CMSgt Robert Ernest " Bob " Chase (retired)

Robert Ernest Chase, age 87, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2020 at Bon Secour St. Francis Hospital.

He was born on December 29, 1932 in Newton Massachusetts, the son of Charles Spaulding Chase and Margaret Olney Chase. He is preceded by his brother Donald and is survived by his brother Charles (Billie) of Wilmington, NC.

Robert is a graduate of Wellesley High School and the Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston Massachusetts. He graduated from the Air Force Non-Commissioned Officers Academy and had a distinguished career in the US Air Force from 1952-1980 where he retired as Chief Master Sergeant. During his tenure in the Air Force, he was the recipient of numerous medals and honors for his contributions and bravery. Among them were the Airman’s Medal; Bronze Star; Meritorious Service; Air Force Commendation; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

Robert traveled the world with the Air Force serving a tour in Viet Nam and another in Turkey. He was a member of the C-5 Test team and participated in a worldwide embassy tour and visited bases in England, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Norway, Morocco, Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Okinawa and numerous airbases in the United States.

After retiring from the Air Force, Robert continued his aircraft engineering career and later retired from Lockheed and then from Analex, where he worked on their space shuttle support programs.

Robert survived his wife of 55 years, Wilda Mae Chase. They raised three children, JoJo (Andy) Andrews; Jodi (Jerry) Bennett, and Rick (April) Chase. They had eight grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren: Jennifer Andrews; KC (Ashley) Andrews and their children Chase, Kale and Tucker; Rusty (Elizabeth) Chase and their children Will and Dargan; Darren Bennett and his daughter Makayla; Cherie Bennet and her son Brayden; Aleisa Chase and her children, Kaelin, Gavin and Tyson; Richard Chase and his daughter Allie; Sommer (Mike) Delacruz and their children Maddon and Cadence.

A military service is planned to honor his life.




Below is a detailed Summary of the Life of CMSgt Robert Ernest Chase


Born December 29, 1932 in Newton Massachusetts.

Graduate of Wellesley High School and Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston Massachusetts. His deceased parents are Charles Spaulding Chase and Margaret Olney Chase. Margaret’s uncle, Richard Olney, served as US Attorney General and Secretary of State under President Grover Cleveland and briefly as Secretary of State for William McKinley.

Robert had two brothers, Charles and Donald (deceased). Charles and his wife Billie live in Wilmington, NC where he retired from Burlington Woolen Mills. Charles was a VP and world buyer for all their wool products. They have two grown children, Sandy and Mike, who were living in Clarksville, VA.

Robert was married to Wilda Mae Chase for 55 years and raised three children, Brenda (Andy), Judy (Jerry) and Rick (April). They had eight grandchildren – Jennifer and KC (Ashley) from Brenda; Rusty (Elizabeth), Darren and Cherie from Judy; and, Aleisa, Richard and Sommer (Mike) from Rick. To date, they have thirteen great-grandchildren: Will, Dargan, Braydon, Makayla, Chase, Kale, Tucker, Kaelin, Gavin, Tyson, Allie, Maddon and Cadence.

Robert served in the United States Air Force from 1952 – 1980. He began his basic training at Sampson Air Force Base in Elmira, New York. He attended the General Jet Fighter Mechanics school in Amarillo, Texas and moved to Pinecastle Air Force Base in Florida as a fighter jet mechanic for the T-33 and F-80 aircraft.

Robert transferred to new bomber aircraft B-47 and changed commands from a training mode to General Lamay’s Strategic Air Command. He was selected to represent the 321st Bomb Wing as a B-47 flying Crew Chief for the Strategic Air Command evaluation crews at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. He was also selected as one of the hand-picked B-47 Crew Chiefs for the Strategic Air Command Worldwide Bombing competition at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.

Robert was then selected as flying Crew Chief for the modified DB-47 which was the prototype for the Bell Aircraft GAM-63 Rascal, the Air Force’s first nuclear armed standoff missile. The aircraft was flown and fired down range and ultimately never went into production.

After that assignment, Robert was selected under a special Strategic Air Command program due to loss of skilled quality control inspectors to allow E-6 grade highly skilled technicians to be assigned to quality control. This was a very selective process and only two men were selected.

Robert supervised the one-year fly-off testing of the YC-14 and the YC-15 aircraft made by McDonnell Douglas and Boeing aircraft companies which was the derivative of the C-17.

He was a member of the Air Force Source Selection Board for the new Strategic Air Command Refueling Aircraft (ATCA) which stands for Advanced Tanker Cargo Aircraft. He was a member of the Air Force’s Source Selection Board for the C-17 aircraft assigned to Charleston Airforce base.

Robert was promoted to Chief Master Sergeant after only 16 years of service. He was selected by a promotion board to remain on active duty for 33 years recognized for “extended high year of tenure” and received the Meritorious Medal of Service. Only 1% of all Chief Master Sargant’s in the Air Force were selected. Robert considered this his highest achievement and most notable honor of his service although he also received the Airman’s Medal for bravery while serving in Viet Nam.

Robert traveled the world with the Air Force including his tour in Viet Nam and another in Turkey. He was assigned to the Embassy Tour as a member of the C-5 Test team and visited bases in England, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Norway, Morocco, Hawaii, Guam, Japan, Okinawa and numerous US airbases.

He was the recipient of the following medals and honors:
Airman’s Medal; Bronze Star; Meritorious Service; Air Force Commendation with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; NCO Academy Graduate Ribbon; Good Conduct Medal Army with 3 Devices; Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster; National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Force Good Conduct Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1980, Robert went to work for Lockheed in Marietta, Georgia. He was later transferred to the Cape Kennedy Space Center as a Senior Engineer, where he was on a team to develop the space shuttle program. He retired from Lockheed after ten years of service, and accepted a Senior Engineering position with Analex, a sub-contracter at the Cape Kennedy Space Center and retired in 1994.

Robert has been a 32-degree Mason in the Masonic Lodge for over fifty years. He is also a longtime member of the Scottish Rite and Omar Shriners, a charity benefiting crippled children.