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Clayton Ogle ( Missoula 1946 )

posted: Jan 1, 2002

Clayton Ogle died in Helena, Montana, July 27, 2001, of a heart attack. Clayt was born Nov. 11, 1924, in Butte. In 1933 he moved with his family to Helena where he completed high school in 1943, then enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He completed 25 combat missions as a B-17 ball turret gunner, helping destroy oil refineries and transportation targets in Nazi Germany. He was decorated with the Purple Heart, three Air Medals and five campaign stars and his 301st Bomb Group received two Presidential Citations.

Following his discharge in 1945, Clayt enrolled at the University of Montana School of Forestry. In 1946 and 1947, he completed 18 jumps as a smokejumper on fires in Montana and northern Idaho. Clayt received a BS in forestry from UM in 1949 and later did graduate studies at Montana State University, UM, the University of Oklahoma and Utah State University. He worked 34 years for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.

Following assignments at Townsend, Helena, Glasgow and Lewistown, Montana, he supervised the plant and biological science programs for the agency statewide from in Bozeman. He retired after seven years as chief of operations and management for Montana's 60 Soil Conservation Service field offices.