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Last Updated  May 21, 2006

Past In Memoriam

K.F. Herrington, Jr. (Hank), was delighted to attend the squadron reunion last May at Pensacola with his friend and former squadron buddy, "Rock" Trout. Capt. USN (ret). Perhaps you may have been at the reunion also? He had a great time, and we are glad that he was able to attend. Being a Navy fighter pilot was his life, he was always ready for one more mission and lived like there was no tomorrow.  

My father was a warrior in the purest sense and always expressed to me, his oldest son, a request to be properly interred in a warrior method when he was to meet his maker. On 4 August, Hank Herrington turned 80 years old. I called him on that day to congratulate him on being a survivor again as he was continually surprised that given his lifestyle, that he made it past age 40.

Last night in a skilled nursing facility in Farmington, MO, while recovering from a fall and recent hip replacement surgery, he breathed his last gasp, respirated and died. He was no longer the invincible warrior that he was trained to be, but believed that he still was. He was admired and respected by all, to include the attending medical personnel who were impressed by his southern manners and his ability to handle the intense pain that he must have experienced during the last several days...

Respectfully,

Ken Herrington
Col USMCR (ret)

Toll Free (800) 320-2765

Submitted September 12, 2004 via Judy Porter

Neese Hicks, died August 9, 2004 in Concord, California.  Neese was with CAT/AAM from 1947 until Dec of 1968.  He also flew at Dien Bien Phu during the seige. Please honor his memory and remember him in your prayers.  His spirit is still with you.  Like the brave eagle he is, his soul flies high into the bright light.  With most respectful regards, in his memory.

He was both a military and civilian pilot who flew perilous cargo missions in combat theaters in six wars and conflicts: World War II, the Nationalist China conflict against the Communists, the C. I. A. troop drops in Tibet, the Korean War, the Laos Conflict, and the Vietnam War, at Dien Bien Phu. He flew for the Army Air Corps, Air America, Civil Air Transport, Southern Air Transport, and later in peace time for Japan Air Lines. His aviation career endured for nearly 28 years.

Captain Hicks was born in High Point, North Carolina, on February 1^st, 1922. He entered military service in 1941 and served first as an armorer. He then enlisted in the Army Air Corps and began his military aviation career by ferrying airplanes between bases within the United States. Later he began his cargo combat missions by joining Air America and flying the "Hump," the Himalayas Mountains, between India and China.

After World War II he volunteered for cargo missions supplying the Nationalist Chinese armed forces in their struggle against the Communists. In Shanghai, China, he met Marie J. Da Costa in 1946. They married in 1949 and moved to High Point, North Carolina, where he attended High Point College as a pre-medical student for two years. In High Point his first two sons, David and Gary, were born.

In 1953 he became a pilot for Air America and moved his family to Tokyo, Japan, and was based for his flights at Tachikawa U. S. Air Base. He flew first for Air America, then Civil Air Transport and Southern Air Transport. In 1968 he became a pilot for Japan Air Lines, flying passengers between the Japanese islands, Taiwan, Okinawa and Korea.

In Tokyo his other two sons, Bryan and Lester, were born.

In 1971 he returned to the U. S. A. to live in Ashland, Oregon, and bought a hardware store in Medford, which he operated from 1972 to 1977. He also bought and lived on a small ranch where he raised beef cattle. He returned to aviation for two years in 1981-1982 as a pilot for a charter line, flying small single and twin-engine craft. He also worked as a realtor in Ashland for several years. In 1998 he retired to Pittsburg, California.

All during his life Captain Hicks expressed a love for the natural beauty and wildlife of America. He loved to travel to the great wilderness areas and national parks such as Yosemite, the Redwoods, Rocky Mountains National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He imparted this intense love of nature to all his sons.

One of his favorite hobbies was painting. He did several oils of landscapes, still lifes, his infant son, and wildlife. His last oil, done just a few months ago, was of an eagle flying over a mountain lake.

Captain Hicks had risen beyond humble beginnings and a country life as a self-educated, learned man, informed in science and nature’s wonders.

He was the loving and beloved husband of Marie and father to sons David, Gary, Bryan and Lester. His wife and children all survive him.

Captain Hicks was a courageous man who risked his life in his duty to his country’s request to engage in the struggle for freedom overseas in six wars. Now his spirit, like the brave eagle that he is, soars high into the bright eternal light.

Submitted by David Hicks August 10, 2004

Cora Taus, died the 3rd of August 2004, at the age of 49 from cancer, in Studio City, California.  She was the wife of former Air America pilot Tom Taus, and is survived by her husband Tom, daughter Antoinette, and son Tom Jr.

Submitted by: Joe Hrezo August 8, 2004