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From:
D Whitcomb
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Wednesday, October 4, 2017
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I met H at the USAF Academy where we were classmates and shared many classes and cadet functions. After graduation and commissioning, we attended flight school together at Laredo AFB, TX. We went through C-7 training together and deployed to South Vietnam for combat duty. Then we attended OV-10 training together at Hurlburt Field, FL, and duty together in the 23rd TASS as Nail FACs. We flew the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in the great battles near Quang Tri in 1972, and experienced heavy combat. H was a brave and aggressive combat pilot. In the summer of 1972, we volunteered for duty with the RAVEN FACs in Laos and were both selected for that duty. We flew in that theater and watched out for one another until ceasefire in February 1973, when we moved on to different assignments. H and I were combat brothers and lifetime friends. I love him and miss him so. A tearful hand salute for a friend who is gone too soon.
And I humbly offer the RAVEN lament: I'd have been a better friend, but I trusted to time.
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From:
Larry Gidney
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Wednesday, October 4, 2017
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I worked with "H" and his dad building fence on their property near what is now Erwin Park when we were about 16. The immediate memory I had from those long ago memories was his Dad yelling (and laughing) at us both for staring at an aircraft buzzing near where we worked. I guess little did we know then the path that probably started becoming clear in his mind.
His Mom made us lunch everyday, and now the hard work part sort of fades from memory and only the good times remain in focus.
I'm proud of the life decisions he made and the service to his country he performed. In this time of National doubt and conflict I can only say, I truly wish we had more men like H flying over us.
Rest in peace my friend, I'm happy you passed this way.
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From:
Gerald Colbert
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Tuesday, October 3, 2017
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H and I exchanged a few emails several years ago. He talked about a friend and fellow warrior who had died recently. He referred to a poem that I have not found, but as I remember, it had a line, "I would have been a better friend but Time lied."
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From:
Gerald Colbert
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Tuesday, October 3, 2017
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H and I worked together in the One Act Play context. I have good memories of our experience in the play, JB. Not sure if the family knows about his acting career, but he played the title role. We won district and came in second in regional. Because it was so late in the year, there was no record of this in our Lion yearbook.
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