ng time friend
of the lost airman and his family."He was doing exactly what he wanted to do."
That was the way Major General Carroll Thackston, Adjutant General of the Virginia National Guard, described Air Force Capt. Jason Scott Ramsey during Saturday's memorial service at Halifax County High School.
Noting that Capt. Ramsey was a close friend of his youngest son, Mark,
and that Maj. Gen. Thackston stated that he came to the service not as a
military officer of the Virginia National Guard but as a long time friend
of the lost airman and his family.
And, he praised Capt. Ramsey as a fellow military man.
"Captain Jason Ramsey lived by the serviceman's creed of 'do your duty in all things, you can not do more and you should never wish to do less,'" noted Maj. Gen. Thackston.
"He gave his life for all of us and for future generations so that we all can continue to enjoy the freedoms given to us by our forefathers."
Approximately 600 people including several squadron mates and other military personnel gathered at the service to mourn and pay tribute to the South Boston native who was lost just over a month ago off the coast of Africa.
Capt. Ramsey and eight fellow crewmen were lost when the C-141 aircraft piloted by Capt. Ramsey disappeared September 13 off the African coast after colliding with a German military aircraft.
The aircraft was enroute to Ascension Island, returning from delivering American soldiers and 32,000 pounds of mine clearing equipment to Namibia, Africa.
An exhaustive multi-national search for the plane and its crew was terminate
d
on September 26, two weeks after the plane went down.
Some debris, papers, and the body of woman were all that were found from the German aircraft.
The plane and the crew of Reach 44201 which included Captain Ramsey, Captain Peter C. Vallejo, Captain Gregory M. Cindrich, Staff Sgt. Stacy D. Bryant, Staff Sgt. Robert K. Evans, Staff Sgt. Scott N. Roberts, Staff Sgt. Gary A. Bucknam, Senior Airman Frankie L. Walker, and Airman First Class Justin R. Drager, were assigned to the 13th Airlift Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey.
Lt. Colonel Robert J. Hinger, USAF, the Commander of the 13th Airlift Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base, NJ said that when he first met Capt. Ramsey in January of this year "I could sense his dedication to duty."
"He had a zest for life and a love of the military and a willingness to serve his country. No matter what I asked, he was always there ready to help."
Looking at the family, the squadron commander remarked, "you call Jason son, sweetheart, brother, grandson, and nephew. We call him friend."
And, citing the words of another high ranking officer during a recent memorial service for the nine lost crewmen of Reach 44201, Lt. Col. Hinger read "we consider these men to be true heroes, extraordinary men who braved extraordinary conditions, and died in the line of duty doing righteous and very worthwhile deeds so that others may live."
The hour long service was conducted with full military rites and honors. As the opening hymn "O God Our Help In Ages Past" was sung by the Halifax County High School Camerata Community Singers, members of the 4th Services Honor Guard laid a wreath at the foot of a portrait of the late pilot that was set in the middle of the auditorium stage.
Capt. Dave Mott, one of Capt. Ramsey's classmates and friends from the Air Force Academy, read the citation for the posthumous presentation of
the Air Force's Meritorious Service Medal which was given to Ramsey's parents, Ron and Marie Ramsey.
"Captain Ramsey's aircraft delivered more than 32,000 pounds of equipment to disable thousands of mines in Namibia," Mott read.
"Captain Ramsey's effort to transport this team with life saving equipment will be instrumental in preventing future casualties. Captain Ramsey, with his dedication and service to his country, reflects great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force."
Following the presentation of the medal, the Camerata sang a song entitled 'God Bless Our Native Land,' a song written by local musician Kenneth Cranford.
A footnote written by Cranford stated "This small musical tribute is offered to the glory of God and in the hopes that its message will bring at least some small measure of comfort to the family of Jason Ramsey, that they should know that our hopes and prayers and our love are with them in these dark hours and will remain with them once the sunlight returns."
Capt. Gre
gory N. Clary of the 6th Airlift Squadron at McGuire
Air Force Base, who was a friend of Captain Ramsey, read aloud 'High Flight,'
a piece written by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
Major J. Allen Hughes, USA, Ret., Senior Army Instructor at Halifax County High School, conducted the Roll Call of the crew of Reach 44201. As each name was called, individuals who were friends of the lost airman would rise and reply that the crewman whose name was called "is absent sir."
