Archive for the Our Fallen Category

15 Mar 1945 – 27 July 2018
Arlington National Cemetery

Lt. Gen. Michael P. DeLONG, USMC (Ret.) 73, of Treasure Island, passed away unexpectedly July 27, 2018. Michael was born on March 15, 1945 in Kinston, NC to the late Phillip C. and Katherine (Cahill) DeLong. He is survived by his beloved wife, Katherine; his son, Phillip DeLong of Colorado; and sister, Susan Newton of Lady Lake, FL. Michael was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He received his master’s degree from Central Michigan University. Upon graduation from the Naval Academy, Lt. Gen. DeLong was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and went to flight school at Pensacola, FL. A true war hero, he served tours in Vietnam where he survived being shot down three times; additionally, he served in Somalia, campaigns Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Lt. Gen. DeLong considered his times as a Commanding Officer the most enjoyable tours. He commanded the squadron, HMM-266 in New River, NC as a Lt. Col. Marine Aviation Weapons, Tactics Squadron (MATWS-1) as a Col. in Yuma, AZ, and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Miramar, CA as a Major General. His last assignment was the Deputy Commander, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL, where he set up the first coalition of international forces from as many as 80 countries. He retired in 2003 after more than 36 years of military service. A distinguished author, he wrote several books about his time as the Deputy Commander at CENTCOM. Upon retirement from the Marine Corps in October 2003, he transitioned to the civilian workforce as Senior Vice President of the Shaw Group, Inc. From 2008 until 2013, he served as Vice President of Boeing International Corporation. Since 2003, he was a Board Member of Sykes Enterprises. Michael was the epitome of the Marine motto Semper Fidelis, always faithful. He was loyal to his family, his country, and his service. Michael always took care of “his Marines”. Among Marines, he had the reputation for being firm but fair. He was never afraid to make the hard call, no matter the occasion. Michael was always the guy you wanted on your side. He was smart, competitive, and unafraid; a true “bulldog” of a man who had a tender side as well. Always quick with smile and a laugh, he approached life with gusto. He will be missed by many. A visitation will be held from 3-5 pm on Sunday, August 5 at the David C. Gross Funeral Home in St. Petersburg. Interment will follow at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the charity of your choice. An online guestbook is available at: davidcgross.com. David C. Gross Funeral Homes, 6366 Central Ave. (727) 381-4911.

BIOGRAPHY:
Lieutenant General Michael DeLong is a retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General who served as Deputy Commander, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

Born: March 15, 1945 (age 71)
Service/branch: United States Marine Corps
Commands held: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Books: Inside CentCom, A General Speaks Out: The Truth about the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Education: United States Naval Academy, Central Michigan University
Awards: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, More
Battles and wars: Vietnam War, Unified Task Force, Iraq War, Operation Enduring Freedom

Lieutenant General Michael DeLong (also known as Lt. Gen Michael “Rifle” DeLong) is a retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General who served as Deputy Commander, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. From 2000 until his retirement in 2003 (with over 36 years of service), Lieutenant General DeLong was Second-in-command to General Tommy Franks who as Commander of United States Central Command was in charge of the war on terror including Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Biography

Lieutenant General DeLong is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and holds a master’s degree in industrial management from Central Michigan University.

Lieutenant General DeLong’s operational assignments include tours with HMM-262, Quang Tri, Republic of Vietnam; Standardization Instructor, HT-18, Naval Aviation Training Command; Maintenance Officer, HML-367, where he participated in Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Phnom Penh and Operation Frequent Wind the evacuation of Saigon; Operations Officer, Helicopter Heavy Marine (HMH); Commander, HML 367, Detachment C; Executive Officer and Special Projects Officer, Marine Air Base Squadron 24; Plans and Operations Officer, Marine Air Group 36; Executive/Commanding officer, Marine Air Group 30; Executive Officer, MAG-26; Commanding Officer, HMM-266; Executive Officer and Commanding Officer, Marine Aviation Weapons/Tactics Squadron 1 (MAWTS-1), where he participated in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm; Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, where he served as the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) for Operation Restore Hope in Somalia; Deputy Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California; Deputy Commander and Acting Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Atlantic, in Virginia and his previous duty as Commander, 3rd Marine Air Wing, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

