Harold Wadley, 91

Harold Edgar Wadley went to be with the Lord on Jan. 11, 2026. He was born Jan. 16, 1934, in Berryhill, Okla., to Ernest Earl Wadley and Martha Rosetta (Bacon) Wadley. He received his first horse as a toddler, and that began a lifelong love of horses. Harold joined the Marine Corps in 1951 at the age of 17 to fight in Korea during the last year of the war. He received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with V for Valor. After finishing his three years of service, he began college, where he met Gwen Burke, whom he later married in January 1957. He finished college at Oklahoma A & M with a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry in 1958.  

Harold began a career with the U.S. Forest Service in Wyoming. He and Gwen had three sons — Rance, Reed and Neal, and one daughter — Rose. Over the years, the family moved to several forests and states (Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho) for his job. At one time, he was director of a Forest Service Job Corps camp in Chadron, Neb. In 1967, Harold felt led to go back into the Marine Corps to help the young men in combat. He remembered that, as a young Marine himself, he received much training and advice from those Marines who had fought in WWII. After much prayer, he reenlisted and spent only a short time learning about new weapons before he was sent to Vietnam to join his 5th Marines. In September of 1967, during Operation Swift, he led his platoon through intense combat, engaging the enemy to evacuate the wounded, and was severely wounded himself. He spent the next 9 months in military hospitals recovering before he resumed his career with the Forest Service. He received various medals, including a second Purple Heart, Silver Star with V for Valor, and Navy Commendation Medal with V for Valor.

Service to people in a foreign country was a desire for the Wadleys, so in 1972, Harold and Gwen joined the Peace Corps and began two years of service in Malaysia. This was during a short time that the Peace Corps allowed selected families to join. It had been limited to singles and couples. All six members of the Wadley family set out on a great adventure. Harold worked as a forester helping young forest workers care for the forest while using its resources. Gwen taught English as a second language while mothering four young children. At the end of two years, the family returned to America, and Harold once again joined the Forest Service. They lived in various places and eventually settled in St. Maries, Idaho, where Harold served as a District Forest Ranger from 1976 to his retirement in 1986.   

After working a few years with horses and fruit trees, Harold again wanted some adventure. So, in 1990, he began a nine-year period using his unique agroforestry skills to help people in the jungles of China. He worked for 3 years for WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and six years with World Vision. He helped indigenous tribal people in the South China jungle area grow more food on less land to protect the land and wildlife. They could avoid the slash-and-burn method by planting village firewood plantations and using the plants growing in their area more effectively.  In 1998, he was recognized for his humanitarian work by Prince Bernard of the Netherlands, receiving the Order of the Golden Ark award from the prince himself. After his work in China, he spent one semester teaching forestry at Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas.

Finally, Harold spent the rest of his life on Indian Mountain raising and training horses and writing a book, “Spirit Blending Foals Before and After Birth, an Old Way Continued,” which he published in 2003. While retired, he learned that a statue of the Korean War horse Reckless was to be made and that a book about that wonderful horse was to be written. He was one of a few veterans who remembered Reckless. During the battle, “Vegas” Harold was returning from an outpost to get something for his commanding officer when he saw Reckless climbing up the mountain to deliver more ammunition for her Recoilless Rifle Marines. He could not believe that any horse could go up and down that trail by herself under fire all the way. In 2013, he met Robin Hutton, who was writing a book about Reckless and Jocelyn Russell, who was to create a sculpture of Reckless. He offered to create a model pack saddle for Jocelyn using the pictures Marines took of Reckless carrying the ammo. Later, he was proud to be a speaker at the dedication of statues in various places.

Just a few weeks ago, Harold was honored to be inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame. His grandson, William, and granddaughter, Kacie, were there to accept the award on his behalf.  

He became a strong Christian after dedicating his life to the Lord while in college. He never wavered in his love for Jesus and care for people, especially children and young adults. He was proud of his children for their character, faith and accomplishments and he so enjoyed his grandchildren. He and Gwen were just a couple of weeks short of their 69th anniversary when he advanced to life in heaven. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings, Doris, Bonnie, Betty and Jim, also his son, Reed, and his daughter-in-law Cathy. He is survived by his sister, Charlotte, his wife, Gwen, children Rance Wadley, Rose (Dave) Macklin and Neal (Chris) Wadley, all of his grandchildren, Kacie (Jonathan) Davis, Lacie (Derik) Crawford, William Wadley, TJ Wadley, Lucas (Dimyana) Wadley, Mark Macklin, Rachel (Adrian) Torrico and Tessa Mackln, and great grandchildren, Brilee, Bailey, Olivia, and Wesley Davis, Katherine and Zoey Crawford.  

Harold’s funeral service will be held Sunday, Jan. 18, at Harrison Community Baptist Church, Harrison, Idaho, and private internment will be held Monday, Jan. 19, at Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Maries. Memorial donations are requested to be given to the mission fund of Harrison Community Baptist Church. You may leave your condolences to his family at www.hodgefuneralhome.com.