WARE, LT. COL. REUBEN MULFORD (Ret.), of San Antonio, passed away on July 14, 1998. Colonel Ware was a Career Air Force pilot and an active member of the A-1 Skyraider Association. He was born March 21, 1917 in Swedesboro, N.J, the son of Charles Sharp Ware and Ada Mulford.
During his military career, he and his family lived in many locations including Enid, OK, Redlands, CA, Bitburg and Wiesbaden, Germany. Col. Ware retired to San Antonio, TX in 1971.
He grew up in Cedarville and graduated from Bridgeton High School in 1935.
He was a graduate of Washington College Chestertown, MD, where he was a captain of the varsity football team. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and received his Masters’ in education from Phillips University, Enid, OK. He taught high school in Wharton, NJ and Peekskill, NY where he coached the football team to an undefeated 1947 season.
During WWII, Col. Ware trained as a pilot and flew B-25’s with the 71st Bomb Group in New Guinea. He returned to the Air Force in 1948 and served as aide-de-camp to General William D. Old, Headquarters 9th Air Force, Greenville, SC. He then went to Rhein/Main AFB, Germany and flew C-54’s on the Berlin Airlift with 61st Troop Carrier Group. Colonel Ware’s other assignments included the 3575th Pilot Training Wing, Vance AFB, OK; 1st Tactical Squadron, Spangdahlem AFB Germany; investigator and accident analyst, 102nd Inspectors General Group, Norton AFB, CA; flight safety officer, Flight Safety Directorate, Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph AFB, TX; Wing Safety Officer 7101st Air Base Wing, Wiesbaden, Germany; and Professor of Aerospace Studies, AFROTC Detachment 745, Grove City College, Grove City, PA.
Col. Ware served with distinction in the 1st Special Operations Wing, Nakom Phanon, Thailand. He was Wing Safety Officer and flew 80 compbat missions in the A-1 Skyraider.
Col. Ware held Command Pilot Wings. He medals and commendations include: Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf, Philippine Liberation Medal, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with five bronze stars, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star service star, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (Berlin Airlift), Medal for Humane Action, Air Force Longevity Service Award with four oak leaf clusters, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Command Pilot Wings.
Surviving Col. Ware are his wife, Anna Mary Fogg Ware; his sons Reuben Mulford Junior and David; his daughter, Nancy Ware Wright and son-in-law James L. Wright; and his brother Charles Sharp Ware, Jr., of Marmora, NJ. Additional family members are his grandsons Paul Harelik and Brian Harelik of Fort Lauderdale, FL; cousins, John Sharp Ware III of Hackettstown, and Janice Irwin of Basking Ridge, and his nephews, Charles S. Ware III of Ocean City; Douglass Fox Ware of Pitman; and Reade Gilmore Ware of Ventnor. An extraordinary circle of military friends and colleagues also survives Col. Ware. He leaves a legacy of dedication to God, his country, his family, and the men with whom he served.
There will be a public viewing on Sunday, July 19th at Sunset Funeral Chapel from 5 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, July 20th at Sunset Funeral Chapel with final interment at 9:45 a.m. at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio. Pallbearers will be members of the A-1 Skyraider Association. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be sent to Washington College, Development Office, Annual Fund, 300 Washington Street, Chestertown, MD 21620.
Source: Press of Atlantic City, The (NJ) – Saturday, July 18, 1998