His principal staff assignments include Officer-in-Charge, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific Command Center; Intelligence Requirements Officer, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific; Aide de Camp to the Deputy Commander, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific; Arms Control/Strategic Weapons Action Officer in the Strategic Requirements Branch of the Plans Division, Headquarters Marine Corps; and the Director for Joint Training (J-7) and Director of Joint Training Analyses and Simulation Center, U.S. Atlantic Command. Lieutenant General DeLong’s professional education includes the Basic School, Naval Flight School, Amphibious Warfare School, Defense Intelligence School, Armed Forces Staff College, Army War College and a Defense Department fellowship at the Brookings Institution. Lieutenant General DeLong also holds an Honorary Doctor of Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College.

Lieutenant General DeLong’s personal decorations include: two awards of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, two awards of the Legion of Merit, two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, two awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Flight Strike Numerals 69, Navy Achievement Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. General DeLong has logged more than 5,600 flight hours in all models of aircraft and more than 800 combat hours.

DONNELY: 1984 3-7 CAX 29-Palms

15 September 1943 – 10 April 1994
Arlington National Cemetery, VA 22212

Col. William R. Donnelly was born in McMinnville, Oregon. He enlisted in the Marines in 1961 and was appointed to the Naval Academy and graduated in 1967.

Rick’s USNA yearbook biography reads: “Rick came to the banks of the Severn from duty with the Marine Corps and a year at NAPS. If he were to have choose from all the good things in life, Rick would undoubtedly choose his rack as the most meaningful. Most afternoons Rick could not be found, but his appearances on the company 150’s helped make them the terrors of the Brigade. Adapting easily to the academic routine, Rick mastered most of his courses and was always ready to lend a hand. Always an avid participator in the nightly bull sessions, Rick added many laughs to the lives of his friends. Rick will take back to the Corps a firm desire for succeed and this, coupled with his ability to make the best out of every situation will ensure his continued success in his career.”

Rick and I married just after graduation from the Naval Academy and had 27 years together…Our 3 children are all happy and successful and Rick would be delighted to know he now has 8 grandchildren. Through pictures and remembrances the grandchildren are now getting to know the grandfather they never met. He will always be greatly missed…. Danny Donnelly

Service History: After NAPS, USNA and The Basic School, Rick began his long and successful 29 year career in the United States Marine Corps.

His early commands included Platoon Cdr, 1/1 in Vietnam and 1/27 in Kaneohe, Hawaii, Company Cdr, Okinawa and 3/7 Battalion Cdr, Camp Pendleton, California. He was Aide-de-Camp to the DepCG of FMFPAC, Hawaii and in between a series of schools, Dep C-5, Combined Forces Command, Republic of South Korea, HDQTRS Marine Corps, MCDEC, Quantico and Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.

He attended Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia, Command and General Staff, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. His final duty station was Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as the Chief of Staff and Assistant Division Commander of Second Marine Division.

Rick passed away in April, 1994 while serving as the Director, Marine Corps War College, Quantico, Virginia.

USMC Resume:
The Basic School Class 1-68 Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, Jun-Nov 1967
Vietnam: Company A,1st Bn, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.), FMF (A/1/1)
Director of the Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Va.
Silver Star, Purple Heart

Personal Reflections about Rick Donnelly:

From Jules Seldon: Yes, “Rick” Donnelly was a classmate at USNA, and we were in the same battalion. After TBS he fought in the Battle for Hue City. Years later, in one of the many books that were written about the battle, he was mentioned with the anecdote that he was called “the kid”.

