Posted by Steve Callan on February 25, 2009:

21 years have gone by and I think about this tragedy quite often. I didn't personally know Wayne or his classmates who perished with him, but I knew people who knew them (having been FA before going into AV). I was flying a local area orientation flight in an Apache, and we were at north Fort Hood/Gatesville when Hood Flight Following radioed and asked if we had enough fuel to head north to check on a missing aircraft. We said sure, and went warp 9 to the north. A bit later, we were called off as the Chinook had re-appeared on radar and made contact, which fits with the take-off after the precautionary landing the Chinook crew made. After we landed, I heard about the crash. We weren't that far away when we were called off, and I've always had a feeling of regret for not being able to help, not that much could have been done, but it could have made a difference had we been directed to keep going. The memorial service held at Fort Hood was a touching ceremony. The chaplain said something along the lines of that you have to take heart in that everyone was doing something they wanted to do. Hopefully, that has brought some peace to the families and friends left behind. Be thou at peace.

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