Obituary of Col. Ralph S. Hoggatt

On July 20, 2015, Colonel Ralph Sellers Hoggatt, United States Air Force, Retired, and resident of Hollywood Park, TX passed from this life to the next at the age of 90. Col. Hoggatt was born on July 23, 1924 to Esmond Herman and Marietta Sellers Hoggatt of Marshalltown, Iowa. He attended Marshalltown Senior High School, where he was enrolled in ROTC and subsequently attended Marshalltown Junior College. He joined the Army in 1942 in which he began his flight training at Blythe, CA. He graduated from the training in 1943 and was commissioned as an officer through the Aviation Cadet Program at the age of nineteen and was called into active duty that same year. In World War II, he flew B-24 Liberators with the Eighth Air Force of the Army Air Corps out of Norwich, England, with targets in the European Theater. After the war and prior to discharge he flew as an aircraft commander in the Air Transport Command. Col. Hoggatt received his BA degree at the Univ. of Colorado in August of 1949. He was recalled to active duty with the 139th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron of the Colorado Air National Guard in April 1951. During the next four years Col. Hoggatt served in various capacities in the Air Defense Command and in Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons and is considered a veteran of the Korean Conflict. From 1955-56 he was the Chief of the Air Control Center, 314th Air Division, 5th Air Force (Advance) Osan Air Base, Korea. From 1956 through 1962 he served as the Aircraft Commander, Training Officer and Instructor Pilot with the Military Air Transport Service, Dover Air Force Base. He was responsible for directing and training the units for the C-133 aircraft in the 1st and 39th Air Transport Squadrons for MATS serving as commander. Col. Hoggatt received a MS degree in Psychology from Oklahoma State University in May 1964. After completing school he worked as a research psychologist and was Chief of the Specialty Knowledge Test of the Air Force Personnel Research Laboratory until 1967. He served in the Vietnam War as an A-1 Skyraider pilot in the 602nd Fighter Squadron (Commando) in which he flew 205 missions; 102 over North Vietnam; received the Air Force Cross and several Distinguished Flying Crosses for valor in battle. Returning from Southeast Asia, he was assigned to Headquarters United States Air Force and was Chief of the Special Analysis Brand, Directorate of Personnel Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff/Personnel. Next, he served as Chief of the Personnel Research Division, Air Force Human Resources Laboratory, Air Force Systems Command at Lackland AF Base, TX. Later, he became the Commander of the Armed Forces Vocational Testing Group and was responsible for the all operations of recruiting and testing throughout the United States. Col. Hoggatt was one of the original authors of the ASFAB test as well as several other technical and psychological publications. Col. Hoggatt was a Command Pilot, with over 7,000 flying hours and is mentioned in several books, one being Escape and Evasion: 17 Stories of Downed Pilots Who Made it Back by Jimmy Kilbourne. Col. Hoggatt’s military decorations include the Air Force Cross, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters the Air Medal with fifteen oak leaf clusters, and fifteen others service medals with oak leaf clusters and battle stars. After 38 years of military service he was honorably discharged from active duty at the rank of Colonel. In retirement he worked for Lutheran General Hospital as a fundraiser. He was a member of the advisory board for the Salvation Army for many years; 32o Master Mason of the Scottish Rite Freemasonry, S.J., U.S.A.; past president of Sojourners, Inc.; Hero of Sojourners; Mayor of Hollywood Park; and President of the Founders Lions Club. His memberships include: University of Colorado Alumni Association, Oklahoma State University Alumni Association, Psi Chi, Phi Delta Kappa, American Psychological Association, Air Force Association, Retired Officers Association, Daedalians, 453rd Bomb Group Association, A-1 Skyraider Association, American Legion, Masons, Sojourners, Shriners, Toastmasters, Founders Lions Club and Texas Lions Camp, and Shepherd King Lutheran Church. Through the Lions Club he became a Melvin Jones Fellow as well as a Jack Weich Fellow. Col. Hoggatt received many awards for his speechmaking including Speaker of the Year and Humorous Speaker of the Year from the Toastmasters. Col. Hoggatt was a humble man who followed the teachings of Christ in his public and private life. Col. Hoggatt is survived by his wife of 65 years, the former Ellamae Keck of Kecksburg, PA; daughters Denice Hoggatt (Patty Wampler) of San Antonio, TX and Kristen Hoggatt of Hollywood Park, TX; son, Byron Keck Hoggatt (Cristina) of Charleston, WV; and grand-daughters Kori Hoggatt and Nadye Hoggatt and grandson Cheyenne Hoggatt, all who reside in WV; as well as many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Patricia Louise H. Howell and brother-in-law Roy Howell as well as his sisters-in-law: Jeune Keck Ellsworth Thomas (Blair) (Jack); Lois Keck Long Leigh (Glenn) (Gerald); Romayne Keck Kurpiel (Stanley) and Gail Keck Cutrell (Richard).