16 August 1942 – 30 August 2010
At rest: Highland Lawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, IN 47803

Robert Dopher passed away on 30 August 2010, at the age of 68 from Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Retired Marine Major Robert C. Dopher, Jr. was born on 16 August 1942 in Terre Haute, IN, and graduated from Otter Creek High School. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. During his career he was sent to Stanford University through Operation Bootstrap, officer candidate school, helicopter pilot training and missile design and technology school. As an OV 10, Huey and Cobra pilot he saw action around the world. He was involved in the evacuation of Vietnam as the last pilot of a cobra helicopter out of the country. Over the course of his career, Bob earned Air Medal Strike/Flight Award (with numeral 7), Vietnamese Service Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Air Medal Bronze with V, Navy Unit Commendation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Humanitarian Service Medal 3rd award and the Good Conduct Medal 3rd Award. After serving in the military for 20 years, he went on to earn his Master’s degree in Computer Science at the University of Missouri-Rolla and later, after 20 years, retired from the Electrical Engineering Department there. One of his greatest joys was traveling the country with his wife in their motor home to see the wonderful sites across the United States. He passed away on 30 August 2010, at the age of 68 from Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Robert Dopher and Karen Warm were married at Camp Pendleton on Sunday 14 Feb 1971. There were TBS Alpha Company Marines who attended and formed the honor guard for the arch of swords ceremony. They had 4 children: Cristopher, Rachel, Rebecca and Marc. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Karen owned and operated two children’s clothing stores in Vista and San Marcos. The Dopher family is active in the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation rallying for the cure for these two diseases as well as the Donate Life Organization.

USMC Resume:
TBS Class 1-68 Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon June-Nov 1967
Flight School, Pensacola FL: Helicopter Pipeline.
USAADS Ft Bliss TX: Guided Missile Systems Crs, Jan – Aug 1971
Balboa Naval Hospital, SD undergoing treatment for cancer: Mar-Nov 1972
Camp Pendleton (71-74: / Okinawa (74-75): HMA-169 and HML-267
Retired from the USMC: May 1980

9 May 1945 – 21 July 1968
At rest: Centre County Mem Park, State College, PA 16801

Second Lieutenant David John Eckenrode was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Service number 0102675. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and served during the Vietnam Conflict. He achieved rank of Second Lieutenant and served with 7th Engineer Battalion, B Company. Second Lieutenant Eckenrode was killed on July 21, 1968 in or around South Vietnam, Quang Nam province when he tripped a booby-trap made from a 105mm artillery shell. Second Lieutenant Eckenrode earned the following awards: National Defense Service Medal, Purple Heart, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal.

Second Lieutenant Eckenrode is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, VVM Wall, Panel 51w, Line 25.

USMC Resume:
The Basic School Class 1-68 Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, Jun-Nov 1967
Vietnam: Company B, 7th Engineer Battalion Jan–July 1968

Personal Reflections about Dave Eckenrode:

27 July 1945 – 16 March 2006
At rest: Evergreen Cemetery, Louisville, KY

Michael Lee Evans was born on 27 July 1945 to Paul A. Evans and Audrey Pauline Minyar. In a family of four, he grew up with two sisters and a brother: Brenda Parrish (Ed); Beverly Connors (Keith); Gary W. Evans (Mary).

Mike was a graduate of the University of Louisville. He served as a Captain in the Marine Corp for 12 years, serving two consecutive tours in Vietnam for which he received many high decorations. He was a retired civilian employee of the Department of Navy – Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) for 18 years in Crystal City, VA and a member of Iroquois Presbyterian Church in Louisville. Michael passed away on 16 March 2006 at the age of 60 at the Veterans Administration Hospital.

USMC Resume:
University of Louisville, KY NROTC Marine Option. Six week Bulldog PLC MCB Quantico – summer 1966.
The Basic School Class 1-68 Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, Jun-Nov 1967
Vietnam: Two/Three tours: Force Logistics Command (FLC) on Red Beach.

Personal Reflections about Mike Evans:

From John Ames, 9 Apr 2015:: “Mike and I were NROTC students at the University of Louisville starting in September 1963. An excellent athlete in all sports, we played intramurals together for four years at UofL. Five of us took the Marine Option in ’65 “enjoying” OC in the same platoon in the summer of ’66. Mike bunked above me at the end of the squad bay on the second deck of the old white BOQ’s next to the railroad tracks near the air station. I could never figure out how I would get chits for my rack being out of line (and locker too) when Mike’s weren’t – they were attached! Then on to TBS in ’67.

