Lt. Col. Robert Lowell "Bob" Hite

Lt. Col. Robert Lowell "Bob" Hite, 95 of Camden, Ark. died Sunday, March 29, 2015 in Nashville, Tenn. He was born on March 3, 1920 in Odell, Texas to Robert and Lena Hite. He was the co-pilot on plane 16, dubbed the "Bat Out of Hell" during the top secret April 1942 mission to bomb Japan known historically as the "Doolittle Tokyo Raid" led by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle. Bob was captured in China by the Japanese and imprisoned for forty months. He was held in solitary confinement, tortured and starved until he was liberated by American troops on August 20, 1945. He remained on active duty until September 30, 1947. He returned to active duty during the Korean War on March 9, 1951 and served overseas before retiring from active duty again in November, 1955. Decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and Chinese Breast Order of Pao Ting. The Doolittle Raiders were recently awarded the Congressional Gold Medal which will be presented to them on April 15, 2015. Bob was also inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame. Following his military career Bob married the love of his life Portia in 1946. In 1955 he moved his family to Camden to manage the Camden Hotel until 1965, during which time Camden hosted the 1961 Doolittle Raider Reunion. Bob went on to manage Holiday Inns until officially retiring to Enid, Oklahoma. In 1984 Bob and Portia moved back to Camden to be closer to family, where he spent many years cruising around town visiting with his many friends. Bob was an inspiration to all that knew him, he was a humble man that loved his country, his family and friends and more importantly, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, the love of his life — first wife, Portia Wallace Hite, and his second wife, Dorothy Fitzhugh Hite, He is survived by his children, R. Wallace Hite (Karol) of Nashville, Tenn., Catherine Landers (Bob) of Hot Springs Village, Ark., grandchildren: Christy Glaze (Danny) of Camden, Bruce Landers (Beth) of Lantana, Texas, Faires Beale (Biff) of Austin, Texas, Col. Andrew Landers (Michelle) of Fayetteville, N.C. and Nathan Hite, seven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren of Fort Lauderdale, a brother, Kenneth Hite (Margaret) of Lubbock, Texas, a sister, Hazel Ricketts of Scottsdale, Ariz. and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services will be Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Saint John's Episcopal Church in Camden with burial following in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. at Proctor Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John's Episcopal Church. To sign the online guest register, visit www.proctorfuneralhome.com.