Individual Details
Cantrell Loraine Craig
(October 29, 1916 - )
"Cantrell Loraine Craig completed three years of college at Southwest Missouri State College in Springfield prior to entering Cadet Training in the U. S. Army Corps. He graduated as second Lieutenant in aircraft arament July 3, 1942. His first combat experience was at Guadalcanal in the south Pacific campaign. He was in charge of loading arament on planes scheduled for missions against the enemy. Cantrell Loraine received the following battle stars on the campaign ribbon: Guadalcanal, northern Solomons, Bismark Archipelago, New Guinea, western Pacific, southern Philippines, China and northern Luzon. Another battle star was awarded on the Philippine ribbon for an incident at sea with the enemy submarine in Philippine waters.
"After World War II, Cantrell Loraine enrolled in the Southwest Missouri State College for a year, then he returned to the Air Corps. He enrolled in the School of Meteorology of New York University, School of Engineering, and he completed requirements for an Air Corps Meteorologist in August 1967. One of his first assignments in the Air Corps was Aerial Weather Reconnaissance, flying in a B-29 over the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean to the geographic North Pole from Eielson Air Force Base located twenty six miles from Fairbanks, Alaska. Frequently these missions were aborted due to either engine trouble or being out of radio contact for a period exceeding two hours. During the early portion of this assignment, final exploration of the Arcitc Ocean was undertaken by his organization. In particular, they were interested in tabular icebergs known as "floating ice islands." Some had previously been located that were thirty miles long and from ten to twenty miles wide. These explorations were coveted missions, and Cantrell Loraine considered himself fortunate to have been an observer, taking photographs and atmosphere soundings on one of them.
"In 1956, Cantrell Loraine was assigned as Detachment Commander at a base in Southern Turkey, about fifty miles from the east edge of the Mediterranean Sea, where the first U-2, in this area, was stationed. Rigid security regulations prohibit details of this assignment. Off the job experience, particularly living among the Moslems, was new and varied. His next overseas assignment was flying weather reconnaissance into the Arctic Ocean, across Resolute Island, Greenland, Iceland, the Shetlands and Ireland from Burtonwood, England. It was here he met and wed Edwina Barker April 16, 1959. She spent most of her life in Canada and the United States. Edwina performed on stage, television, redio and as a disk jockey at various times for about twelve years. She was known as "Eddie the little country girl" on the Louisiana Hay Ride barn dance program.
"In 1962, Cantrell Loraine retired from the Air Weather Service at El Paso, Texas. After retirement, he attended the University of Texas in El Paso. The Schellenger Research Corporation asked him to assist in liaison on matters of meteorology between the University and the environmental research division of White Sands Missle Range, New Mexico. This work resulted in his becoming director of the Data Analysis Center, and an instructor in the College of Engineering. While attaining these positions, he became chief scientist on a National Science Foundation Grant, a National Space Agency Contract, an Air Force Contract, and two sections performing research for the Army. His first achievement as scientist was when the National Academy of Scientists requested permission to publish his procedures and methods of Rocket Sonde Reduction in a NATO publication. Cantrell Loraine was the first to successfully reduce the telemetry from a rocket born ozonesonde. This type of research resulted in his being asked by the Army to write scientific articles for publication." (CANTRELL-CANTRILL by Horace Elbert Cantrell, 1972, pages 63-64)
"After World War II, Cantrell Loraine enrolled in the Southwest Missouri State College for a year, then he returned to the Air Corps. He enrolled in the School of Meteorology of New York University, School of Engineering, and he completed requirements for an Air Corps Meteorologist in August 1967. One of his first assignments in the Air Corps was Aerial Weather Reconnaissance, flying in a B-29 over the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean to the geographic North Pole from Eielson Air Force Base located twenty six miles from Fairbanks, Alaska. Frequently these missions were aborted due to either engine trouble or being out of radio contact for a period exceeding two hours. During the early portion of this assignment, final exploration of the Arcitc Ocean was undertaken by his organization. In particular, they were interested in tabular icebergs known as "floating ice islands." Some had previously been located that were thirty miles long and from ten to twenty miles wide. These explorations were coveted missions, and Cantrell Loraine considered himself fortunate to have been an observer, taking photographs and atmosphere soundings on one of them.
"In 1956, Cantrell Loraine was assigned as Detachment Commander at a base in Southern Turkey, about fifty miles from the east edge of the Mediterranean Sea, where the first U-2, in this area, was stationed. Rigid security regulations prohibit details of this assignment. Off the job experience, particularly living among the Moslems, was new and varied. His next overseas assignment was flying weather reconnaissance into the Arctic Ocean, across Resolute Island, Greenland, Iceland, the Shetlands and Ireland from Burtonwood, England. It was here he met and wed Edwina Barker April 16, 1959. She spent most of her life in Canada and the United States. Edwina performed on stage, television, redio and as a disk jockey at various times for about twelve years. She was known as "Eddie the little country girl" on the Louisiana Hay Ride barn dance program.
"In 1962, Cantrell Loraine retired from the Air Weather Service at El Paso, Texas. After retirement, he attended the University of Texas in El Paso. The Schellenger Research Corporation asked him to assist in liaison on matters of meteorology between the University and the environmental research division of White Sands Missle Range, New Mexico. This work resulted in his becoming director of the Data Analysis Center, and an instructor in the College of Engineering. While attaining these positions, he became chief scientist on a National Science Foundation Grant, a National Space Agency Contract, an Air Force Contract, and two sections performing research for the Army. His first achievement as scientist was when the National Academy of Scientists requested permission to publish his procedures and methods of Rocket Sonde Reduction in a NATO publication. Cantrell Loraine was the first to successfully reduce the telemetry from a rocket born ozonesonde. This type of research resulted in his being asked by the Army to write scientific articles for publication." (CANTRELL-CANTRILL by Horace Elbert Cantrell, 1972, pages 63-64)
Events
| Birth | October 29, 1916 | Seymour, Webster County, Missouri | |||
| Marriage | April 16, 1959 | Edwina Barker |
Families
| Spouse | Edwina Barker (1923 - ) |
| Father | Cyrus Coleman Craig ( - 1952) |
| Mother | Vietta Cantrell (1895 - 1936) |
| Sibling | Eugene Coleman Craig (1919 - 1944) |
| Sibling | Vera Angeline Craig (1922 - ) |