Mike, along with Bob Hagan and Bob Waller, came back to Louisville over the long Labor Day weekend in 1967 to stand in the sword arch, for my wife, Janet’s, and my wedding, and to be a groomsman in the wedding party.

Mike was one of the few guys I ever met who actually gained weight during his three tours in Vietnam. He went to Force Logistics Command on Red Beach. He was everyone’s favorite because he had an inexhaustible supply of poncho liners for visiting VIP’s, and had an equally inexhaustible supply of paper bags to get donuts 24/7 from the bakery at FLC. The trick was to get the donuts in the bag, then get back to the jeep before the grease ate through the paper bag – How did our 21-24 year old stomachs stand it?

During Mike’s remaining years in the Corps and his time working in Virginia, we would keep in touch when he would come back to visit his family in Louisville. Ultimately, he returned to live here in the mid-nineties.

Mike had an irrepressible sense of humor and was always quick with a smile. Never once would you look to Mike for anything and not have it answered positively. RIP, Mike.”

11 August 1945 – 25 January 2002
Dallas Ft Worth National Cemetery, TX 75211

Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Ferguson of Lakewood, California and later Dallas, Texas was with the Marine Corps from June 7, 1967 until June 30, 1989. Mike was married to Cheryl L. Sears, 26 Nov 1967, right after TBS. He passed away on January 25, 2002.

Michael J. Ferguson was born on August 11, 1945 in Bedford, England. His father was a radio gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress, and his mother was an English citizen. They married and she & Mike came to the USA on the RMS Queen Mary through Ellis Island. Mike grew up in Lakewood, CA. He received an NROTC scholarship and chose to attend USC for his college education. Mike met Cheryl in Lakewood, who was a friend of his sister. A few days after basic school graduation, they married in Long Beach, CA.

Mike served in the USMC for 22 years and retired a LtCol in 1989. His military career took him to 5th Tanks, Camp Pendleton, Vietnam on the USS Ranger, MCRD San Diego, Ft Knox Armor School, 2nd Tanks Camp LeJeune, Supply Depot Albany, GA; Israel & Egypt as a UN Sinai Observer, CO of 3rd Tanks Twenty-nine Palms, CA; I & I Rochester NY, IG Hdqrts, USMC, and lastly the senior Marine commander over the Armor School at Ft Knox. The highlight of his career was taking over as CO of 3rd Tank Battalion at the MCAGCC. He also enjoyed travelling the world with the IG team.

When the gulf war began after Mike’s retirement, he wrote the Commandant asking to return to service, but he was denied his request because they were using the reserves. Upon his retirement he relocated to Long Beach, CA and worked for Iron Mountain Data Security as Branch Manager & General Manager. Mike and Cheryl have two daughters, 4 grandchildren and one on the way. He relocated to Lewisville, TX in 1999, when triplet grandchildren were born.

Mike died at the age of 56 after a valiant fight with cancer. After Mike’s passing, many of his previous tank school students and fellow tankers wrote to our family telling of his professionalism and the training they’d received had helped them in battle. It was a privilege to hear how Mike had impacted the lives of others. He was a man of integrity, honor and outstanding character. He amazed our family with his wisdom and sense of humor in all situations throughout life.

USMC Resume:
USC (Trojan) NROTC Marine Corps option,
The Basic School Class 1-68 Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, Jun-Nov 1967,
5th Tanks, Camp Pendleton,
Vietnam on the USS Ranger,
MCRD San Diego,
Ft Knox Armor School,
2nd Tanks Camp LeJeune,
Supply Depot Albany, GA;
Israel & Egypt as a UN Sinai Observer,
CO of 3rd Tanks Twenty-nine Palms, CA,
I & I Rochester NY,
IG Hdqrts, USMC,
Senior Marine commander over the Armor School at Ft Knox.
Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

24 Aug 1945 – 7 Jun 2018
Kissimmee, FL

James L. Foresman (Jim),  class of 1967 at the Naval Academy, died in his sleep on June 7, 2018 as the result of incurable bone disease. Jim was a career aviator and flew CH-46’s in Vietnam and throughout his 20 year Marine career with numerous peacetime ship borne deployments. He earned an MS in Aeronautical Engineering at the USN Post Graduate school and flew a variety of aircraft at the USN Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Md.  After retiring from active duty, Jim held a number of executive positions in the energy and financial management field. He finally settled down in Kissimmee, Florida with his wife Bernardette. He and Bernardette had 4 children between them and 8 grandchildren.

