Funeral service for former Lawton resident LTC (Retired) Anthony M. Cominos, 87, Oklahoma City, will be at 2:00pm Friday, December 12, 2014 in the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Lawton with The Rev. Shelley Forrester, Rector and The Rev. Joseph Alsay, Rector of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Oklahoma City officiating. Colonel Cominos died Tuesday, December 9, 2014 in Oklahoma City. Burial with full military honors will be in the Post Cemetery, Fort Sill, under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home. He was born May 26, 1927 in Salinas, California, the son of Greek immigrants, Mitchell N. and Argero A. (Alexandidis) Cominos. Colonel Cominos married Cola Jean Coffey on March 14, 1956 at the Fort Sill Main Chapel. She preceded him in death on December 24, 2003. At age 17 he volunteered for service with the Maritime Service (Merchant Marine) during WWII serving in the Pacific and Atlantic war zones as an Able Body Seaman aboard cargo and tanker ships. Upon his release from the Maritime Service he purchased an Army Air Corps surplus airplane, PT-19 and earned his civilian pilot's license. Colonel Cominos entered the U.S. Army on November 13, 1950. After basic training at Fort Ord, California he was assigned to the Military Police School at Camp Gordon, Georgia. As an enlisted man he volunteered to attend the Army Cargo helicopter Pilot's Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Upon graduation he was awarded the Army Aviator Badge and was promoted from Corporal to Warrant Officer Junior Grade. He was one of the first Warrant Aviators in the Army and served as a combat Cargo Helicopter Pilot with the 13th Cargo Helicopter Company in the Korean War. Colonel Cominos also served two combat tours, 24 months, as a helicopter and fix wing pilot in Vietnam. He was promoted to 1st Lt. from WO-2 on February 1, 1957 and attended the fix wing proficiency pilot course at San Marcus, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon completion of that course he was assigned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Colonel Cominos was qualified as a flight standardization pilot, flight instructor and instrument flight examiner for fix wing and helicopters. In conjunction with these flight instructor ratings he had numerous assignments. He was the flight leader to evaluate the feasibility of cargo helicopters flying to and from high density airfields during instrument conditions using a new navigational system and to also evaluate the use of automatic pilot for cargo helicopters. This was an assignment with the Civil Aeronautic Agency at Atlantic City, New Jersey. Assistant operations officer 54th Transportation Company, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Unit Aviation Officer and Executive Officer Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 7th US Aviation Group, Germany. Platoon Commander, Motor Officer, Section Commander and Operations Officer, 11th Transportation Company, Light Helicopter, Germany. Helicopter Pilot and Battalion Club Officer, 7th Special Forces, Aviation Company 1st Cavalry Division, 229th Aviation Battalion, Vietnam. Product Control Officer and Executive Officer 56th Transportation Company (DS) Vietnam. Assistant Operations Officer and Flight Standardization Chief, 154th Aviation Company Medium Helicopter, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Commanding Officer and Operations Officer, 243rd Aviation Company Medium Helicopter, Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Vietnam. Aviation Plans and Operations Officer Aviation Section (CI) 108th Artillery Group, Vietnam. Aviation Plans and Operations Officer Aviation Section (CI) Artillery Group, 204th MI Detachment, Headquarters XXIV Corps, Vietnam. Assistant Operations Officer and Airfield Commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Command Maintenance Officer, headquarters TUSAAC Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Assistant Chief, Aircraft Division, Maintenance Section, Headquarters, USAFAAC. Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Executive Officer 1st Field Artillery Aviation Battalion, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Assistant Operations Officer, Flight Standardization Chief and S-3, Headquarters Artillery Aviation Command, Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He had also served as a member of the Fort Sill Officers Club board of directors. At the end of his military career, Colonel Cominos had logged over eight thousand flying hours. His military awards were, Army Master Aviator Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with eleven Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Korean Service Medal with 2 service stars, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 service stars, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, United Nations Service Medal, United Nations Medal, meritorious Unit Commendation with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Campaign with 60 Device, Korean War Service Medal 50th Anniversary, Six overseas bars, WWII Maritime Service Medals Pacific and Atlantic theaters of war and Philippine Liberation Ribbon. Colonel Cominos retired from the Army with 21 years of service. After retiring from the service, he established a financial planning corporation. Cominos and Associates Incorporated and served as president and chairman of the board. He was licensed as a Real Estate Broker, Insurance Agent and Securities agent and retired from this occupation after 29 years. Colonel Cominos was a member of the Lawton Insurance Agents Association and a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table, past Vice President of the Fort Sill Men's Golf Association and a member of the Fort Sill Golf Course. He was an avid golfer and had 5 holes in one during his golfing career. Colonel Cominos was a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and served as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, Lector and Usher. Survivors include his daughters, Cassandra J. Cominos of Edmond, Oklahoma, Pamela A. Wingfield and spouse Gary of Oklahoma City, a son Richard G. Cominos and spouse Ann of Milpitas, California and their children Tyler and Austin Cominos, a brother, The Rev. Peter M. Cominos and spouse Ann of East Towas, Michigan, five grandchildren, Brena A. and spouse Landon Brown and their daughter Leriah Brown, Nicola Jane Wingfield, James Mitchell Ray and spouse Allison Cameron and their daughter due January 1, 2015, Richard G. Cominos, Jr. and spouse Lisa, Matthew N. Cominos, sisters-in-law Gloria McAlister and spouse John, Grace Riffle, Zelda Epley and brother-in-law Jose Anorga. Colonel Cominos was preceded in death by his parents, wife, sister Mary Kastros and a sister-in-law Daisy Anorga.