A nicer, friendlier, more affable, honest and smiling - always ready to help - classmate couldn't possibly have existed. Peggy Limburgh and I went to visit him in the hospital ( somewhere in France ) when he returned from Vietnam the first time ( I think) with a wounded/broken leg. He smiled the whole time then....even with his leg up in traction in an Army hospital bed in France! I think of Mike so often. Funny how some people just continue to capture my memories.
Mike Minor was truly one of the best - always nice to everyone, always a smile on his face, and extremely funny. I have visited the Vietnam Memorial several times and have touched his name on the wall. Mike and I were in a senior play together - "On The Night of January 16th" - Mike was the Prosecuting Attorney and I was a witness. Mr. Hull had to stop our rehearsals every now and then due to Mike's joking. God bless you Mike.
Mike died 19 days after beginning his tour in Vietnam. His death is reported as, "Casualty: non-hostile" , at the airbase in Bien Hoa. I think the previous poster must be mistaken - I have no information that Mike had had a previous tour in Vietnam, and as a former medic I can say that caualties in Vietnam were evacuated to hospitals in the Pacific, or the USA - never to France. I have visited his name on the Wall as well. Tom Trout
"Fog of war" and memory. Bottom line, Mike was an honorable fellow who died serving his country. A personal request - I would appreciate someone who knows the facts telling us of the circumstances of Mike's death. I have been told two versions by former PAHS classmates: 1) Mike was an F-105 pilot and went down during a bombing mission; and 2) he was a forward air controller (FAC) and died when his light aircraft was shot down. I also would add I do not believe we had US Military hospitals in France at the time of Mike's death. Could our classmate be thinking of Ramstein AFB, Germany, which not far from the French border?
Several years ago I researched this. I was eventually in email contact with an enlisted fellow who was a camera nut and was stationed at the airbase in Bien Hoa during the time of Mike's crash. He recalls that it was reported as a pilot accident.
Mike was flying an A-37 Dragonfly, light attack aircraft. Returning from a mission - he crashed short, at the end of the runway in Bien Hoa, March, 1972, less than 3 weeks after arriving in Vietnam. There are (dated) photos of the wreckage. The military reports it as a death from non-hostile [-fire] aircraft accident. However, it was reported by a PAHS classmate, who said he was present across the base at the time of the crash, that Mike's plane was damaged by hostile fire and that this was the cause of his loss of control as he landed. I learned of Mike's death at our 30yr reunion - and was surprised & saddened that a classmate had died in Vietnam....and thunderstruck that it was the "all everything", immensely popular Mike Minor. Whatever the circumstances - Mike put himself in harm's way for our country. As a former combat medic in Vietnam, I could not respect him more.
Mike and I were teammates on the 1965/66 football and soccer teams. I also knew and kept in touch with his older brother Jerry and younger sister Molly. Jerry told me that Mike left a pregnant wife stateside when he deployed to Vietnam. Happily, his wife remarried to his best friend from West Point.
Judy Clowes (Chaffee) (1965)
A nicer, friendlier, more affable, honest and smiling - always ready to help - classmate couldn't possibly have existed. Peggy Limburgh and I went to visit him in the hospital ( somewhere in France ) when he returned from Vietnam the first time ( I think) with a wounded/broken leg. He smiled the whole time then....even with his leg up in traction in an Army hospital bed in France! I think of Mike so often. Funny how some people just continue to capture my memories.Judy CLOWES Chaffee '65
Chris Kilpatrick (1966)
I remember John very well as if it was yesterday. He was a really nice guy with a good sense of humor
He was in several of my classes and was a friend. I was saddened by his death upon looking around at
people I went to school way back then.
Meredith Minter (Hinkle) (1966)
Mike Minor was truly one of the best - always nice to everyone, always a smile on his face, and extremely funny. I have visited the Vietnam Memorial several times and have touched his name on the wall. Mike and I were in a senior play together - "On The Night of January 16th" - Mike was the Prosecuting Attorney and I was a witness. Mr. Hull had to stop our rehearsals every now and then due to Mike's joking. God bless you Mike.
Linda O'Bert (Kidd) (1966)
8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF
United States Air Force
Post, Texas
September 01, 1948 to March 17, 1972
JOHN M MINOR is on the Wall at Panel W2, Line 116
See the full profile or name rubbing for John Minor
http://www.virtualwall.org/dm/MinorJM01a.htm
Tom Trout (1966)
Mike died 19 days after beginning his tour in Vietnam. His death is reported as, "Casualty: non-hostile" , at the airbase in Bien Hoa. I think the previous poster must be mistaken - I have no information that Mike had had a previous tour in Vietnam, and as a former medic I can say that caualties in Vietnam were evacuated to hospitals in the Pacific, or the USA - never to France. I have visited his name on the Wall as well. Tom Trout
David H Hiley (1966)
"Fog of war" and memory. Bottom line, Mike was an honorable fellow who died serving his country. A personal request - I would appreciate someone who knows the facts telling us of the circumstances of Mike's death. I have been told two versions by former PAHS classmates: 1) Mike was an F-105 pilot and went down during a bombing mission; and 2) he was a forward air controller (FAC) and died when his light aircraft was shot down. I also would add I do not believe we had US Military hospitals in France at the time of Mike's death. Could our classmate be thinking of Ramstein AFB, Germany, which not far from the French border?
Tom Trout (1966)
Several years ago I researched this. I was eventually in email contact with an enlisted fellow who was a camera nut and was stationed at the airbase in Bien Hoa during the time of Mike's crash. He recalls that it was reported as a pilot accident.
Mike was flying an A-37 Dragonfly, light attack aircraft. Returning from a mission - he crashed short, at the end of the runway in Bien Hoa, March, 1972, less than 3 weeks after arriving in Vietnam. There are (dated) photos of the wreckage. The military reports it as a death from non-hostile [-fire] aircraft accident. However, it was reported by a PAHS classmate, who said he was present across the base at the time of the crash, that Mike's plane was damaged by hostile fire and that this was the cause of his loss of control as he landed. I learned of Mike's death at our 30yr reunion - and was surprised & saddened that a classmate had died in Vietnam....and thunderstruck that it was the "all everything", immensely popular Mike Minor. Whatever the circumstances - Mike put himself in harm's way for our country. As a former combat medic in Vietnam, I could not respect him more.
Colin Collins (1966)
Amen, brother.
Frank Buras (1966)
Mike and I were teammates on the 1965/66 football and soccer teams. I also knew and kept in touch with his older brother Jerry and younger sister Molly. Jerry told me that Mike left a pregnant wife stateside when he deployed to Vietnam. Happily, his wife remarried to his best friend from West Point.