Mr. Van R. Atkinson was born in Elizabeth, LA in 1927. He passed away in Lompoc on April 20th, 2010 after suffering several strokes and a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
Mr. Atkinson enlisted in the Navy in 1945 and served one enlistment. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1950 and served until retirement in 1976 as a Nuclear Weapons Technician. He participated in the preparation of the re-entry vehicle for the first Thor launch from Vandenberg AFB.
After retirement, he worked in the Atlanta, GA area until 1989 when he and his late wife, Dorothy, retired and moved to Lompoc. He is survived by his daughters, Ms. Kim Berry of Lompoc and Ms. Susan Vaughn of Douglasville, Ga., one brother, one sister, five grandsons, one granddaughter and numerous great-grandchildren.