Charles Cecil Vanderbilt

Charles Cecil Vanderbilt, 93, passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in Biggers Funeral Chapel. Interment will be at Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Biggers Funeral Home.

Cecil was born to John and Minnie Vanderbilt in Texarkana, Arkansas, on September 23, 1920, and was the last surviving member of his eight siblings. He was raised on a farm outside of Texarkana and attended Texarkana High School where he excelled in football as a running back.

When World War II broke out he moved to San Diego, California, attended aeronautic school, joined Consolidated Aircraft and began helping to build the PBY Catalina flying boat. Later during the war, he returned to Texas to join the Fort Worth division of Consolidated (later General Dynamics and now Lockheed Martin) where he was drafted into the Army and served in the 34th Infantry Regiment (the “Leyte Dragons”) of the 24th Infantry Division (the “Victory Division”). He began his service by being immediately sent to Hawaii and Australia for training and then was sent into combat in New Guinea and the Philippines and concluded with occupation duty in Japan before returning home three years later. During his service, Cecil first saw action in the jungles of New Guinea where he was wounded by an enemy mortar round. After recovering in a field hospital and rejoining his unit, he departed via troop ship for the landings on Leyte Island in the Philippines. The 34th Regiment was under the command of General Aubrey Newman during the Leyte amphibious landings and Cecil was on the third landing craft to come ashore on the “Red Beach” sector of the landings, Red Beach being the only sector where enemy fire forced the diversion of subsequent waves of landing craft. After clearing Red Beach, General Douglas MacArthur came ashore there to make his famous return to the Philippines. After securing the beachhead, he and the 34th Regiment spearheaded the 24th Division’s efforts in Leyte where they took Hill 522, liberated Tacloban, drove up the Leyte Valley advancing through Jaro to the other side of the island and during which the 34th Regiment stayed in constant contact with the enemy for 75 days. Cecil then fought in the battle of Breakneck Ridge, several days of which were fought during a typhoon. After securing the northern tip of Leyte, he then moved with the 24th Division into the infamous Bataan Peninsula of Luzon Island to the hard-fought battle of “Zig Zag Pass” which Cecil described as the most difficult of his service. Without rest, Cecil and the 34th Regiment were then ordered to take Malinta Hill on Corregidor Island in the Manila harbor where, “There was no place to go, once you’re there, but forward.” From Corregidor, Cecil and the 34th Regiment rejoined the 24th Division and were sent to the southern island of Mindanao. After his service in the Philippines, Cecil was next sent to Japan for occupation duty and stayed through the end of the war. Cecil was able to return to his battle sites in the Philippines in 2001 to retrace his steps with one of his grandsons, Brandon Lobb, and his son-in-law, Pat Lobb.

After the war, Cecil returned to Fort Worth and the love of his life, Katherine “Kappy” A. Stokley, who had waited for him during the three years after he was drafted. They were married on February 10, 1946. They raised four children in Haltom City while Cecil worked for General Dynamics for over 40 years and they then retired to enjoy a wonderful life at their house on Eagle Mountain Lake. Traveling was a passion of Cecil’s and Kappy’s that took them to 47 states. They were members of the North Texas Travel Trailer Club and they loved taking cruises to many countries. Cecil was always kind and patient with everyone and lived life having never met a stranger.

Cecil and Kappy were members of Azle First Baptist Church.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Meadow Lakes Retirement Community, Azle Manor and the angels at Vitas Hospice of Baylor All Saints Hospital for the loving care and respect you showed our father during his time there. Each of you is a gift from heaven.

Cecil was preceded in death by seven brothers and sisters; his wife, Kappy; grandson, Kirk Hard; and son-in-law, Guy Hard.

Cecil, the “Best Dad Ever”, is survived by his children Sharon Lobb and her husband, Pat, of McKinney, Janie Conner and her husband, Ralph, of Azle, William C. Vanderbilt of Azle, Sue Ann Boren and husband, Barry, of Liberty Hill; eight grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; four stepgreat-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Emma Stokley of Klamath Falls, Oregon.