Edward E. Perrault, age 90 of North Platte, NE passed away on June 1, 2021 at Linden Court in North Platte.
He was born on September 20, 1930 at North Adams, MA to Joseph and Olive (Bresette) Perrault. Ed attended Holy Family grade school and Drury High School in North Adams.
In 1947 he went on active duty with the U.S. Army and followed by a transfer to the newly formed United States Air Force in which he served for over 29 years. He participated in the later part of the Berlin Airlift, flew 25 combat missions as a crewmember on B-29 heavy bombers during the Korean war. He served in key assignments with the United States Air Force Europe, Strategic Air Command and the United States European Command.
On November 1964 he married forever life mate, Sondra Land of North Platte, NE and they made their home in Wichita Falls, TX, Wiesbaden, Germany and Stuttgart, Germany, Castle Air Force Base, CA and Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH where he retired from active military service.
Ed was later employed by the Air Force Aerospace Systems Command as a Systems Program Manager working on such programs as the C-5B aircraft flight simulator development and the C-17 cargo aircraft selection and procurement. He later became Deputy Director of the F-16 Foreign Military Sales Division managing programs with Venezuela, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Greece, Egypt, Bahrain, Turkey and the NATO nations of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands. At his retirement in 1992 he was awarded the United States Air Force Outstanding Civilian Achievement Award.
He was a graduate of Park University, Parkville, MO with a BA in Business Management and from Central Michigan University with a master’s degree Business Administration. He also attended the Air Force Institute of Technology where he studied aerospace systems development and logistic technologies.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Ed leaves behind his wife, Sondra (Land) Perrault; sons, Rick, Joseph and Edward Jr,; daughters, Ann and Elizabeth; three grandchildren; and two great grandchildren; sister, Christine(Richard) Simon.
He considered his most memorable experience to be his participating in the Berlin Airlift flying resupply out of Wiesbaden, Germany and Operation Snowbound, in Wyoming during the winter of 1949, getting air dropped hay to cattle. This included the ranching areas around Torrington, Lusk and Casper, WY.
Memorials are suggested to the Wounded Warriors Project.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in North Platte, NE with The Reverend Joshua Brown Celebrating. A Rosary will be at 10:30 a.m. with visitation from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Burial will follow at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell, NE will Full Military honors provided by The United States Air Force.
The service will be livestreamed via Carpenter Memorial Chapel’s Facebook page. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences and sharing of memories may be directed to www.carpentermemorial.com.