Tom Hamilton
01-21-2006, 9:23 PM
and a friend.
Wednesday night Navy Lt Commander Frank Wittwer's F18 crashed in the desert near El Centro, CA. Frank was based at Lemoore NAS, near Hanford, where we met him.
Frank, 35, leaves his wife Mendi and three children, Abby 6, Erin 4, and Jack 6 months.
Frank was an enlisted man in the Navy, selected for the Academy from the ranks, and became a Naval Aviator. He was on track for command and really wanted to be the Naval Attache to the White House in a future assignment. And he would have been.
We met Frank in Hanford, CA, where he was elected an Elder in the church where son-in-law served as Pastor, First Presbyterian, Hanford.
Frank loved his Lord, his country and his family. He and James, my SIL became friends and then soul mates. After we all moved to Houston, he and James talked almost daily. They vacationed together whenever possible, often meeting in New Mexico, kinda half way between Houston and Hanford.
Frank graduated from "Top Gun" school, and was the antithesis of the movie version. Frank was modest, sober, faithful and wise. Fun to be with, great with children and deep in his faith. He completed his MBA in 05, just as his son was born.
Frank flew the opening night of the Iraq war off the Constellation, lost radio contact and by the grace of God and his skill, dropped his bombs, did not run into another plane, found his way back to the ship safely. When he returned from his Iraq tour we all thought he was safe.
Magan, our daughter, and James are in Hanford ministering to Mendi, in their grief.
So why am I sharing this?
Because we are so fortunate to have people like Frank defending our country and raising the next generation of Americans.
And I wanted you all to know Frank so you too could appreciate him and his fellow warriors.
So, here's to Frank Wittwer and his fellow warriors.
All the best in 06, Tom, wiping the tears off the keyboard so this will get posted.
Wednesday night Navy Lt Commander Frank Wittwer's F18 crashed in the desert near El Centro, CA. Frank was based at Lemoore NAS, near Hanford, where we met him.
Frank, 35, leaves his wife Mendi and three children, Abby 6, Erin 4, and Jack 6 months.
Frank was an enlisted man in the Navy, selected for the Academy from the ranks, and became a Naval Aviator. He was on track for command and really wanted to be the Naval Attache to the White House in a future assignment. And he would have been.
We met Frank in Hanford, CA, where he was elected an Elder in the church where son-in-law served as Pastor, First Presbyterian, Hanford.
Frank loved his Lord, his country and his family. He and James, my SIL became friends and then soul mates. After we all moved to Houston, he and James talked almost daily. They vacationed together whenever possible, often meeting in New Mexico, kinda half way between Houston and Hanford.
Frank graduated from "Top Gun" school, and was the antithesis of the movie version. Frank was modest, sober, faithful and wise. Fun to be with, great with children and deep in his faith. He completed his MBA in 05, just as his son was born.
Frank flew the opening night of the Iraq war off the Constellation, lost radio contact and by the grace of God and his skill, dropped his bombs, did not run into another plane, found his way back to the ship safely. When he returned from his Iraq tour we all thought he was safe.
Magan, our daughter, and James are in Hanford ministering to Mendi, in their grief.
So why am I sharing this?
Because we are so fortunate to have people like Frank defending our country and raising the next generation of Americans.
And I wanted you all to know Frank so you too could appreciate him and his fellow warriors.
So, here's to Frank Wittwer and his fellow warriors.
All the best in 06, Tom, wiping the tears off the keyboard so this will get posted.