The State in Columbia SC Logo

Sumter mourns passing of 'quiet hero' | The State

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Archive Search
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Photo Posters
    • Sponsorships

  • Obituaries
    • All News
    • Local News
    • Crime & Courts
    • South Carolina
    • Business
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Military
    • State
    • Nation/World
    • Civil Rights
    • Charleston Shootings
    • Data, Weather and Traffic
    • Databases
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • All Politics
    • The Buzz
    • SC Salary Database
    • All GoGamecocks
    • Football
    • Recruiting
    • Phil Kornblut
    • Baseball
    • Men's Basketball
    • Women's Basketball
    • Other Sports
    • Columnists
    • Josh Kendall
    • Sports
    • GoGamecocks.com
    • Clemson Tigers
    • High School Sports
    • College
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • NASCAR
    • MLB
    • Golf
    • Columnists
    • All GoColumbia
    • Entertainment
    • Celebrities
    • Contests
    • Events & Movies
    • All Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Midlands
    • Health
    • Home & Garden
    • Religion News
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Social
    • Place Announcement
    • Features
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Special Sections
    • Living Here Guide
    • All Opinion
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Editorials
    • Opinion Extra
    • Columnists
    • Cindi Ross Scoppe
    • Robert Ariail
    • Business
    • National Business
    • Technology
    • Shop Around

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Military News

Sumter mourns passing of 'quiet hero'

BY KEN BELL - The Sumter Item

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 28, 2013 11:19 PM

The Sumter community is grieving the loss of a true American hero with the passing of retired Air Force Col. Forist G. Dupree.

Dupree, 84, died Wednesday.

Dupree spent 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, flying jets in Korea and Vietnam, as well as other duties. He earned the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Korean War Service Medal. His second career was with First Command for 18 years as a representative and seminar speaker. He was a member of Alice Drive Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher and choir member.

Jock Hendricks, music director at Alice Drive Baptist Church, has been the Duprees' neighbor for nine years.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The State

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

"When we came to look at the house, he and his wife were headed out to supper," Hendricks said. "They took us to supper, and that's how they welcomed us to Sumter."Hendricks said Dupree loved to help others, and that included helping his new neighbor prepare the house prior to moving in.

"He helped me paint the inside, and we even did some plumbing," Hendricks said. "And I had to rush to try to get home when the grass needed cutting. Otherwise, he would cut it for me. I don't think I cut my own grass for the first year I lived here."

Hendricks said Dupree was also a leader at church.

"He loved to serve. He didn't take charge; he was in charge," Hendricks said. "I feel like I'm a better man because of him. If I live to be 100, I don't think I could be the man he was. He was a quiet hero."

In Korea, Dupree piloted an F-86E Sabrejet aircraft, which he dubbed "Dupe's Delight/Jaline" after his wife, Jaline Dupree.

The Air Force brought him to Sumter and, following his retirement in 1978, he decided to stay.

Dr. Clay Smith, senior pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church, said Dupree was an active member of the church.

He taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and was the church moderator for many years."Everyone agreed that Forist should be the moderator because everyone knew he would be fair," Smith said. "I don't think a lot of people realize what a giving person he was. He had the gift of giving and serving others."

Smith said someone told him that Dupree requested the phrase "He helped a few people" on his tombstone. "He helped more than a few people," Smith said. "I can vouch for that."Smith also said that unless people sat down and talked with him, Dupree didn't mention his service awards or experiences.

"He was a true American hero," Smith said. "He's going to be missed. He's going to be missed by a lot of people."

Funeral services were held Friday at Alice Drive Baptist Church, with Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter in charge of the arrangements.

  Comments  

Videos

Al Qaeda suicide bomber crashes into SC governor candidate John Warren's Marine base in Iraq

Watch as machine gun fire screams over Fort Jackson soldiers

View More Video

Trending Stories

Good news for Staley, Gamecocks: NCAA approves USC host site for tournament

February 14, 2019 03:51 PM

McMaster fires entire Richland Co. election board after lost votes, chaotic meeting

February 14, 2019 04:03 PM

State declares Hepatitis outbreak in SC county. Worker at 2nd restaurant tests positive

February 14, 2019 09:26 AM

SC Senate throws wrench into plans to sell Santee Cooper

February 14, 2019 12:51 PM

What we learned from South Carolina’s hot-shooting loss to No. 1 Tennessee

February 14, 2019 09:40 AM

Read Next

Fort Jackson drill sergeant gets prison for truck crash that killed two soldiers

Local

Fort Jackson drill sergeant gets prison for truck crash that killed two soldiers

By Teddy Kulmala

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 12, 2019 01:59 PM

A Fort Jackson drill sergeant was sentenced to 18 months in prison Tuesday in the deaths of two basic trainees in October 2017. Staff Sgt. Andrew C. Marrow will be confined to a military prison in Charleston.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The State

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE MILITARY NEWS

‘I want my mom!’ Survivors haunted by trauma of deadly Fort Jackson truck crash

Military News

‘I want my mom!’ Survivors haunted by trauma of deadly Fort Jackson truck crash

February 11, 2019 09:52 PM
Drill sergeant pleads guilty in Fort Jackson crash that killed 2, injured 6

Military News

Drill sergeant pleads guilty in Fort Jackson crash that killed 2, injured 6

February 11, 2019 03:18 PM
“His eyes were blinded so we could see.” SC monument dedicated to Isaac Woodard

Crime & Courts

“His eyes were blinded so we could see.” SC monument dedicated to Isaac Woodard

February 09, 2019 06:44 PM
Lexington town to memorialize atrocity that helped overthrow segregation in nation

Crime & Courts

Lexington town to memorialize atrocity that helped overthrow segregation in nation

February 07, 2019 07:05 PM
Two will plead guilty in $12 million SC autism scam to defraud Medicaid, TriCare

Crime & Courts

Two will plead guilty in $12 million SC autism scam to defraud Medicaid, TriCare

January 30, 2019 12:33 PM
SC Air National Guard jet fighters on call to protect Super Bowl

Local

SC Air National Guard jet fighters on call to protect Super Bowl

January 30, 2019 09:22 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The State App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Special Sections
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story