Vincent Masters

Prominent Athens physician and highly decorated World War II pilot Orlan Vincent Wade Masters, 96, died Wednesday, January 18 at home, surrounded by loving family, following a very brief illness. Visitation will be Friday, January 20, at 6:00 pm at home, with memorial service at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Athens, on Saturday at 11:00 am. Reception following.
As former Deputy Chief-of-Staff of Operations for the 3rd Air Division, Eighth Air Force, Lt. Col. Masters will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on the banks of the Potomac River. One of the "Boy" Colonels of World War II, Masters earned 22 military decorations to his credit in Europe, including the prestigious Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal, and the French Croix de Guerre.
An Air Commander of the 385th Heavy Bombardment Group, USAF, at the age of 24 Col. Masters completed 28 bomber missions and earned the European Theater of Operations medal with six major battle stars. As lead pilot of his Combat Wing, he led the famous raid on the Regensburg Messerschmitt aircraft factory in the shuttle mission to North Africa, August 1943. He also flew the first successful raid on Berlin in March of 1944 as Air Commander.
Col. Masters' B17 aircraft "Lulu Belle" was damaged by fighter fire over Bordeaux on the return from North Africa and forced to ditch in the Atlantic Ocean. Surviving more than 24 hours in a heavy storm with 30foot seas, Col. Masters was subsequently chosen to command a P51 fighter squadron for secret weather reconnaissance. Following completion of more than 200 sorties in his P51 Mustang fighter "Masters Mistress," as Commander of the 3rd Scouting Force, Col. Masters was promoted to Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Operations of the 3rd Air Division and sent to Division Headquarters.
Col. Masters was later selected to form and lead a secret weather reconnaissance force in the Pacific for the 20th Air Force. He was assembling his scouting force in Washington, D.C., when the Japanese surrendered. Not wanting a career at the Pentagon, Col. Masters flew commercial aviation DC3s with TWA for two years before returning to college to pursue a medical career.
In later years Col. Masters was an active leader of his military reunion associations. In 1976 as President of the 385th Bombardment Group Memorial Association, Col. Masters led a large group of veterans back to the old air base at Great Ashfield, England, and, in 1999, served as host for the group reunion at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum, Savannah. He was an active member of the Athens Area Military Officers Association of America. Recently he was awarded the prestigious French Legion of honor for helping to liberate France.
Born in Corona, Calif., Col. Masters returned to California from a career in aviation to further his education. He graduated Stanford University, Palo Alto, undergraduate, then the renowned Stanford Medical School in 1953. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Kappa medical fraternity. After completing a year internship at Los Angeles County Hospital, Dr. Masters served a year as general practice resident at Kern General Hospital in Bakersfield. He took specialty training and was chief resident in obstetrics and gynecology at Akron City Hospital, Ohio, and was instructor in pathology at the respected Lying-In Hospital, University of Chicago Medical Clinics.
Dr. Masters joined Beaver Medical Clinic, Redlands, Calif., in 1958, and became head of the Ob/Gyn Department. In California Dr. Masters served as special consultant in maternal and child health for the State Department of Health. He was attending physician to Redlands Community Hospital and San Bernardino County Hospital as well as attending physician and instructor at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He was President of the Riverside-San Bernardino Counties Ob/Gyn Society.
Dr. Masters was brought to Athens in 1973 to form a specialty women's clinic at the University of Georgia Health Service. During his 23 year tenure as gynecologist, the Women's Clinic evolved from a corner cubicle to a sophisticated suite of specialists devoted to women's health issues and contraception education.
While at the University, Dr. Masters was a guest lecturer in the School of Home Economics and an assistant professor of the School of Pharmacy. He was an assistant professor of the Medical College of Georgia, as well, and served as a mentor to medical students from Augusta on rotation through Athens. Periodically, Dr. Masters enjoyed presenting research papers at medical meetings both here and abroad. He sparked international debate at the III World Congress for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy for his "Evaluation of Abnormal Cytology of College Students."
