Tom Hawking, Class of 1960, died in Vietnam. I have seen his name on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. & on the Marine Memorial in Jacksonville NC .
Tom and I lived just down the street from each other in the San Juan housing Tract in North Fullerton. Not a half mile from Loma Vista Memorial Park, where he is buried along with his parents. I have a lot of good memories of Tom. A very special friend and neighbor. Though still neighbors, we pretty much lost contact with each other after my graduation in 1959. A few years later my life changed and I enlisted in the Air Force. I heard Tom had been killed during the Vietnam War but trying to find the particulars was a chore.
1LT Thomas H. Hawking was a Marine Corp Pilot, flying an A4E Skyhawk in Vietnam. On September 16, 1966 while on a bombing mission 175 miles south of Chu Lai, Vietnam, Tom was pulling out of a bombing run when his Douglas A4E Skyhawk clipped some trees and he was forced to eject. He parachuted safely and awaited pick up by an Army HU-1E helicopter. Upon arrival, a rope was lowered and Tom tied off for evacuation. The helicopter had ascended several hundred feet when Tom, for what ever reason, fell to his death.
The Marine Corp awarded 1LT Thomas H. Hawking the Purple Heart, the Air Metal, the National Defense Service Metal, the Vietnam Service Metal with a bronze star and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Metal. To me, a true hero. I am proud to have called Tom my friend.
Frank R. Schmidt (1959)
Tom and I lived just down the street from each other in the San Juan housing Tract in North Fullerton. Not a half mile from Loma Vista Memorial Park, where he is buried along with his parents. I have a lot of good memories of Tom. A very special friend and neighbor. Though still neighbors, we pretty much lost contact with each other after my graduation in 1959. A few years later my life changed and I enlisted in the Air Force. I heard Tom had been killed during the Vietnam War but trying to find the particulars was a chore.
1LT Thomas H. Hawking was a Marine Corp Pilot, flying an A4E Skyhawk in Vietnam. On September 16, 1966 while on a bombing mission 175 miles south of Chu Lai, Vietnam, Tom was pulling out of a bombing run when his Douglas A4E Skyhawk clipped some trees and he was forced to eject. He parachuted safely and awaited pick up by an Army HU-1E helicopter. Upon arrival, a rope was lowered and Tom tied off for evacuation. The helicopter had ascended several hundred feet when Tom, for what ever reason, fell to his death.
The Marine Corp awarded 1LT Thomas H. Hawking the Purple Heart, the Air Metal, the National Defense Service Metal, the Vietnam Service Metal with a bronze star and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Metal. To me, a true hero. I am proud to have called Tom my friend.
Submitted by: Frank Schmidt