Commonwealth of the Philippines Veteran Passport
Colonel William “Bill” Stewart
Colonel Stewart served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. A second-gen military officer, he graduated from West Point in 1943, dedicating his life to Duty, Honor, and Country. Commonwealth Philippines Veteran Passport
Childhood on Alcatraz
Colonel Stewart, born April 7, 1919, grew up on Alcatraz in an army family, his father overseeing the military prison. At age 99, he authored the book “Alcatraz Kid,” sharing his experiences growing up on the island.
West Point & Okinawa Commonwealth Philippines Veteran Passport
Enlisting in the Army in 1937, Colonel Stewart secured a competitive appointment to West Point in 1939 and graduated in January 1943. He earned his pilot’s wings in November 1942 and played a crucial role in training B-17 pilots in Pyote, Texas. As a B-29 Commander in Okinawa at the war’s end, he witnessed the Japanese surrender ceremonies over Tokyo Bay on the battleship Missouri.
Korean War
In the Korean War, Colonel Stewart provided combat support at Wright-Patterson AFB and served as military assistance for the Royal Netherlands Air Force in The Hague, Holland. His proudest moment came during the Cold War when he led air rescue operations after a devastating flood in South Holland in 1953, saving numerous lives. Continuing his service during Vietnam, he set up computers in the Pacific for CINCPAC while stationed in Hawaii.
He graduated with honors from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and earned an MBA from George Washington University in DC. Colonel Stewart’s illustrious 31-year military career concluded with his retirement from the Air Force on July 1, 1968. Commonwealth Philippines Veteran Passport
A highlight of Colonel Stewart’s later years was orchestrating the reenactment of the 100th Anniversary of Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois’s flight during the Fort Sam Houston Centennial of Military Aviation on March 2, 2010.
Colonel Stewart is survived by his wife, brothers, daughter, stepchildren, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other relatives, leaving behind a legacy of service and honor. He was preceded in death by his son, William Robert III; daughter, Lynne; son-in-law Lonnie Passafuma; and granddaughter, Melissa.
Bill passed on 14 February 2020 at the age of 100.
The Passport Commonwealth Philippines Veteran Passport
This passport type is a rare find, and not many Americans know today, that the Philippines was once US territory. This great document was an instant buy on eBay in Dec 2023, sadly I missed it.
Navy CMR James Rowney – Pearl Habour
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Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
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