Dr. Masters was a consultant in reproductive health with the Northeast Georgia Health District for many years, and, in 1996 upon retirement from the University, became director of the Colposcopy Clinic. He was on courtesy staff with both Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary's Health Care System. He had conducted a Gynecology Clinic for the State of Georgia at the Athens Regional Medical Center for several years. Following, Dr. Masters served as Expert-Medical Witness for the legal profession.
A member of the local Crawford W. Long Medical Society, Dr. Masters was in an esteemed group of medical specialists who twice achieved the status of Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology---member in 1961, with re-certification in 1980. He held an active medical license when he died. He was a Fellow of the American College Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Surgeons, and the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. Additionally, he was a member of the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, and the American Medical Association, as well as the Southern Medical Association and the Medical Association of Georgia.
Dr. Masters is recognized in Two Thousand Men of Achievement of 1969 and the Royal Blue Book, as well as several editions of both Who's Who and the Dictionary of International Biography.
Dr. Masters supported what in popular literature has been termed "the French Paradox" the theory that red wine has protective medicinal properties for cardio-vascular disease. He was a member of the Society of Medical Friends of Wine and the Society of Wine Educators as well as an amateur wine maker. He led the new focus on wine appreciation and education in Athens in the '70s.
Dr. Masters was a community instructor in wine appreciation, guest lecturer in the College of Home Economics and across campus on responsible wine consumership, and a wine journalist. Readers of the Athens Banner-Herald read Dr. Masters' weekly column "The Wine Press" on Sundays from 197989. He continued to contribute wine features to Athens Magazine, Athens Observer Newspaper, Georgia's Good Life Magazine, Georgia Journal, and Lakelife Magazine for many years. Dr. Masters was a recognized wine judge with his wife in regional competitions, including the International Wine Festival and the Wine Summit, Atlanta, and the Southeastern Wine Makers Circle.
He was a diplomate of numerous oenological societies, most notably the California and French wine institutes and the German and Italian wine academies. He was awarded the status of Master Knight of the Universal Order Knights of the Vine.
With his wife he founded the Athens Wine Society in 1979. The local wine appreciation group provided monthly tastings and elite tours for members to California, France, and Germany.
Dr. Masters traveled extensively throughout his life, first with the military, then in the pursuit of continuing medical education, and lastly on exotic vacations with his wife, an owner of All Aboard Travel Service of Athens, Inc. He married Judy Jay Alves at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Athens, GA, August 26, 1975, in a candlelight communion service performed by the late Rev. Franklin C. Ferguson.
He was a member of the Athens Country Club. Dr. Masters and his wife were longtime supporters of the University of Georgia, especially through the Georgia Museum of Art and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. He was a life member of the University President's Club and the University of Georgia Retirees Association. Together they supported numerous community organizations, especially the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and the Athens Town and Gown Community Theatre.
Dr. Masters was the youngest child of the late Grace Elizabeth Wade, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Francis Wakeman Masters, of Tedrow, Ohio. His father served in the SpanishAmerican War and went on to serve as State Representative of Nebraska before moving west. Dr. Masters was born, February 29, 1920 --- a Leap Year baby. Two elder brothers and a sister have predeceased Masters: J. Donald Masters, Los Angeles; Stanley Raymond Masters, Bakersfield; and Frances Marjorie James, Los Angeles; as well as two sisters who died in infancy.
Dr. Masters is survived by his wife of 41 years, Dr. Judy Jay Alves Masters, and four children: Michael Vincent Wade Masters, Columbia, SC; Martin Wakeman Masters, Shoreview, Mn.; Susan Lynne Masters Steedman, Columbia, S.C; Matthew Christian Masters, Flowery Branch, GA; and their respective families. He has six grandchildren.
Contributions in Dr. Masters' name may be made to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 498 Prince Ave., Athens, Ga. 30601 or to the Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum, P.O. Box 1992, Savannah, Ga. 33402.