Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 5, 1993 TAG: 9301050265
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Staff
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
AIR FORCE CAPTAIN `BUD' HAYNES DIES
Former Air Force Capt. Elmer E. "Bud" Haynes lost his last battle - this one with cancer - when he died Sunday. He was 75.Haynes, who settled in Roanoke with his family in 1951, recently finished a manuscript detailing his top-secret tour of duty during World War II. He co-piloted one of the secretly developed B-24 Liberator bombers. The planes were equipped with night radar; their mission was to sink Japanese ships in the South China Sea.
After files about the mission became available through the Freedom of Information Act, Haynes worked for 12 years on the book. A.B. Feuer, a local historian, is credited with writing and editing the book based on information provided by Haynes, whose dream was to have the mission publicly documented.
Feuer spent several months with Haynes writing "General Chennault's Secret Weapon: The B-24 in China." Haynes died two weeks after the book was published.
"It's kind of amazing," Feuer said. "Everyone made an effort to get his dream realized." He said he and the publisher pushed to get the book out before Haynes' health took a turn for the worse. Haynes was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1990 and had been in remission.
Feuer said he and Haynes had a good working relationship because they were both veterans.
He said he will remember Haynes' sense of humor and love for golf. "Me doing the story gave him more time to play golf."
Haynes is survived by his wife of 48 years, Doris Haynes of Roanoke, and two daughters, Marti Haynes Ottaway of Roanoke and Debbie Haynes of Atlanta. He also has one sister, Dorcas H. Birchim of Bishop, Calif.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at Oakey's South Chapel. The burial will be private.