Newspaper Page Text
'One cannot remain on active duty for many years and not
experience the loss of close friends. The responsibility
of a nation free carries with it a burden/
By Michael S. Hogg
McClatchy Newspapers
To me, friends are what God uses to color
in the lines of our lives.
1 have served in the U.S. armed forces for
almost 20 years. The first six years of my serv¬
ice were spent in the Air Force; since 1994,1
have served in the Navy and Marine Corps as a
chaplain.
In that time, I have been privileged to meet
some of our nation’s most remarkable heroes
— people like Navy Vice Adm. James B.
Stockdale, who would run as H. Ross Perot’s
vice-presidential candidate, and Medal of
Honor recipients Mike Thornton, Drew Dix,
Tommy Norris and Bruce Crandall.
I recall meeting Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden
Jr. during an exercise at Twenty Nine Palms,
Calif. Bolden had piloted the space shuttle on
two occasions. What a gentleman warrior!
But what I share with all veterans is the joy
of having made a few friendships that will last
the rest of my life. There is an added quality to
bonds that are formed during days and months
of struggle.
Whether the circumstances be a routine six
month deployment, a taxing humanitarian
operation in a remote region of the world or
time of war, friendships formed on the anvil of
human struggle are strong. When a friend and
comrade passes in the midst of struggle, the
emotions are even more powerful.
A chaplain’s responsibility of notifying
family members about the untimely death of a
loved one often requires my participation. On
more than one occasion, I have been told that
my position is not envied or desired. However,
1 have not become immune to feelings of grief
and loss when my friends have fallen.
The overwhelming sense of sudden loss, the
anger and rage over the finality of their death
followed by a period of bartering with God in a
desperate search for peace that may allow a
moment of grace to accommodate this unwel¬
come change in life seems to fill my days at
times.
One cannot remain on active duty for many
years and not experience the loss of close
friends. The responsibility of keeping a nation
free carries with it a great burden.
Men and women will operate aircraft, ships
and other dangerous military vehicles and
weapons. They will “train like they fight” in
order to perfect their craft. Risk is always pres¬
ent and is a planning consideration in every
operation and training evolution. Day in and
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Seeing today from yesterday
I am reading a book about
the psychic powers of one
family that were passed down
from generation to generation
from the 1480s. It is fiction
and there is a little madness
and mayhem, mystery and
mature relationships, but the
psychic aspects are fascinat
ing.
Along with the facilitators,
listeners, healers, and the
everyday and ordinary fortune
tellers and mind readers, are
the people who claim to be
able to see into the past.
Sylvia Browne, who cele¬
brates 18 years of continuous
“mind boggling” appearances
on Montel Williams, claims to
be able to look into the past to
explain the present. I have a
hard time believing any such
claims of her powers because
her win/loss ratio is not so
good.
Now that I’ve caught your
attention with the psychic tal¬
ents, let me say that I read the
patk pretty good my^felf. I can
MEMORIAL DAY 2008
day out, our nation’s sons and daughters per¬
form dangerous tasks in order to preserve liber
>y.
I was introduced to the high price of free¬
dom on April 22, 1987.
I was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base,
N.M., and lived in the small town of
Alamogordo.
Soon after my arrival, I began to attend
Christ Community Church, a nondenomina
tional congregation popular with many service
members there. It was not long before I met
Ross and Janet. They were one of the most
striking couples I had ever seen.
Ross — an A-10 Warthog pilot, AT-38
Talon instructor. Air Force Academy grad, avid
skier and outdoorsman lived with his hair on
fire and was usually found near the center of
the storm at any party. Janet was a true
Southern beauty, a runner-up in the Miss
Mississippi pageant, but what 1 remember
besides her appearance was her angelic singing
voice.
Ross was indeed a blessed man: He flew
fighters and had married the beauty queen.
They seemed to have it all and loved sharing
the blessings of life with their friends.
On April 22, 1987, Ross got up for work
and kissed Janet goodbye. He and a co-instruc¬
tor had an early morning mission to train a
young second lieutenant in the fine art of air
combat maneuvering. The two aircraft took off
and headed for a piece of airspace known as
Talon just to the north of Artesia.