When Captain Ramsey's name was called, Capt. Clary answered, "Captain Ramsey is absent sir," retrieved a blue flight scarf from under his collar, carefully draped it over the right edge of Captain Ramsey's portrait, saluted the portrait, and returned to his seat.
The 4th Services Honor Guard marched out of the side entrance to the auditorium and, upon command, honored Captain Ramsey with a 21 gun salute. Taps, were then played by a member of the Honor Guard.
Members of the 4th Services Honor Guard then presented an American Flag to the fallen airman's parents and to lost airman's fiancee, Amy Smart.
Afterward the Air Force hymn, 'Lord Guard And Guide The Men Who Fly' was sung and the Benediction given by Father Norman R. Baty, USN, Ret., the acting minister of Trinity Episcopal Church in South Boston.
The service concluded with a moment of silence and a flyover by a C-141 plane which was being flown by airmen from Captain Ramsey's air group.
Tonight one of the leaders of the Centerville anti-annexation movement will ask the Halifax County Board of Supervisors to sit down with South Boston and Halifax town councils and a facilitator to consider an "unincoporated area from Riverdale to the Banister River" with services and one tax bill.
The call to action is also addressed to Halifax and South Boston town councils.
Driven by a list of concerns which includes the area's 12 percent unemployment rate, economic development needs, tobacco's uncertain future, Wal-Mart's impact and governments' territorial aspirations, businessman F.W. "Biggy" Hunt will present the eight-point plan of consideration to supervisors tonight at their 7 o'clock meeting at Mary Bethune Complex.
A meeting of those opposing annexation by South Boston or the Town of Halifax is scheduled Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at 220 Seafood Restaurant in Centerville with "everyone, town and county residents, welcome," said Hunt yesterday.
At the Board meeting tonight Hunt will suggest the "dissolution of town charters so as to have an unincorporated area from Riverdale to the Banister River with service districts, restricted districts and protected districts within this area to keep desired autonomy.
"Innovative stipulations could easily be put on such an agreement to put the State Legislature on notice that our urban population could and would file for a town charter of the total urban area from Riverdale to the Banister River, if the elected governing body does not live up to the agreement. You know the Virginia State Legislature would applaud such an agreement," wrote Hunt.
Weighing the news.....
Brickbats to the Postal Service.
Postmaster General Marvin Runyon said last week that the Postal Service will have another billion dollar profit, the third year in a row.
Now, wouldn't it be nice if the Service could deliver newspapers on time? Subscribers as near as 50 miles away complain that it takes five or more days to receive their newspaper.
Maybe it is time to be thinking about refunds for poor service.
Bouquets to the people of Halifax County.
More than 700 people attended a memorial service for Air Force Captain Jason S. Ramsey Saturday at the high school. Captain Ramsey perished in a mid-air collision off the coast of Namibia, Africa on September 13.
The turnout was evidence of the esteem in which Captain Ramsey and his family are held by a host of friends.
Brickbats to former Rep. L.F. Payne, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.
Payne, while representing the 5th District, said the Lake Gaston pipeline was unnecessary and probably illegal. Now that he wants votes from Tidewater, he has had a great revelation that Virginia Beach really does need the water.
Bouquets to L.F. Payne.
The former congressman, who voted for Clinton's tax increases and proposed a $4.50 per carton tax increase on cigarettes, has refused to rule out tax increases for Virginians.
Bouquets? Sure! This is one of the few times you'll hear Payne admit his penchant for raising taxes. We applaud his admission, however rare.
Brickbats to Hooters, the restaurant chain,
Hooters has agreed to pay $3.75 million to men who were denied employment because....well, because they were not well-endowed young ladies.
Heck, all they had to do what require men to wear those skimpy Hooters' uniforms. That would separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. And you could send the chaff to work in San Francisco and Key West.
Bouquets to cartoonist Charles Schulz, the creator of the popular Peanuts cartoons.
Schulz had donated $1 million to the D-Day Memorial that will be built in Bedford, and he has agreed to become the project's fund-raising chairman.
The $8 million World War II memorial will honor soldiers of the 116th Infantry who landed in the first wave on Omaha Beach at Normandy, France. Among former National Guard units from Bedford, Farmville, Chase City and South Boston.