Gus Fleischli, Jr. papers, 1922-2024

Gus Fleischli, Jr. (1925-2024) was a state legislator, businessman, and World War II veteran from Wyoming. Born in Rawlins, he graduated from Cheyenne High School in 1942 before enlisting in the Army Air Corps at age seventeen. Serving as a waist gunner on a B-17 with the 490th Bomb Group, he flew thirty-two combat missions over Germany. Following the war, Gus returned to Wyoming and began a successful business career, first working with his father at Fleischli Studebaker and later founding Fleischli Oil, which grew into a regional petroleum distribution enterprise. He also expanded his operations to Laramie and Casper and secured a major contract with Barrick Gold Mines. Gus married Patricia Sitzman in 1949 and together they raised three children. Gus served Laramie County in the Wyoming Senate from 1953–55 and completed three terms in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1973–77. His leadership extended to the Wyoming Highway Commission, where he served as chairman.

Gus was involved with numerous organizations, including Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, Cheyenne LEADS, the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Foundation, and the University of Wyoming. As an advocate for veterans, he organized and chaired Honor Flights for WWII, Korean, and Vietnam veterans from 2007 to 2012. In recognition of his career and impact on the state, he received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Wyoming in 2011 and the Wyoming Tribune Eagle Community Spirit Award in 2012. In 2015, he was inducted into the Circle of Champions by the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce. Gus Fleischli, Jr. passed away on July 21, 2024, at ninety-eight years old.