Nov. 11, 2011 -
PRLog -- Lt. Colonel Samuel D. Newman, USAF (Ret.) father-in-law of 2010 Republican Congressional nominee and 2012 Congressional Candidate Teri Newman passed away this morning, November 11, 2011, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on the holiday that honors all of America's military veterans. Born in Louisiana, Colonel Newman graduated from Louisiana State University and received his commission in 1959. Colonel Newman served two tours in Vietnam during his 20 years as a fighter pilot for the Air Force. While attending LSU, Colonel Newman met and married his beloved wife of 52 years, Gloria Newman (nee Blaylock) and in 1960 was blessed with their only child, a son, John Newman who is the Branch Chief for the Department of the Army's Surface Distribution & Deployment Command Transportation Engineering Agency (SDDC-TEA) at Scott Air Force Base. Colonel Newman was a graduate and an instructor at the Air Force's Fighter Weapons School which was the model for the Navy's "Top Gun" program. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Colonel Newman was one of the pilots who waited on standby for President Kennedy to order an attack on Cuba. He was a highly decorated military hero who served America after his retirement from the Air Force by teaching physics at a Baton Rouge high school.
Colonel Newman will be buried with full military honors in Louisiana. Arrangements are still pending.
Mrs. Newman released the following statement:
My Father-in-Law was an American hero and an officer and a gentleman in the finest tradition of the United States Air Force. He was one of the most amazing people I have ever been blessed to know and I am proud to be his
daughter-in-
law. He was like a second father to me, and I loved him dearly. I will miss his wise counsel and sense of humor and I was blessed to have had the privilege of being part of his family. His was incredibly supportive of my campaign for Congress and has been an inspiration to me and everyone else who knew him.
My husband and I thank everyone for their kindness and condolences during this sad time.
