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Gone West

This Page Is Dedicated To Those That Have Gone Ahead

Last Flight West
I hope there’s a place, way up in the sky, where pilots can go, when they have to die. A place where a guy can buy a cold beer, For a friend and a comrade, whose memory is dear, A place where no doctor or lawyer can tread, Nor a management type would ere be caught dead, Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke, Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke, The kind of a place where a lady could go, And feel safe and protected, by the men she would know. There must be a place where old pilots go, when their paining is finished, and their airspeed gets low, Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young, and songs about flying and dying are sung, where you’d see all the fellows who’d flown west before, and they’d call out your name, as you came through the door, who would buy you a drink, if your thirst should be bad, And relate to the others, “He was quite a good lad!” And then through the mist, you’d spot an old guy, you had not seen in years, though he taught you to fly. He’d nod his old head, and grin ear to ear, and say, “Welcome my son, I’m pleased that you’re here. For this is the place where true flyers come, when their journey is over, and the war has been won. They’ve come here at last to be safe and alone, From the government clerks and the management clone, Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise, where all hours are happy, and these good ole boys, can relax with a cool one, and a well-deserved rest, this is Heaven my son…. You’ve passed your last test!" Author unknown

BGen James Kilpatrick
1926-1996
LtCol Robert Michael McCoy
1941-2012
LtCol Dennis Michael Mast
1948-2007
Col Glen John Kaser
1935-2009
James Kilpatrick Mike McCoy Dennis Mast John Kaser



2Lt Donn R. Austin
1932-1955
Capt Wesley R. Deane
1960-1987
Maj John Q. Jordan
1947-1987
Capt Frank Michael Mendes
1950-1982
Donn R. Austin Wes Deane John Jordan Mike Mendes



LtCol Ronald L. Pearson
(40)
Col George R. Sparks
1929-1996
BGen William Neville
LtCol Jan N. Pedersen
1946-2002
Ronald L.Pearson George Sparks William Neville Jan Pedersen



BGen Edward R. Aguiar
Capt James D. Werner
1940-1971
1Lt Daniel Clack
July 18, 1979
Richard "Dick" Johnson
BGen Edward R. Aguiar Captain James D. Warner Danny Clack Dick Johnson



Ray Clack Tom Fishburn Roy L. Parimore
1937-2003
LtCol Robert D. Wendel, MD.
1935-2006
Ray Clack Tom Fishburn Roy L. Parimore Robert Wendel



Felix Franco, Jr.
1937-2010
CMsgt Vincenzo "Jim" DiSanto
1929-2004
TSgt Mary Ann (Kellogg) Parimore
1946-2006
Peggy Jo Hervatine
1957-2003
Felix Franco Jim DiSanto Mary (Kellogg Parimore Peggy Hervatine



LtCol Tom Bennett
1939 - 2014
LtCol Chris Seher
1968 - 2015
LtCol Leslie E. Spencer
September 1, 1988
Eli Setencich
April 10, 1924 - July 12, 2014
Tom Bennett Chris Seher Les Spencer Eli Setencich



Lear Jet Crash - Fresno 1994 CMS Steve Segal
1932 - 2013
MSgt Jerome Lou Brawley
1932 - 2016
Maj Gen Patrick J. Marckesano
1931 - 2016
Lear Jet Crash 1994 Steve Segal Joe Brawley Pat Marckesano



Ward Zelhart
1935-2017
Col Bill Gleason
1931 - 2017
LtCol Darryl Montgomergy
1937 - 2017
Marvin Boyd Stone
March 13, 1938 - July 10, 2017
Ward Zelhart Bill Gleason Darryl Montgomery Marvin Stone



LtCol Fred Sattler
Mike Clarke
1947 - 2018
Seth "Jethro" Nehring
1974 - 2018
Lt Col Robert Hervatine
April 22, 1947 - November 30, 2018
Fred Sattler Mike Clarke Seth Bob



SMSgt Kent Manchester
1944 - 2018
Douglas Wayne Smith
1937 - 2019
Brian Jay Ginsburg, MD
1931 - 2020
Maj Robert Dennis Watson
1949 - 2020
SMSgt Kent William Manchester Douglas Wayne Smith Brian Ginsburg Robert Dennis Watson
Edward A. Manning
1942 - 2020
Col Jack L. Bolt
1928 - 2020
Kris Kampe
1958 - 2020
Royal Gardiner
1949 - 2020
Ed Manning Jack Bolt Sr Kris Kampe Royal Gardiner



Michael James Nethery
April 10, 1945 - March 11, 1999
Stillman Ray Sprague
1952 - 2021
Chris Hill
July 28, 1949 - January 11, 2022

Col Dave "Moto" Cobb
May 30, 1039 - Novemebr 24, 2022
Mike Nethery Stilly Sprague Chris Hill Chris Hill



MSgt Della Esparza
November 23, 1953 - February 9, 2023
Frank J. Conti
May 2, 1927 - April 9, 2023
CMSgt Jack Back
June 13, 1932 - September 4, 2023
MSgt Jose Fierro
July 3, 1935 - November 4, 2023

Della Esparza Frank Conti Jack Back Jose Fierro



LtCol Doug Munday
September 11, 1945 - January 13, 2024
Col John Dawson
January 27, 2024
LtCol Darrel Cline Sheila Lynn (Ruckle) Boehringer
November 24, 1940 - April 9, 2024
Doug Munday John Dawson Darrel Cline Sheila Lynn Boehringer



Col Alfred Huston Tichenor
January 31, 942 - May 31, 2024
Kirk Hawkins
August 2025
Al Tichenor Kirk Hawkins