13 January 1946 – 3 August 2007
Richmond, KY 40475

Bill Ganter was Medevac’d to a Japan hospital with a through knee wound. That is where Bill met Sandra, a USAF nurse who outranked him. After rehab he went back in country.

Bill got out of the MC, went to graduate school at Rutgers (MBA), and joined the Nat’l Guard/Army Reserve. Recalled to active duty Desert Storm, he retired from the Army in 1990.

USMC Resume:
The Basic School Class 1-68 Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, Jun-Nov 1967

Personal Reflections about Bill Ganter:

1 September 1943 – 7 March 1970
Courts of the Missing, MIA Mem, HI 96813

Captain Albert Henry Gates Jr. of East Greenbush, New York was a member of the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263, Marine Air Group 15, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade. On 7 March 1970, he was aircraft commander of a CH-46D flying near Da Nang, South Vietnam, when the aircraft crashed into the water killing him. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. Captain Albert Henry Gates, Jr. is honored on Panel 13W, Row 92 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Personal Reflections about Al Gates:

From Brian O’Neil, HMM-263 Helo Pilot, 19 Apr 2015:  Captain Al Gates joined Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 (HMM-263) at Marble Mountain Air Facility in Vietnam the end of 1969. This was Al’s first combat tour. As a Captain Al was senior in rank to the “salty” Lieutenants who he flew with as a copilot for his first few months in country. As one of those “salty” Lieutenants I had the opportunity to fly with Al often and get to know him and his abilities.

Al proved to be a Marine who cared about all people. He took care of the flight crews and was concerned about their well-being and put their welfare above his own. His quiet leadership provided a calming influence on those around him. In the air Al was expected to excel, and he did. Al was with me on a day in which we took a lot of ground fire and numerous rounds hit the aircraft, with one round coming through the cockpit and striking a hydraulic line spewing hydraulic fluid all over him. Al maintained his calm composure and handled the situation like the professional he was.

From Ray Norton, TBS 1-68, 4th Platoon, 12 Apr 2015:  I recall that Al had grown a pilot’s mustache.  It was always neatly groomed and apparently in exact compliance with the Regulations.  Al was one squared away Marine.  It was an honor to be a Basic School Classmate and a member of his Vietnam combat unit, HMM 161 call sign Cattle Call.

From Randy Crew, TBS 1-68, 2nd Platoon, 31 Mar 2015:  There were six of us—four Marines and two Navy Ensigns. Our call sign was “Bearcat 60” but I never knew why. Maybe our instructor, a Navy A-1 driver who had recently been based aboard an aircraft carrier in the Tonkin Gulf, had graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1960. He may have even played football for Cincinnati. He looked the part—six feet tall, thick, bulldog jowls. He wasn’t a bad guy but he wasn’t there to cut us any slack either. Our lives were in his hands, carrier landings in a T-28C were dangerous, and he didn’t intend to lose any of us to stupid mistakes. So from our small ready room in a shack by the legendary old WWII Navy base west of Pensacola known as “Bloody Barin Field,” he laid down the law. We would be on time, we would have our procedures memorized, and we would know the taxiways and runways like the inside of our garage back home. No time would be wasted wandering around on the wrong taxiways. He would lead us out the first day then it was up to us to find a leader for each of the following days.

The following day came and from the podium in front of the blackboard, Bearcat Lead asked who wanted to be the leader that day. I looked at the floor. I was on time, I had the procedures memorized, I knew the T-28C well from earlier training, but that damn Barin Field was a maze of taxiways and runways—all of them with faded and crumbling lines and markings and numbers that had been there since the early ’40s. Even the buildings on the base sat abandoned and crumbling away in the Alabama sunshine. Except for our little shack on our one little spot of activity on one of the old flight lines, Barin Field was a ghost town. So with four different old WWII runways, each with two directions to take off and land from, plus a couple of different ways to get to each runway, I sat with my five Bearcat 60 mates and waited. Al Gates raised his hand.

