M29

Hero Flight Mission # 29

April 25-26 2013
Passengers: Heather Gray and seven members of the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Carson, Colorado
Purpose: Visit the grave of Major Walter (David) Gray at Arlington National Cemetery
Route: Round trip from Colorado Springs to Washington DC
Pilots: Howard Turek, Mike Weimert
VES Staff: Alicia Camp, Kristi Turek
Background:
In August of 2012 Hero Flight 510 flew Heather Gray to Arlington National Cemetery to bury her husband, Major David Gray, killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan earlier that month. At the time of the burial the soldiers from his unit were still deployed and none of them were able to attend the services for Major Gray. Heather called our office in March and said David’s unit had returned from Afghanistan and inquired if we could take as many soldiers that we could carry to visit the grave site in Washington D.C. Hero Flight 510 was available and happy to oblige this request launching on April 25th from Colorado Springs to Washington D.C. with seven of David’s 24 men on board.