Remembering a hero

Dexter lost one of its most noted hometown heroes on Wednesday night.

Lt. Col. (Ret) Clifford T. Manlove died peacefully at 97 years of age.

Cliff Manlove was a household name not only in Dexter, but across southeast Missouri and beyond. His military career and his heroic efforts during World War II in the European Theater are well preserved in a number of chronicles, magazines and newspaper articles.

Manlove has been a familiar face at every Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremony locally for as many years as most can recall, usually serving in a capacity that called for him to be in full uniform -- a uniform that he wore proudly and that fit perfectly until the day he died.

Cliff Manlove had a love of flight and used to tell of his virgin flight at the age of about 10. If there was an airplane overhead, he once said, everything stopped as he followed its path from the ground, and if a plane ever landed in Dexter when he was a youngster, he would race to the landing site to inspect the vehicle and question the pilot. He called Charles Lindbergh his greatest inspiration, and after two years at Purdue University in the 1930s, he began living his aviation dream. He enlisted in the military on Aug. 15, 1941, as an Aviation Cadet and graduated from Advance Pilot training on March 16, 1942, as a 2nd Lieutenant. He spent a 29-year career in the Air Force, retiring in 1969, as a Lt. Colonel.

He would complete one tour of duty in England as a bomber, and volunteered for an additional tour as a member of the Third Scout Force, the group that scouted weather conditions over Europe.

Manlove piloted several aircraft from a B-17 bomber to the P-51 fighter in World War II and a transport aircraft during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, which is a military decoration awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight involving conflict with an opposing foreign force."

He retired from a distinguished military career in 1969, and began to teach at the University of Missouri, where he also earned a masters degree. The next 12 years would be spent serving in Gideon and Bernie as a school counselor before retiring once again.

In 1942, while stationed in Sacramento, Cliff and June Manlove shared their wedding vows in a ceremony that included 18 other couples. The women of the time came to be known as "war brides." One of the family's most cherished photos is of Cliff standing alongside the P-51 Mustang he flew over Europe as he scouted weather conditions for bombers in World War II. On the nose of the P-51 is painted, "June Bug" in honor of the pilot's war bride at home.

Over his military career following the war, the family's stations included California, Panama, the Philippines, Holland and the Netherlands.

Manlove had actively served in a number of service organizations and was the recipient of countless awards for his patriotism and community service over the years.

When the Dexter Municipal Airport was established and a board was organized to oversee the airport's business, Manlove was among the first to volunteer. He headed up that board several times and remained a member of the Airport Board until his passing.

He was also a talented artist, specializing in the art of stained glass and until recently, a devoted member of the First United Methodist Church choir.

When June's health forced her to go into nursing care a couple of years ago, it became her husband's routine to report to her bedside each morning and remain with her until after dark -- sometimes later. He would read her the day's news, and they would talk and share stories and eat their meals together.

At 97, his own health began to fail just months ago, and only in recent weeks did he admit himself to Crowley Ridge Care Center to share a room with his favorite girl. It was there that he died, with his lifetime love by his side.

Cliff Manlove will be remembered as a lifetime learner, a historian, a talented artist and vocalist, a devoted husband and father -- and a loyal patriot. He will be missed.