And lead he did. He got us on the right taxiway, then the right runway, then into the air for an hour of touch-and-go simulated carrier landings. And someone else volunteered the next day. I took my turn but by then I was confident I wouldn’t screw it up. Al had that confidence from the get-go.

After the first week, we six pilots of Bearcat 60 had our act together and we had the swagger to prove it. Tracy Gates, Al’s wife, had even sewn Clark Gable style flying scarves for each of us and had embroidered them with “Bearcat 60.” To even further enhance our look, I had made “Bearcat 60” nametags of us to wear on our flightsuits. In the vernacular of the times, we were “shit hot.” The result was a graduation day of dramatic but accident free carrier landings on the USS Lexington and a post-mission debrief from our gruff but now smiling Bearcat Lead at a Pensacola bar. And Al Gates had led the way.

Born Albert Henry Gates, Jr., on 1 September, 1943, Al was the oldest of three children born to Albert and Shirley Gates of Greenbush, NY. He graduated from Cornell University on 13 June, 1966, with a degree in Agriculture and Life Sciences. He also received a reserve commission in the Marine Corps from the Cornell NROTC program with a Pay Entry Base Date of 13 June, 1966. He immediately entered graduate school at Cornell where he finished in June, 1967, with an MBA. He met Ellen “Tracy” Pulver at Cornell when he was a senior and she was a freshman. As there were three girls on her dorm floor named Ellen, thus making it difficult to call a given Ellen to the phone, she told them to just call her “Tracy,” the pen name she had used on her poetry in high school. The name stuck. Al and Tracy married immediately after Al graduated in 1967. After TBS, they moved to Pensacola for flight school where they became God-parents to Dick and Sandi Averitt’s first child, Dawn. After receiving his wings, Al was assigned to transition training in the CH-46 at New River, NC.

In a recent email, Dick Averitt (1st Platoon, TBS 1-68 and one of Al’s closest friends) picks up the story:

“At Pensacola, Al and Tracy had become dear friends to both Sandi and me. After we got our wings, we drove through Atlanta to New River in tandem, trained in the H-46 together, then reported in at HMM-162 in Marble Mountain.

“Our squadron was composed of 3 majors, one captain and about 40 lieutenants.   Gates was the one captain, because he had taken a year to get his master’s degree.  We went aboard the helicopter carrier (I can’t remember the name) and bunked together in a 4 man room.  We were destined for Okinawa (allegedly the first unit withdrawn from Vietnam under Nixon) when I woke him one morning to tell him he was a new father. [Editor note: The child was a son they named Albert.]

“It was also aboard ship when he got called back to Vietnam.  Ironically, I wanted to go back and he didn’t.  We tried to switch, but they wanted a captain.

“I called Tracy from Okinawa to tell her Al had gone down over the water on a cover mission for brass in another helo. She had already been notified that he was missing.” [End of Averitt Narrative]

The “cover mission” Dick referred to is also known as a “chase mission.” A “heavy” is a Colonel or General and the chase bird is there to rescue him if the Huey flying the heavy were to go down.

The following is a personal narrative posted on the Popasmoke web site by a pilot named Martin. He identified himself as one of Al’s HMM-263 squadron mates and a member of the accident board that investigated the Gates/Kimura crash:

“Originally I [Martin] was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Al Gates that day. The frag order was for a 46 to chase a Huey that was coming down from up north. The Huey was carrying a heavy who was attending some sort of change of command ceremony in the Da Nang area. K.K. Kimura had only recently reported in and was a very junior co-pilot. He was scheduled to fly co-pilot with Paul Sniffin who had the Recon mission.

“The WX was really bad that morning, almost zero/zero, and all launches were holding. K.K. and I played a little Acey-Deucey while waiting for things to clear up a bit. While we sat at the A-Doo board, the Ops Officer, Maj. Toben came in, looked at the schedules board and directed the ODO to switch K.K. and me. Since I was the more experienced co-pilot, he thought I should be on Recon instead of what was basically a milk-run VIP chase.

