I mentioned last night the passing of a friend.... today we did the burial,
folded and presented the flag on behalf of a greatful nation.... Let me
tell you about one of my personal hero's on this Veterans day....
Jim Teague was a simple fello... with a High School education who joined the
Army to stay out of Jail... his story... but in all honesty he did it
because he truly loved this country... He went through the enlisted ranks
and served as a drill sargent and enlisted man in Vietnam... Decided these
dang officers were making all the money and went to OCS and then on to
Flight School..... again Vietnam was in his future.... He flew OH-6's and
worked as a scout for his first two months in country..... while on one of
these scouting missions he was shot down. The aircraft went down in flames
and didn't get any better when the fuel cell caught fire.... Jim's version
of the next series of thoughts was comical.... he said he had resigned
himself to death when his seat belt wouldn't come open..... when it popped
open he had a New found lease on life and Scurried out of the burning
aircraft to be amoung his Bestest new freinds the North Vietnamese..... he
luckly escaped capture when the Gun ships covering him came in and snatched
him up.... Burned over 27% of his body ( mostly his back) Jim was offered
a 70 percent disability.... but declined and remained on active duty as a
captain until the Army had more folks then they needed.... and they offered
him the opportunity to stay as a Warrant officer..... and Instructor
pilot.....
As I left Flight School Jim was my first instructor.... he bitched about
everything... whinned and cried about the lack of quality anything and
generally was a Pain in any new guys but.... he expected us to be the
BEST.... not a little bit ... but the BEST..... Never average... Basically
he beat us up to follow him in what he thought was important and what wasn't
important.... He was a true leader of men.... I was glad to follow as here
was a guy who lead by example...
He retired and went back to work for the Army directing Ammunition and
Gunnery Training at an Army level.... He was in fact one of the few folks
who really knew what it took to train men to work with the equipment of
today....
He will be sorely missed....
Keith Turk CW4 ret.
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