Army Chief Warrant Officer (Retired) Forrest Edward Myers, 95, passed away June 18, 2021, in Fishers, Ind. after a battle with cancer.
Born a Hoosier on April 7, 1926, Forrest grew up in the gentle hills of southern Indiana along the Ohio River in Crawford County. His family did not have a lot of money, but his youth was filled with fond adventures that generated wonderful stories he loved to share: fishing, exploring and raising goats – which he eventually traded for his beloved cow, Daisy – and surrounded by a large extended family that watched over him and his siblings. Always industrious, he worked to raise money by trapping, working farm fields and selling goat milk.
He was working on a barge on the lower Mississippi when he was called up for World War II. As a farm boy familiar with livestock, he was assigned to a unit developed to ride pack mules carrying supplies into the mountains of India.
He was re-assigned to serve with the military police to protect supply trains in India and eventually joined a maintenance unit once the Army learned he could fix just about any engine. He later served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War and became a highly skilled helicopter pilot. In Vietnam, he headed a helicopter transportation division at an air base during his two tours of duty.
Flying was his greatest passion, and he was good at it. In Vietnam, he received six awards of the Air Medal, twice with valor, in addition to numerous service, campaign and achievement medals. In 2019, he was inducted into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame.
Forrest left his beloved military after 24 years of service. He remained in Clarksville, Tenn. as an engineer for Trane Air Conditioning Co. until he retired a second time, only to spend his hours lovingly caring for his wife, who had cancer. Forrest did not like being alone and, following the death of his first wife, he married again and settled into happy retirement with Lucy. After Lucy died suddenly, he married again. Forrest and Barbara were inseparable for 17 years, enjoying travel, military reunions, friends, church, volunteering and loving their grandchildren until she died in 2017.
Forrest belonged to several organizations, including the Vietnam Veterans of America, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, 4th/152nd Reunion Association, the VFW and American Legion Post 72, Dover, Tenn. He also was involved in Kiwanis Club of Dover and active at Fort Donelson Memorial United Methodist Church, whose members served as a second family to him.
He was preceded in death by three treasured wives, June (Bullock) Myers, Ima Lucille (Allender) Myers and Barbara (Lane) Myers. Also preceding him in death were his father, George Myers; mother, Cora (Conrad) Pond; brothers, Paul Myers, Bert Parr and George Lee Myers and sister, Beatrice (Myers) Hodge.
He is survived by his daughters, Debbi Myers McKay, Knoxville, Tenn.; Brenda Myers (Jim Lindgren), Fishers, Ind., Sylvia Allender Britton (Mark) and Michele Lane Rippy, both of Clarksville, Tenn. and son, Phillip Troy Lane.
Also surviving him are grandchildren, Kristina Flood, Jacob Uhl, John Myers Lindgren, Hannah Myers Lindgren, Douglas Rippy, Graceon Rippy, David Britton, Jon Britton, Sarah Britton, Samuel Britton and Lydia Britton; great-grandchildren, Kieran, Austin, Elenore, Amelia, Luke, Violet, Joseph and Theo; brothers, John Parr and David Parr (Krystal) and extended family.
A celebration of life service will be held Friday, June 25 at 1 p.m. at the chapel of Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home. Interment will immediately follow at Greenwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the hour of service at the funeral home.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Forrest E. Myers Sunday School class.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to his beloved Fort Donelson Memorial United Methodist Church, 420 Church St., Dover, TN 37058.
Arrangements are entrusted to Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home, 1510 Madison Street, Clarksville, TN 37040; (931) 645-6488. Online condolences may be made at www.nealtarpleyparchman.com