[DeTomaso] Veterns Day

[L GRAY]

That about says it all Larry...... 

Leslie A. Gray

> On Nov 11, 2014, at 11:37 AM, "Christopher Kimball" <chrisvkimball at msn.com> wrote:
> 
>   Great email!
>   Thanks,
>   Chris
>   From: Larry at ohiotimecorp.com
>   To: DeTomaso at poca.com
>   Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 11:38:09 -0500
>   Subject: [DeTomaso] Veterns Day
> Today I would like to do a different Veterans salute, then my normal.
> 
> It's still the eleventh month, eleventh day and eleventh hour of Armistice
> Day.
> 
> Today on this day I would like you all to remember and think about one of
> our Pantera Brothers we lost this year. Chuck Adkinson from Columbus, Ohio.
> Chuck and I became good friends from this list. It must be around 15 years
> or so. He took on a rust bucket Pantera, like me, and did 90% of all the
> work himself. Kirk and I would lend a hand and advice when needed but Chuck
> did it. He did it all from teaching himself to weld, stripping every nut and
> bolt off of it, to working on cars in general. He was always a bike guy. He
> did some flat track racing in his younger years. Must have had 4 or 5 bikes
> the last time I was down there.
> 
> Chuck served our country in Vet Nam, 9th Cavalry, enlisted December 14,
> 1967, flying Hueys then later Cobras. He continued his service after the war
> in the Ohio Army National Guard. The first time I went to his old house I
> past a VFW hall with a Huey on it roof. I asked him how did they get it up
> on the roof, "Simple I just landed it there". His love of flying was strong
> as he became a corporate jet pilot for the local utility. We would often
> talk/email back and forth when he was stuck in some airport in no man land
> USA. After his 59th birthday, (I think they retire you from flying at 60 in
> the service) he got called in service once again, going to Iraq. Even though
> flying helicopters for 40 some years the Army liked his corporate jet
> experience. They place him into a small business type turbo-jet plane, to
> ferry people and supplies to needed locations. I asked him what type of
> armament the plane had. "Flairs". Should his systems show that he is being
> tracked by radar he would deploy flairs to trick any missiles that may be on
> there way. I asked him how he likes shooting off flairs compared to rockets.
> "Oh, its fine till you run out of flairs".
> 
> A few years ago he retired from work, sold his beautiful home, shop and
> Pantera 2113 (something he regretted) to move to Tennessee on a small farm.
> He and his wife Sue have a love of animals and needed more then 5 acres. His
> plan was to build a new shop and make his dream car, '32 Ford, 5 window hot
> rod. He had a poster of the American Graffiti car on the wall. Chuck likes
> to work on a project maybe more then finishing. Journey and destination
> thing.
> 
> Unfortunately the plans of man do not outweigh the plans of God. Chuck was
> diagnosed with brain cancer one week after selling everything. He fought a
> battle like never before against an enemy like never before. After two years
> he lost that battle this summer at age 66. He was berried in Arlington
> National Cemetery this fall.
> 
> Reading many of his emails today over many years, the 9/11 email talked
> about enemies know and unknown. Truer then we can understand.
> 
> I am living with the regrets that all friends do, should have stopped down
> more often, should have made it to the motorcycle hill climb we talked about
> every year, should have, should have, should have. Please learn form my
> mistakes.
> 
> He would tell me "I was shot up, but never shot down". How true that was in
> so many ways.
> 
> So today please remember the people that serve your country, no mater where
> it is, and think well of our friend Chuck (Apache 34). God Bless you my
> friend.
> 
> 
> Larry (Cleveland) Homolak
> 
> 
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