Although he did not die in service to our nation I remember Maj. Jerome Wilson, USMC, my dear friend and muzzleloading mentor. He flew Corsairs in combat in WWII and Korea, flying off of at least 13 different carriers. He served for a time with VMF-214, which some will recognize as the "Black Sheep Squadron", and later with VMF-235. He flew in the movie "The Flying Leathernecks", starring John Wayne.
"Mr. Jerry", as many affectionately called him, was like a father to me. He was bigger than life, and when we lost him in 2001 I told his widow that it did not feel real because he was too big to die. Thank you, Mr. Jerry, for your years of service to our great nation.
SRH
