Alonzo Allan Towner
Allan graduated from Wichita High School in 1928, and went on to the Municipal University of Wichita to earn a B.A. Degree in Zoology in 1931. He then went to the University of Kansas and received his M.D. Degree in 1934. He married Clara Elise Aldrich [graduated from Reardan HS in 1933 and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harl Aldrich, Sr., former superintendent at Reardan] on June 16, 1936 in Spokane, Washington.
Allan enlisted in the Army in 1940. When the War Department was reorganized in 1948 and the Air Force was created, he opted to go into the new service. He was named Surgeon General of the Air Force in 1970, and retired in [July] 1972.
From Spokane Chronicle August 11, 1970:
Top Air Surgeon Visits
By JIM DULLENTY
For Lt. Gen. Alonzo A. Towner, the surgeon general of the Air Force, the return to Spokane today was like "gettin' back to Gods country."
And this is where he hopes to stay. He has about two years left before retirement and he said he then plans to settle here. He said he already has changed his official residence to Spokane.
He met his wife whose relatives reside here while an intern at Deaconess Hospital. When he entered military service in February 1940, he was assigned to the old 4th Infantry at Ft. George Wright.
Prior to a visit to the USAF Regional Hospital at Fairchild Air Force Base, Towner expressed his view on a number of topics: The Army is "doing a fine job" with the nerve gas shipments to the Atlantic Coast where the gas will be dumped in the ocean. "I have no quarrel with their procedures," he said, adding he saw no possibility of pollution in the ocean.
- Men entering military service are healthier now than when he entered service because of improvements in nutrition, use of vitamins and better exercise.
- Drug abuse in the military is about the same as in civilian life "because we get our military personnel from civilian life and some of them bring a history of drug abuse with them." However, he thinks the military services have more control over their people and thus, the drug abuse problem is not as severe in the military.
- An all voluntary military would result "in an extremely expensive program which I do not think Congress or the American public would want to pay for" thus, he foresees continuation of the draft.
- Budget cuts for the military "definitely have affected" the medical services, mostly in the area of laying off personnel or "making it easier for them to return to civil life."
Towner said he was here to visit with local hospital officials and determine their problems. He brought with him 12 staff members. From here the group plans to visit several remote Air Force installations including bases in Alaska, he said.
From Wichita Beacon, Sept 26, 1977:
Alonzo Towner retired surgeon of Air Force dies
Lt Gen Alonzo A, Towner 67, retired US Air Force surgeon general and former Wichitan died Friday. Towner retired in 1972 after two years as surgeon general. He had been deputy surgeon general for four years. As Air Force surgeon general ,he was responsible for 200 medical facilities and 50,000 men worldwide. He entered the Air Force in 1940 and was chief surgeon of the Strategic Air Command from 1961 to 1966 He received the Legion of Merit Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the National Defense Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. Towner received the Wichita State University Alumni Association Achievement Award for 1968. He graduated from WSU in 1931 and from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1935. He received the Medical Alumnus of the Year award from KU in 1969. Survivors include his widow, Elise, son, Capt. Donald A., of Sacramento, Calif., daughter Mrs. Carolyn Long of Minneapolis, Minn. Service will be at 11 am Tuesday in Fairchild Air Force Base Chapel, Spokane. A memorial has been established with Air Force Village, San Antonio.