Harvey Peeples

Harvey Peeples, 94, of Cheyenne, died on October 11, 2022 in Cheyenne.
He was born on October 29, 1927 in McCalla, Alabama.
After graduation from high school, Harvey attended the American Academy of Arts in Chicago, Illinois from 1948 to 1950. His special focus was transparent watercolor. The outbreak of the Korean War interrupted his studies. He was given 48 hours to enlist, and he made the decision to enter the United States Air Force.
He married Ophelia Peeples on May 13th, 1954. On October 2nd, he left service and moved to Michigan. A job was waiting for him in Chicago. While in Chicago, his car was robbed and he lost all of his possessions. Because this was a tremendous financial set-back, the newlywed couple made the joint decision to reenlist with the Air Force. Their first three assignments would be Denver, Germany and France. Later, both would joke that the government gave them a four-year honeymoon.
Harvey’s Air Force career spanned 28 years and one day: December 1950 to December 1978. He was a base superintendent for Moral, Welfare and Recreation. His duties included oversight of USO shows, swimming pools, movie theaters, gymnasiums, childcare, preschools, and bowling alleys. He worked closely with visiting celebrities such as Bob Hope and William Holden when they came to entertain the troops.
Jimmy Suihara, a UCLA art school graduate. He would go on to teach lapidary classes at various base assignments. It would also become a hobby and he created beautiful jewelry for his wife. One of his major areas of focus was photography. He did both amateur and professional work. Although Harvey made a tremendous contribution to the Air Force with his gifting in art, he was also a soldier. He completed numerous covert missions for the military during times of war and times of peace. By the time he retired, he was a highly decorated serviceman.
Some of his accomplishments were:
*Selected to be a member of the stationary honor guard that received the bodies of the World War II unknown soldiers. These soldiers were honored in France before they reached their permanent resting place in Arlington, Virginia.
*Augmented the secret service of President Richard Nixon when he came to NASA to reward the moon mission astronauts. (Houston, Texas, 1969)
*Assigned as an E8 superintendent of Moral Welfare and Recreation for Strategic Air Command (SAC), Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska.
*Recipient of several Air Force Commendation medals including one for work in Houston, Texas in support of NASA.
*Award recipient of personal commendation given by the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, the Governor of Wyoming, the mayor of Cheyenne and the General of the Cheyenne National Guard for military duty during the Korean War. Harvey was named as an “Ambassador for Peace” by the government of South Korea.
Visitation will be Tuesday, 9-4, at Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel
Services will be Wednesday, 2:00 p.m., at Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel with military honors and burial to follow at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, please donate to any of the following organizations:
American Lung Association - www.lung.org
Billy Graham Association - www.billygraham.org
Meals on Wheels Cheyenne - www.citymeals.org
Veterans of Foreign Wars - www.vfw.org
Wounded Warrior - www.support.woundedwarriorproject.org