Born: Monroe, Louisiana, 1943
Served in Vietnam, U.S. Navy
Patrol Squadron 17
Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base
Low-Level Reconnaissance Pilot, 1967-68

From the artist:

My squadron made it through the war unscathed, but one of our sister squadrons lost two crews of twelve men each within one month at night over the water from missile fire. Only small bits of debris were ever found. I've often wondered if they were conscious during their fall into the sea. Were they reaching for the water to soothe their burning bodies? No one knows if they had parachutes on, but I always saw them with chutes streaming behind them, changing into futile wings that could not support or save them, We the survivors have as our highest obligation the remembrance of our colleagues.