“After several hours, the WX improved somewhat and the Recon package launched out. After an uneventful day of routine inserts and extracts, we recovered back at Marble around 1700-1800. While I was post-flighting the a/c one of the crew chiefs came up and asked me if I had heard that his bird had gone down in the water, killing the entire crew. When I asked who was flying it he said it was Capt. Gates and Lt. Kimura. As it turned out, one of the gunners survived. Basically, all we found out came from his account. He told us that they were flying in “really bad” WX, chasing the Huey when they went inadvertent IFR and crashed into the water about 500 yards off the beach. I don’t recall the exact location, but it seems to me that it was north of Da Nang. He also told us that even though he couldn’t be sure, he thought he remembered a loud noise coming from the rear of the a/c and both pilots looking back into the cabin just before impact.

“The surviving gunner was picked up by a Vietnamese fisherman, who took him to the beach, dropped him off and then just left, apparently unconcerned with helping him any further. About a week later, KK’s remains washed up on the beach down by Chu Lai. To the best of my knowledge, the other three were never recovered.

“I was appointed to the investigating board and tasked with looking into contributing factors. My comments indicated that the most significant factor was sending an inexperienced crew (Gates had only recently made HAC with very little in-country H2P time) out in unsatisfactory weather to fly an unnecessary mission.” [End of Martin Narrative]

Al Gates is listed as KIA on March 7th, 1970. His body was not recovered.

I remember Al had legs like tree trunks. He was not a poster Marine in PT shorts, but he didn’t need to be. He had other gifts. I can still see him seated at a card table in the ready room at Barin Field in his sage-gray cotton flightsuit with cards in his hands and a starched and blocked utility cover pushed to the back of his head. The game was Hearts or maybe Bridge. Dick Averitt and Bob Chiesa are seated with him. A Navy guy may be the 4th. We were young men then, living the dream. And we had swagger.

Randy Crew, TBS 1-68, 2nd Platoon

Postscript: Ellen “Tracy” Gates remarried in 1973 to David Lee Brower, a Navy F-14 pilot stationed at San Diego. Young Albert Henry Gates III became Albert Gates Brower and quickly took to his new father. Tracy and Dave had two more boys then they adopted a Chinese girl to complete their family. In 1981 Tracy finished her degree in Textile and Apparel at San Diego State University. Young Al graduated from Cal Berkley and is now on staff at the University of Washington designing computer programs for the Engineering Department. He is married with one child, a daughter named Aria. Tracy says Aria is really smart like her father and grandfather Gates. I can tell you—if she’s really smart like her grandfather Gates, she’s really, really smart.   Tracy and Dave, as well as Al and his family, all live in the Seattle, WA, area.

21 JUN 1941 – 02 JUL 2021

OBITUARY: Col. David Melvin Gee (USMC, Retired), 80, of Slanesville (West Virginia), passed away on Friday, July 2, 2021, at Winchester Medical Center.

Born June 21, 1941, in Winchester, he was the son of the late Clarence Melvin Gee and Byrd James. Beside his parents, Col. Gee is preceded in death by his wife, Margaret E. “Peggy” Gee (d. Feb. 3, 2021).

Col. Gee is survived by his son, Robert “Rory” Gee and wife Amy of New Mexico; his daughter, Elizabeth Saville and husband Greg of Romney; his brother, Charles Gee and wife Debbie of Texas; and 5 grandchildren.

Col. Gee graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maryland and later obtained his Master’s Degree. He attended Officer’s School as a Lieutenant and worked his way up to a Colonel. He was a tank commander in the Vietnam War and was a decorated combat veteran, receiving a Bronze Star. 

Col. Gee served as the Animal Control Officer for Hampshire County for 22 years. He was a beloved husband, father, brother and friend.  “Once a Marine, Always a Marine”.

Per Col. Gee’s wishes, a private graveside service will be held at the family farm at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution in Col. Gee’s memory to  Hampshire Co. Animal Control, P.O. Box 806, Romney, WV 26757.

Arrangements are under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home.