Memorial Day and Remembering My School Mates and Fellow Pilots.

I will probably screw this list up as I'm not looking at any note books with the names of all those friends I lost in Vietnam. Despite that, since Memorial Day is almost here, I've been thinking about them and thought it would be appropriate to post those names here.

Working in reverse, I would like to mention Lt. Dan Combs. He and I lived in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Air Cav Troop Scout Hootch when I was flying OH 6s on hunter killer teams and I saw him every day.

Some of the men on this list were not known by me personally but I watched them die. On July 4th, 1970, when I was flying for the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, Warrant Officers Jernigan and Stearns were killed while making a gun run in their Cobra gun ship. During a rocket run to stop an ambush against our guys, an anti aircraft position shot them down. Wolman and I were flying together that day and I was his co pilot as I had only been in Vietnam seven weeks when that attack occurred. It has forever changed my memories and considerations of what July 4th really means.

I didn't know Bob Gorske but when he was killed in action, I was called to the 199th to replace him. We were both born in November of 1948, both Catholic, both from the South.

Classmates from flight school were the most difficult to endure. Jimmy Dunnevant and I went all the way through basic together plus the 9 months we spent in flight school. I don't think he lasted two months in Vietnam. Bob Gentry and Steve Larabee, who I spent nine months with before we left for Vietnam, were sad losses for me. Two kids I went to high school with, Danny and Richard, were both Marines and both killed before I ever even graduated from flight school. Sam Perkins, a kid from my boarding school days at Morris also died.

Many more died after Vietnam and I'm sure that some of those deaths could be attributed to the after effects of the war. Alcohol is not a good way to run away from the nightmares. I recently received news that Mike Gunnells, a door gunner, passed away from malignant brain cancer that was brought on by Agent Orange. That was last week.

He flew with the 174th Assault Helicopter Company and was a friend of a friend. He flew with Fred Thompson who was a really close friend. Fred died of cancer, too. Agent Orange? I don't know.

James Miles was killed in Germany or Korea. I can't remember which one but he died soon after we graduated. He was a super nice guy.

On the other hand, I think I need to mention the many American lives that were saved by Craig Wolman, a pilot that I've written about many times here. Most of his work was done flying Nighthawk Gunships and I had the great fortune to sit in as his co pilot.

I don't want to forget to mention Howard "BIG MO", Modjeski who was a medevac pilot. He is the legend that the public never gets to hear about. Despite that, he has been recognized by many others including the 174th Assault Helicopter Company where he was invited to speak during one of their annual reunions.  

Dudley Young, Terry Femmer, Ed Wolfe, Kat Ballew and John Jergens also come to mind as pilots that did more than their share of saving lives by eliminating the bad guys. They also flew with the 199th.

I'm sure that's not all that's on the list but they are the ones that come to mind at this time. Hand Salute to all of you young men. So long and see you later.

Tim 

Steve Diehl died after his tour. I find it hard to believe that a rock hard combat veteran who was strong enough to make it through flight school, simply died of a heart attack ...end of story. I'm certain that Agent Orange took him out as he was still very young when he died.