01 Oct 2006 I was Connie's Crew Chief on T-28D 53-8375 that morning when he lifted from the runway at Soc Trang and flew into Eternity. He was hit by Viet Cong ground fire while on a strafing pass, his VNAF backseater was also killed in the crash. Two weeks before on a similar mission in the same area his backseat VNAF was hit by ground fire through the canopy. Connie was injured by flying plexiglass. He managed to return to Soc Trang and his VNAF backseater survived. Connie and I, being fellow Texans "Surrounded by Yankees" as he put it, had a special bond. I was only 19 and he a worldly 29. He even wrote my Mother a letter reassuring her that I would be OK. In the process of strapping him into the cockpit that morning, I touched him for the last time. He was my friend and I will honor his memory all the days of my life. Should you pass that way you will find him at the Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas, Texas, Section 54, Lot 8, Space 8. From a friend and fellow Air Commando, Dennis Wayne Lewis dwlvnv@aol.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall According to the Air Force's Vietnam casualty file, Captain Terry was assigned to the 1st Air Commando Squadron on temporary duty from the 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The photos, while provided by Mr. Lewis, are courtesy of the Texas A&M University Class of 1956.

Contact Us

© Copyright 1997-2019 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd ®(TM)

Last update 08/15/2019.