It is our pleasure to announce to you that several of our enlisted members will be inducted into the “Enlisted Combat Roll of Honor” aboard the USS Yorktown museum in Charleston South Carolina on November 3-4, 2010. As you may know, induction to the roll is of the highest degree of honor for both Navy and Marine enlisted aircrew members from all wars including WW-II, Korea, Vietnam and the current Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. What is most rewarding is that all eleven of our KIA VO-67 brothers will be inducted. We have not been able to contact all the next of kin yet but will do so this week. I am in hopes that all the KIA’s will have a family member aboard the Yorktown to experience this most inspirational ceremony. If a family member cannot attend or if no family member can be found we will seek a VO-67 representative to stand in at the induction ceremony and receive that member’s plaque. The names of all inductees will be placed on a special honor wall aboard the USS Yorktown for all time. It was said many times that getting our KIA members inducted would never happen. VO-67 once again proved the critics wrong and got the job done. Much thanks to all the OPC's who nominated these men to the roll.
OUR Most Honored VO-67 KIA’ S:
ADJ-2 Donald Thorensen AO-2 Michael Roberts PH-2 Kenneth Widon
AE-2 Richard Mancini ATN-3 Gale Siow ADJ-2 Chester Coons
AT-1 Paul Donato AEAN James Martin ADJAN Frank Dawson
AO-3 Clayborn Ashby ATN-2 John Hartzheim
We also have ten living and one recently deceased member who have been chosen for induction.
Recently deceased member: ADR-2 Parnell Jones
Others: AX-1 Raymond Braley ADR-2 Frank Townsend
ATN-3 Richard DeCuir AE-2 Kenneth Dwelle
AE-1 Michael Walker ATN-3 Robert Reynolds
ATR-2 David Steffy ADJ-3 Robert Jacobs
AOC William Grayson AX-2 Joseph Teodorczyk
Much thanks to Bill Rutledge and Lee Hicks from Hal-3 for guidance and encouragement to get the extensive paperwork done to preset to the ROH board. All of the Hal-3 KIA's will also be so honored. It is my hope that if the inductions open up in the future that other deserving VO-67 aircrew will apply.
