Service to the community and giving back have been very important to me for a major part of my life. Recently I have been thinking more about a long time friend that I lost 18 years ago in a plane crash that exemplified those ideals.
I met Dave in 1988 and became fast friends, then coworkers, business associates in our own ventures and partners in some. Dave may have been the most giving person that I have ever met. He worked endlessly to help others through his efforts with the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and the Little Eagles Program through the Experimental Aircraft Association. (EAA) Additionally there was never anyone in need that he encountered that he did not find a way to help. Dave served in the 82nd Airborne during the Vietnam Conflict and was awarded both the Purple Heart and Silver Star. He rarely spoke of the war or his awards instead choosing to help others.
Dave died doing one of his favorite things, flying. He had devoted countless hours to this skill including taking children on flights with the Little Eagle Program in an attempt to get them interested in aviation. I flew with him many times and some of my daughter's fondest moments were on flights with Dave and spending time with other kids at the Little Eagles events. On the fateful day Dave and his longtime girlfriend were flying when it appears that he had engine failure. Witness accounts (link to an article from the LA Times https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-sep-30-me-pilot30-story.html) note that it looked like he was attempting to land on Interstate 15 but decided not to at the last minute as there was traffic on the road. He subsequently went nose first into the roadside terrain and perished.
Dave was a hero in Vietnam and was a blessing to everyone that he met. His death was another example of his heroism, choosing the safety of others before his own. I miss our friendship, our regular visits and his keen sense of humor but I have been impacted greatly by what I learned from Dave.
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) says "As each has revived a gift, use it to serve one another." Dave lived his entire life that way.
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