The training mission unfolded as planned.
The two aircraft engaged twice, and there was
enough fuel for a third engagement. The air¬
craft returned to the outer boundaries of the air¬
space, and each pilot directed his aircraft at
high speed toward the other until they met in
simulated combat.
Then the aircraft collided.
The solo student pilot ejected safely. Ross
and his co-pilot were killed immediately.
I worked in the Wing Plans Division on the
west side of the base. My vice commander was
a former F-4D (a way cool airplane) turned F-
15 driver named Col. Joe Lee Burns. He direct¬
ed me to meet him in the command post. There
had been a midair collision, and we needed to
begin a recovery effort.
When I arrived, he was working the phones.
Julianne
Boling f:
COLUMNIST K A
tell you which child, at a very
young age, had or did not
have, the personality to be a
stage performer later in life. 1
can pick out the talented
singers, the class clowns and
the students who are serious
about learning.
If you have watched young
children as many years as I
have on programs of all kinds,
you could easily pick out
those with various talents.
Some children are animated
and self-confident and will
sing and speak with gusto.
Others will stand up straight,
ignore the others who are
singing, cross their arms on
their chest and refuse to utter
one sound. The last ones
become the quiet class of chil 1
dren every teacher wishes for
year after yetf£
1 asked if he had any names. Burns slid a piece
of paper over in front of me, and there was
Ross’ name under the heading “deceased.”
Time slowed to a crawl as 1 sat down.
Perhaps it was a mistake, I thought. But it
was not.
Burns asked if I knew Ross, Yes, I said, he
is a friend.
We boarded a helicopter and flew out to the
crash site to secure, identify and return their
bodies to the base.
1 went to Ross and Jan’s home that night. A
vigil of friends had gathered. 1 remember how
Jan seemed to fall into my arms. I thought
maybe 1 could comfort her, maybe say some¬
thing that would ease her suffering. But there
were no words.
1 felt helpless. I was helpless. All I could do
was be there.
In that moment, that is all any of us can do.
Be there. Be present.
The memorial and funeral were a blur. Ross
is buried at his beloved Air Force Academy —
a wish that he had shared with Jan.
Eventually, Jan moved away and went back
to school to rebuild her life. We lost touch, but
the memories live on.
In 1996,1 returned to the academy for a
seminar. I went to visit Ross’ grave. I recall
seeing his name, and 1 finally released the tears
that I was too numb to shed at the funeral nine
years before.
Later, on a cold morning in December
2000,1 officiated at a funeral for another mili¬
tary brother in the same cemetery. I visited
Ross that day, too. A little older and with much
more mileage to show, I remembered my friend
Ross and how he lived life; wide open, getting
everything out of every breath and heartbeat,
wasting nothing.
I still miss my friend. I wish he were here to
meet my wife, Lara Lee, and kids. I envision
him telling Lara Lee of some of my less-than
heroic moments, playing with my son and teas¬
ing my daughters about boys. He lives on in
my heart and the memories I keep 20 years
later.
I know that I do not share these thoughts
alone. Every veteran I have come to know has
been touched in like manner by the friends they
were honored to serve with in service to our
great nation.
In most cases, 1 can predict
which young people will or
will not stand firm in their
principles. As I have watched
teens go along with the crowd
and those who stand out in the
crowd, I can predict with
accuracy which ones do not
have to prove themselves to
their peers or anyone else. I
have noticed young people
who lead the way for others
and those who will follow
anyone, and 1 can tell you
which ones will be the “doers”
in our world and those who
will do just enough to get by.
1 don’t have psychic pow¬
ers of observation and Montel
will surely not ask me to
replace Sylvia. Watching and
listening to children makes for
a good track record on predic¬
tions for both parents and
teachers. Therefore, we could
class ourselves as facilitators
and listeners, psychic or not.
Cumming resident Julianne
Boling's column appears each
Sunday. V
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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS - Sunday, May 25,2008
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Chaplain Michael S. Hogg
We hold these memories and friends as
sacred, for they are part of who we are to this
very day.
Michael S. Hogg is assigned as command
chaplain Jo Naval Air Station Fort Worth. He
and his family live in Keller, Texas.
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