Major Venon Harrison (Vic) Ison, Retired, of Covington passed away at the age of 90 on January 13, 2014. Major Ison was born on November 19, 1923 in Cumberland, Kentucky. He is the son of the late Nick and Jane Ison.
Major Ison joined the United States Marine Corps in 1940 at the age of 17. He fought his way across the Pacific in World War II, experiencing several close calls along the way. In 1945, he was in the third wave to land on Iwo Jima - a member of the Fourth Marine Division, the Fighting Fourth. Iwo Jima provided an iconic moment in Marine Corps and American history: the flag raising on Mount Suribachi. Major Ison was critically wounded at Iwo Jima when a B-29 bomber landed in the foxhole with him. During World War II, he also served on Saipan and in other campaigns. Major Vic Ison earned a Purple Heart on Saipan after volunteering for a detail to recover troops lost in enemy fire. He was wounded by a sniper, but stayed to complete his mission of recovering the bodies of American soldiers.
Major Ison left the Marines in 1946 to enroll in school for membership in the Special Services under President Harry Truman, but returned to serve his country during the Korean War, this time as a commissioned lieutenant in the United States Army. During his tenure in Korea, he was critically wounded a second time - this time in a Jeep wrecked while being fired on by the enemy. In this incident, the "Major" sustained a crushed pelvis. Vic Ison continued to serve his country, achieving the rank of Major before his retirement in 1962.
Following his retirement from military service, Major Ison began a second career with the State of Georgia in the role of Supervisor of Examiners for the Industrial Loan Department in 1963. He retired from the state government in 1988 with 25 years of service.
Major Vic Ison was a faithful member of Oxford Baptist Church. It was important to him to be in church every Sunday until his last days. He was preceded in death by his wife, Fran Ison; his parents, Nick and Jane Ison; brothers, Manous (Matilda) Ison and Henry (Florence) Ison; and sisters, Goldie Barnes, Cledia (Arnold) Ison, and Mary (Ben) Kirby; and son-in-law, Harold Brown.
Major Ison is survived by four daughters, Teresa (Alan) Tabor, Sandi (Tom) Woodall, Becky Brown, Karen (John) Carroll; grandson, Matt Loper and grandchildren, Tammy (Brown) and Matt Schroeder, Kyle Woodall, Alisa (Tabor) and Ed Hofmann; great-grandchildren, Collin and Carson Schroeder, Inara Hofmann. He and his family are grateful to his devoted caregivers, Vera Hendrix, Latoya Cooksey, Catherine Smith; and to his best friend, Ron Barker. Also, a special thanks goes to Dr. Jim Stillerman and his staff, along with the staff at Abbey Hospice, for the kindness and concern shown to the "Major" and his family.
Funeral Services for Major Ison will be held Friday, January 17, 2014, 11:00 AM, at Oxford Baptist Church, with Rev. Andy Brown, Dr. Tracey Brinson, and Dr. Alan Posey officiating, and entombment following in Memory Chapel Mausoleum at Lawnwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, 3134 Floyd Street, in Covington, Thursday, January 16, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. Flowers are accepted, or donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675. got@woundedwarriorproject.org
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