|   home
The Crew Chiefs 1   |   The Crew Chiefs 2   |   The Crew Chiefs 3   |   The Crew Chiefs 4   |   Crewchief 5   |   The Crew Chiefs 6   |   The Crew Chiefs 7   |   The Crew Chiefs 8
The Crew Chiefs 2
Back To The Crew Chiefs


 John "Jay" Wade






 Jim Long





 Danny Driscoll





 Ron Leonard Left, Robert Bell Right
      Ron Leonard and Robert Bell being presented DFC by Major Rice





 Gonzolo "Pancho" Salazar


 Short Round Loading Flares

 Todd Frye Left- Jack Cooley Right
Note: John "Jack Cooley" died August 17 2004 in a helicopter crash near spokane while doing what he  loved best. flying.

This is a note from Todd Frye:

Oh no, oh no…please not Jack. I spoke with him a few years ago, and it hurt a bit because he didn’t remember me.
 Jack was a good guy. One of the few I had searched for since getting out, just to say thanks for bringing me back
 alive, time after time. Jack Cooley (although he now goes by John. I think “Jack” is appropriate considering how
much he invested in Jack Daniels) has a few notable entries in my memoirs. At the top of the list, his insistence,
after a hairy mission, to join him at the Officers Club. He was already pretty hammered when he came to the crew
chief hooch and ordered us to accompany him to get a drink at the O Club. Well we made it through the front door
but that was about it. A Major said he didn’t recognize us and Jack stepped up to say we were with him. It just went
 down hill from there. It took three of us to pull Jack off this hysterical Major (probably from HQ) and drag him back
to his hooch. When we got to Jacks place, Mr. Banner (I think) had a Donut Dolly on his lap and to say the least, it
was real awkward. We invited Jack to finish off the night in the crew chief hooch, but Jack had just been kicked out
 of the O Club, and he wasn’t about to get kicked out of his own place. There was the obligatory yelling and pushing
 and somewhere in there, Jacks knees just gave out. With one of us on each arm and each leg, we dragged him out
the door, figuring we could hide our good friend in our hooch until we were all cooled off a bit. In trying to get across
one of the drainage ditches, the two guys holding Jacks arms jumped over the dip, without coordinating this maneuver
 with the guys holding his legs. We lost Jack mid leap, and he ended up head first in the ditch. Talk about your bad day.
 And of course, all this commotion is happening right outside the Commanding Officers quarters, who has been rousted
 from his sleep by the loud cursing and panicked conversations on how to get Jack out of there, pronto. Luckily, it was
 real dark, and someone had the good sense to tell the C.O. one of our “friends” had too much to drink, and we were just
 trying to get him to bed. The Old Man muttered a few indirect comments as he walked away, not bothering to identify
 our precious cargo. When Jack woke up the next morning, he grumbled about a terrible hang over, and shuffled off
to take a shower. I will miss Jack dearly. When Jack and Bo were flying 440, the “Be-Bop” (as Captain Reynolds used
 to call it) was always cranked up loud on the headsets. I met many fine people on my tour, and Jack was one of the
best. He will always fill an important part of my life. Although he would prefer that I not salute him, please know Jack,
 that I offer it from the heart, as a token of respect and admiration for a fallen brother. My condolences to the Family,
who I’m sure miss him greatly.

Todd Frye

We are both on the Diamondhead Crew Chief page leaning. against 440 somewhere in the boonies.