Former Fairchild AFB commander remembered
Creasman, his wife and daughters came to Fairchild in 1959, according to Mary Milla, his secretary over four years. Creasman served as base commander from 1960 until 1965, with his position being equivalent to that of today's support group commander.
"He was a down-to-earth man, and very personable," Milla recalled.
Born in North Carolina in 1917, Creasman enlisted in the Army in 1937. Soon his desire to fly led him a Officer Training School, and he graduated as a "ninety day wonder officer" in the Army Air Corps. In WWII, Creasman flew 26 combat missions, earning the Bronze Star with battle star and the Air Medal with multiple clusters.
According to the Spokesman Review newspaper, Creasman's highly decorated Air Force career spanned three decades, four continents and three wars.
"He was a very successful base commander," said Col. (retired) Pete Arnold, Fairchild's wing commander from 1964-65. "I'd known him for a long time [in the early 1960's] from when he was base commander at Beale AFB, Calif."
At Creasman's funeral service Jan. 13, family friend Molly McCormick recalled the man fondly. "Floyd had a zest for life, for people, and for sharing."
Retiring from the Air Force in 1965, Creasman took on duties as the first director of the developing Spokane International Airport. Charged with making the public airport solvent, Creasman championed the changes necessary and saw airport use grow from 330,000 passengers in his first year to more than million passengers per year in 1984, the year he retired from his second successful career in public service.
In recent years Creasman spent time with his growing family, owned and bred Arabian horses, and continued making civic contributions to the city of Spokane.
Saturday Creasman's remains were interred at Holy Cross Cemetary with full military honors provided by Fairchild's Honor Guard.
Though Spokane lost a true hero, Creasman's example of dedicated service lives on at Fairchild. (FROM FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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