Obituary of Albin Glen Pinkston

Chief Master Sargent (Ret.), Albin Glen Pinkston, received his Permanent Change of Station and reported for duty in heaven on January 24, 2017. He was 90 years old. Service: 12 noon, Friday at Travis Avenue Baptist Church, 800 W Berry St, Fort Worth, TX. Visitation: 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday at Martin Thompson & Son Funeral Home, 6009 Wedgwood Dr., Fort Worth, TX. Interment: 2:30 p.m. Friday at Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy., Dallas, TX. Glen was born in Olney, Texas to JD and Jodie Pinkston on May 21 1926. Following his father's oil field work in the West Texas towns of Vernon, Wink, Pyote, Ballinger, Kermit and Monihans, they settled in the Clauene community, south of Levelland, TX. While still a student at Ropesville School in Ropesville, TX, he entered into the US Army Air Corp Reserve. Upon graduation in May of 1944, he reported for duty on July 10. Following stateside training, he served in the Central Pacific during WWII in Guam. Following his release from active duty back to the AF Reserve in August, 1946, he went to Wayland Baptist College in Plainview TX, where he met his wife Nina Raye Phagan of Perryton, TX. After two years, they transferred to Texas Tech University in Lubbock where he continued to serve at Reese AFB. He was recalled to active duty again for the Korean war in 1952. He served in the Air Force with assignments in Japan, Ohio, Nebraska, England, Nebraska, Thailand, California and Germany with his final assignment at Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth. He was selected for the very first round of Chief Master Sargent’s in the Air Force on December 1, 1959. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star for his heroic service during the Vietnam war. In 1977, by the act of President Jimmy Carter, he was selected to serve beyond the mandated 30-year retirement term, allowing him to be the longest serving Chief Master Sargent (E9) in rank for all military branches when he until retired on September 1, 1980. Following his military duty, he and his wife Nina, graduated from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth with Masters degrees in Religious Education. They served as foreign missionaries for the Southern Baptist Convention in Germany for 12 years working with the European Baptist Convention. Over his lifetime they helped established 14 churches in Texas, Ohio, Nebraska, and Germany. Upon retirement as missionaries, they settled in Ft. Worth where they became members of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in which he was a Senior Deacon and Sunday School teacher. He is survived by his wife Nina Pinkston of Ft. Worth, TX, his two sons Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Pinkston and wife, Kathryn of Plano, TX and Steven Pinkston and wife, Angela of Grayson, GA. His grandchildren are Delta Hranek and Tavia Pinkston of Seattle, WA, Bryce Pinkston of Mountlake Terrace, WA, Hannah Pinkston of Statesboro, GA and Jonathan Pinkston of Grayson, GA. Also surviving are his brothers Gerald Pinkston and wife, Florence of Fishers, IN and Ronnie Pinkston and wife, Marge of Greenville, TX. He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Betty and husband Jeff Kauffman, all of Levelland, TX.