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Schofield services They called the roll at Schofield Barracks this morning.
honor casualties
of helicopter crash
Six soldiers killed earlier this week
are paid tribute at two memorial
rites today at the Army postProfiles of those killed
By Mary Adamski
and Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-BulletinOne by one, members of the 2nd Battalion of the 25th Aviation Regiment stood and answered "here" when their names were called in Schofield's main chapel.
But when the names of the four Army aviators who died in a Monday helicopter crash were called, there was no answer.
Their names -- Chief Warrant Officer Greg Montgomery, Sgt. Thomas Barber, Spc. Bob MacDonald and Chief Warrant Officer George Perry -- were called a second, then a third time.
Although the crowd numbered more than 2,000, the silence was complete.
The roll was to be repeated a second time, in a memorial service later in the day for Maj. Robert Olson and Spc. Rafael Olvera-Rodriguez, members of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment.
Flags flew at half staff at the Wahiawa Army post, as they have throughout the state since two Black Hawk helicopters crashed Monday night at the remote Kahuku Military Training Area near Sunset Beach, killing the six men.
The accident was the 25th Infantry Division's worst-ever training accident.
The two memorial services were attended by families of the victims and by many of the servicemen who had participated in the fatal field operation.
Also in attendance were Lt. Gen. E.P. Smith -- commander of all Army troops in the Pacific -- other top military leaders and U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink.Mourners filled the main chapel and overflowed from a second chapel, where the services were carried on a large-screen television. More than 300 people stood outside, circling the buildings.
Despite the presence of cameras, the privacy of the victims' families was respected. The families later left quietly.
At the front of the main chapel, the gear of the fallen men was displayed in a traditional Army tribute. At the 9 a.m. service for Montgomery, Barber, MacDonald and Perry, four M16 rifles were pointed bayonet down in front of the altar, symbolizing that they will never again be used by the soldiers who carried them.
Flight helmets and highly polished boots of the victims also were displayed. The personal items were to be given to the families after the service, but the weapons and headgear will remain with the Army.
Giving the eulogy in the first service was Chaplain Ronald Owens, who talked about the pain of being hurt.
"Later, you can remember the event but it no longer hurts," he said. "And that is the way your wounded hearts will heal. Let us comfort one another gently, kindly. Let us speak words of compassion to one another."
'Wind Beneath My Wings'
Among the speakers remembering the victims, the irony in Perry, a St. Louis School graduate, being a safety officer was noted.Chief Warrant Officer Dave Guarino said having Perry as a safety officer was "like having a guardian angel at your side. He would not rely on luck to keep his soldiers safe."
The uniformed audience of soldiers effectively suppressed their tears until the chorus sang "Wind Beneath My Wings." At that point, chins sank deep into chests. The song is significant to the aviators, who are the wings of the Tropic Lightning Division. The crowd then sang the hymn "Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past." The service ended with a 15-gun salute and taps.
After taps was played, a lone bagpiper played "Amazing Grace." Lt. Col. Paul Disney, commander of the 2nd Battalion's aviation unit, offered a tribute, followed by a scriptural reading of Psalm 23, "The Lord Is My Shepard."
Chaplain Greg Estes was to preside over the 11:30 a.m. service, while Lt. Col. Wayne Detwiler, 2nd Battalion commander of the artillery unit, was to lead the tributes.
Of the 17 men involved in the accident, three Tropic Lightning soldiers remain hospitalized at Tripler Army Medical Center in stable condition.
Spc. Benjamin Brown, a mortarman assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, was released yesterday.
Five officials from the U.S. Army Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., have been studying flight plans, individual flight records, weather forecasts and the crash site. In addition to the safety investigation, Maj. Barry Stephens, a member of Schofield's judge advocate general staff, said a separate inquiry is being conducted.
Crash cause still unclear
Maj. Gen. James Dubik, 25th Infantry Division commander, is expected to get an initial accident report in three weeks.At a Pentagon news briefing yesterday, Rear Adm. Craig Quigley said it is still unclear how the two helicopters came into contact with each other.
A Black Hawk with a Humvee slung under it apparently came into contact with a second helicopter, which dangled a cargo net carrying crates weighted to simulate ammunition loads.
The six soldiers killed were in the first helicopter, which crashed into a gulch. The cargo-bearing Black Hawk with 11 soldiers on board made a "hard landing" on its belly on a dirt road and remained upright.
A soldier said he believes the Humvee may have hit the rotor blades of his helicopter.
The six men killed in the
collision of two military helicopters
Maj. Robert L. Olson
BATTALION OPERATIONS OFFICER
Age: 35
Chief Warrant Officer 4
George P. Perry
PILOT AND BATTALION SAFETY OFFICER
Chief Warrant Officer 2
George I. Montgomery
PILOT AND SAFETY OFFICER
Sgt. Thomas E. Barber
BLACK HAWK CREW MEMBER
Spec. Bob D. MacDonald
BLACK HAWK CREW MEMBER
Spec. Rafael Olvera-Rodriguez
OPERATIONS OFFICER'S DRIVER
AND ARTILLERY CREWMAN