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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Oct '54
Richard Russell Galt No. 15644 Class
of 1946 Died October 17, 1953, in an Aircraft Accident,
at Eglin, AFB, FL, aged 29 years. |
DICK was born and brought up in Cairo, Egypt, where
at an early age, he became a devoted American, an airplane enthusiast,
and an accomplished swimmer. At Alexandria, Egypt, in 1936 he
became National Junior champion in the 25 and 50 meters races.
Some of his most-loved playmates were British, Egyptian,
and European. In this international group he learned early to
defend his country and developed an almost fanatical patriotism.
Along with his love of country went his love of airplanes.
From the age of ten, he and his friends constructed and flew
miniature planes from Dick's tree house in the garden. At times,
even meals were missed in his absorption with these planes.
Because of his patriotism, it was not surprising that
in 1939, while still in preparatory school, he asked his parents
if they could get him a West Point appointment. This materialized
in 1942.
In July 1943 Dick entered
the Point, and with his usual casualness proceeded to make lifelong
friends, do well in academics with-out undue study, and participate
in ath-letics. His youthful swimming experience prepared him
to become a member of the swimming teams in 1944, 1945, and 1946.
In 1945 he captured fourth place on the All America Collegiate
Swimming Team for the 440 yard event.
In his yearling year he chose a flying career, taking
primary training at Lakeland, Florida, in the Spring of 1945.
It was apparent early that Dick was a "cool" pilot,
confident and capable. From Lakeland, he returned to Stewart
Field with his classmates for basic training, and spent portions
of his First Class year there, where flying continued to be one
of his main pleasures.
In 1944 Dick met Marjorie Carolin, then in her senior
year at Vassar. By the Spring of 1945, they had decided to marry
sometime after June Week.
In 1946, after his graduation, Dick joined many of his
classmates who had chosen to fly fighters in Ajo, Arizona, for
gunnery. When he moved from there to Williams Field in September
for fighter transition to P-51s, he and Marjorie were married
with the enthusiastic help of his numerous bachelor friends.
From Williams they went to Selfridge Field, Michigan,
where as part of the 56th Fighter Group, Dick learned to fly
the P-80. From then on jet aircraft replaced conventional planes
in his affections.
In March 1948 he went alone to Okinawa for a 15 month
tour. During his absence, his first daughter, Susan, was born.
On his return, the family spent a year at Keesler Air Force Base,
where Peggy joined the family. From there they went to the Air
Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Air Force Base
for a year, and then to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
At Eglin, Dick became a project officer, testing new
planes and equipment. There at last he found the kind of work
which best put his experience to use. After two years, he was
made head of the F84-F jet fighter bomber project, which challenged
his skill and would have established his career, had not engine
failure on take-off on October 17th, 1953, abruptly ended his
life and prevented him from ever seeing his third child, due
to arrive six months after his death.
While we can never reconcile the loss of a fine son,
a loved brother, a devoted husband and father, we are comforted
by the knowledge that Dick died doing precisely what he loved
to do, and, as his commanding officer wrote, he crashed while
on a highly technical mission, the results of which were important
to the security of this country.
-His Wife, Sister and Parents.
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