions as a living memorial to those early Naval Aviators who pioneered and provided leadership for military aviation force. He remained an active member of the Association of Naval Aviators, the Naval Aviation Foundation's Golden Pelican Squadron, the lst Marine Division Association of Southwest Florida, the Navy League, and was a lifetime member of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society and the USS Saratoga Association.
Slim and Edie moved to Sarasota upon his retirement from the Boeing/NATO program in 1983. He was a charter member and first chapter president of the Angel Flight Southeast, Sarasota Squadron, arranging free air transport for charitable and medical needs. He flew many mercy missions almost up until the time of his death. An avid golfer, he continually shot his age or better, despite hip and shoulder fractures in 2007.
He will be remembered as a loving husband of more than 67 years, supportive father, grandfather and great grandfather and a gregarious, generous and loyal friend.
A memorial service will be held Aug. 8, 2009, in Sarasota. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 30, 2009.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Angel Flight Southeast Inc., 8864 Airport Blvd, Leesburg, FL 34788 (352-326-0761). Arrangements are being handled by the National Cremation Society, Sarasota.