 Memorial fund created for families
Services tomorrow for George Perry
By Bev Creamer
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hundreds of hushed Army service members and their families, some in tears, jammed the chapel at Schofield Barracks this morning for two separate memorial services for the six men who died in a helicopter accident five days ago during a massive Kahuku training exercise.
As the second service began just before noon, the stark altar held the spit-shined boots, the dog tags, the M16 rifles with bayonets symbolically lowered and the helmets of the two lost artillery men, Maj. Robert Olson and Sgt. Rafael Olvera Rodriguez.
The men were eulogized by LtC. Wayne L. Detwieler, Jr., as “truly amazing men” with qualities of leadership, loyalty and love of family and God.
“They made the world a better place to live,” Detwieler told the throng of a thousand crowding the chapel and adjacent hall and filling the front lawn.
Turning to two grieving widows, he said: “Your husbands live on in every soldier.”
Three hours earlier, a 9 a.m. memorial service paid tribute to the four aviators who died in the same accident: CW2 Gregory I. Montgomery, Staff Sgt. Thomas E. Barber, Sgt. Bob D. MacDonald and Hawaii’s own CW4 George P. Perry.
Both services concluded with three volleys of shots fired from seven rifles and the poignant last roll call.
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