Who is Shumake?

  • Published
  • By Airman John Day
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  (Editor's note: This is the second article in a continuation of a 2014 series on the memorializations on Columbus Air Force Base.)

The streets of Columbus Air Force Base are not just streets; they also mean so much more than just a name.

They are named after honored Airmen who have important history with Columbus and have oftentimes paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

In a 2007 Prisoner of War-Missing in Action ceremony, First Street, along with several other streets, was renamed Shumake Street to honor Col. Glynn Shumake, a former Columbus resident.

Shumake was born May 11, 1915. He graduated as a second lieutenant from Advanced Pilot School Dec 12, 1941. His first assignment was to the 358th Bomb Squadron at Gowen Field in Boise, Illinois, as an engineering officer. His second assignment was in Royal Air Force Molesworth, England.

He was perhaps best known for his time in the 303rd BS "Hell's Angels" where he co-piloted the B-17G Bouncing Betty III. It was around this time that he was shot down while on a mission. Those crewmembers that were able to bail out before the crash survived, including Shumake, but were captured and sent to Prisoner of War camps.

He retired from the Air Force in 1975 after reaching the rank of colonel.

He lived in Columbus where he was a member of Mississippi State Legislature and the House of Representatives from the early 70s to the late 80s.

He lived the rest of his life in Columbus and died April 26, 2004. His family was able to attend Columbus AFB's dedication of the street to his name.