29 Oct 2004 Major Edgar Lee Hawkins was born in Deaf County, Texas. His family moved to Lamesa, Texas where he attended schools. He was commissioned a 2LT upon graduation from college. He flew the F-105 Thunderchief. He was lost on September 20, 1965 as a captain flying a mission in North Vietnam. His body was not recovered. He was posthumously promoted to Major. He is remembered by the Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Midland, Texas. May his memory not be forgotten. From a PBVVM representative, Billy M. Brown 4015 Melody Lane, Odessa, Texas 79762 bmbrown@grandecom.net

 

1 Feb 2005 I saw the paper in Lamesa that day saying Edgar Lee Hawkins was missing in action. That was a sad day. He was most likely born in Deaf Smith County (around Hereford in the panhandle), not Deaf County, Texas. There's no Deaf County, Tx. We played alternate ends on the high school football team. He was a naturally gifted athlete, basketball, also ran track. He was quiet, very capable and very intelligent and a good man. They lived out at Key toward Gail, Borden County, and came into school in Lamesa. It was like, if he was around, things got calm. He had what I guess is called 'presence' nowadays. He didn't impose it; he wore it as a mantle with his quietness. I kept thinking he'd show up, even dreamed he did once. I always felt we were friends; I was one of those who got to know him. God bless him. Yours very truly Burley L. 'Moose' Morris blmorris@swbell.net

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron's third deployment to Southeast Asia begain with its arrival at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, on 16 August 1965. The 67th's first month of operations wasn't reassuring - eight aircraft downed in North Vietnam, two pilots rescued, six missing in action. Four of the six had been captured and were repatriated in early 1973 after seven years of captivity; two simply disappeared. 28 Aug: F-105F 63-8282, Capt Wesley D. Schierman, (POW) 29 Aug: F-105D 61-0193, Maj Ronald E. Byrne, (POW) 31 Aug: F-105D 61-0185, Maj W. H. Bollinger, (rescued) 06 Sep: F-105D 62-4337, Capt J. T. Clark, (rescued) 16 Sep: F-105D 61-0217, Lt Col James R. Risner, (POW) 16 Sep: F-105D 61-0189, Maj Raymond J. Merritt, (POW) 17 Sep: F-105D 62-4247, 1st Lt Dean A. Klenda, (MIA/KIA) 20 Sep: F-105D 62-4238, Capt Edgar L. Hawkins, (MIA/KIA) 1st Lt Klenda had been hit by AAA fire while attacking a barracks complex some 70 miles west of Hanoi; there was no evidence that he ejected from his aircraft before ground impact. Captain Hawkins went down on his first run against a bridge just inside North Vietnam; again, there was no apparent ejection before ground impact. Both Klenda and Hawkins were carried as Missing in Action, promoted while in that status, and eventually declared to have died in the incidents. Their remains have not been repatriated.

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