“Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is one of the federal holidays in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.” - Wikipedia
Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to mentor several young men and women. As is the story of life, they grow older and begin careers of their own, marry and raise children of their own, and we often lose touch with them.
But there are some I can never forget. Never. Young men that I believe any of us adults would have been extremely proud to call “Son.”
I moved into an apartment in Minneapolis in 1960 and found myself just a few blocks away from Northeast Neighborhood House. I quickly learned a group of modelers met there every Monday night and joined David “Monoline Pete” Kruse and Lee Lausche in mentoring a group of young men building hand launch gliders, 1/2-A models, .19-powered trainers and larger, more complex models.
The three of us quickly became the best of friends, and the young people we worked with were a terrific group. Jim Ehlen and his brother Dave had great, supportive parents and were among the stars. Jim has been quite successful in Open Combat at the Nats in recent years; he placed 2nd in Senior Combat some years ago.
Jim Homa was another young man who really stood out, and who - again - had great, supportive parents. One evening they invited the entire club to their house for a fantastic barbecue; we finished the evening off by flying combat in a nearby vacant lot. Homa didn’t stay young, of course, and enlisted in the Army. I really didn’t expect to see him again, but answering a knock on my front door at Christmas time several months later found Jim insisting I meet his fiancé.
And all too soon thereafter I received a phone call from Jim’s parents: he’d been killed in an accident in Germany, and they said he would want me to have his airplane stuff.
Some years later the Hobby Industry Association announced contests in Minneapolis as well as other cities for young modelers with special events, including Hand Launch Glider and 1/2-A Beauty and Speed Events. One of my then wife’s co-workers stated that her nephew would be coming from Northern Minnesota to compete in the contest; would I help him that day?
I suggested a better alternative: the nephew - Jim Henry - could come and stay with us for about 10 days prior to the contest. One room in our duplex was a dedicated workshop; I had lots of materials and supplies as well as engines and everything needed to fly. And we had a great time! My sons were young at the time but really enjoyed Jim as an “older brother”.
I gave Jim a plan and materials for a very successful hand launch glider, drew a modified profile fuselage for his Top Flite Mustang to accept a beam-mounted Tee Dee .049, and watched as he eagerly completed his projects very nicely. He was a roaring success in the contest, easily winning the 1/2-A events with his Mustang as well as winning the glider event and taking home a large collection of merchandise certificates.
Jim’s family then invited my family and a couple of my flying buddies to their cabin in Northern Minnesota for a weekend the next couple of years, where we fished from a pontoon, water skied, ate like kings, and flew combat matches in an adjoining vacant lot.
Jim was living his dream when he joined the Air Force but was killed on a training flight - probably in a T-39A Sabreliner. I was told that a student was at the controls descending for a landing and was told to hit the power and go around but delayed, thereby causing the aircraft to overshoot the runway or to stall. All aboard were killed.
Those two outstanding young men were incredibly polite, respectful, positive and family-oriented and their deaths were devastating.
My youngest son currently serves as a Marine, and I receive a daily newsletter covering our Military. And I’m often reminded that far too many young men and women give their lives in service - not taking a hill in Korea or clearing insurgents from the city of Fallujah, but training and standing ready to keep the wolves of the world at bay.
They all have my deep respect and gratitude.
Dennis
Topic: Memorial Day and Two Young Men Named Jim (Read 1128 times)