Page 6 - Aerotech News and Review, April 3, 2020

In Memoriam: Semper Fi and Airborne all the way

by Dennis Anderson the line of duty in 1998 as an Air
special to Aerotech News Force “PJ” pararescue commando.
Jerry was among veterans recog-
Veterans of the U.S. Marine nized, along with Lew Shoemaker,
Corps and veterans of the Army’s who waded ashore with the “Big Red
Airborne Corps tend to bond easily. One” on D-Day. Honoring veterans
It’s because people call us crazy. was Scout mom Julie Norris Wota-
Crazy to take on the “Full Metal sik’s project. The Norris-Wotasik
Jacket” miseries of Marine boot family whelped five Eagle Scouts in
camp, and crazy to want to jump out their brood, including their hero son.
of perfectly good airplanes. Crazy Jerry, a Marine during the earliest
from boot camp, and crazy from stage of our Southeast Asia involve-
jump school. ment, was closemouthed about his
We are, by the way, mindful (the service. Years later, I found out why,
polite ones, anyway) that we exit Air and it was harrowing. His service
Force aircraft and Navy transports actually preceded America’s official
for airborne and amphibious opera- Vietnam War involvement.
tions. We are all brothers and sisters We lost Jerry, sometime between
in service. Sunday night and Monday morning
My friend, Jerry Lawrence, a Ma- [March 21 and 22]. He was 80, and
rine, was always kidding me. “Air- had been in failing health for months.
borne, I think you lace your boots He refused to go to the emergency
too tight!” room, not out of fear, but because he
I had no idea what that meant. But would not leave his beloved while she
it didn’t matter. It was meant with was also vulnerable. He died peace-
love. With love comes loss. We lost fully, in his sleep, but never having
Jerry a few days ago. given up the fight for life, or to do
Traveling with Jerry Lawrence was what is right.
always a pleasure and a privilege. Jerry innovated the “You Are Not Courtesy photograph
Jerry recruited me as a sometime-vol- Forgotten” hospice program for vet- Jerry Lawrence (right) with World War II veterans Henry Ochsner, Staff Sgt. Chase Berry, and Army veteran Dennis
unteer in his veterans’ hospice visit- erans in end-of-life. Working with Anderson.
ing program, “You Are Not Forgot- hospice pro Lori Carlton Mowry, a
ten.” Along the way, he brought in an licensed clinical social worker, Jerry
Air Force general, Marine, Navy and sought out veterans of military ser- commander at Edwards AFB, Brig. ic’s sadness and anxiety. We are so- Bombshell Betty’s Calendar for Vet-
Army NCOs, a couple of chaplains vice to find them before they died, to Gen. E. John “Dragon” Teichert at- cial creatures, and it is difficult to not erans.
and some social workers. let them known their service was ap- tended that one, and he cut the Army be able to reach out and touch each Jerry served as a Vice Commander
That was the parade Jerry Law- preciated, respected, and recognized. Air Corps cake, and served it to Sgt. other. with Marine Corps League Detach-
He had no 1st Class Rader. One night, when a group of us ment 930, and was a regular and
patience for Also recognized by Jerry’s “You were assisting at a veterans fundrais- steadying presence are the Antelope
phonies. He Are Not Forgotten” project were two er hosted by Dr. Ric Garrison at the
res earched more D-Day veterans, paratroop- Lancaster Performing Arts Center, Valley College Veterans Resource
the vet’s DD- ers John Humphrey of the 82nd Air- we got word a brother Marine was Center where student vets knew and
214 to ensure borne Division, and Henry Ochsner, seriously injured in a motorcycle ac- loved him as “Grandpa.” He volun-
it was legit. of the 101st Airborne Division. Each cident. Jerry stayed by the local Ma- teered with Vets4Veterans, Point Man
H e co - time we met, these venerable war- rine’s bedside at hospital until he was Antelope Valley, Coffee4Vets, AV
ordinated riors were wearing their World War released. Wall, and Bombshell Betty’s Calen-
ceremonies, II-issue “Ike”-style jackets. See the I spoke on the phone with his son, dar for Vets. Jerry always gave more
including Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks epic Matt, who Jerry was unabashedly than he got. This pandemic will lift
the veteran’s “Band of Brothers” and you will see proud of. His son is an assistant at- and we will memorialize Jerry appro-
family. In what these soldiers did. torney general in Maryland. When priately. Semper Fi, Brother.
addition to a At each of those get-togethers for the cloud of the coronavirus lifts, as
formal certifi- World War II Airborne troopers, Jer- it inevitably will, a memorial tribute
cate honoring ry brought in Staff Sergeants Chase is planned for Jerry Lawrence. Editor’s note: Dennis Anderson is a
their service, Berry and Eugenio Eufragio — both Brothers and sisters in service, licensed clinical social worker at High
in whatever 82nd Airborne Division veterans of and also community volunteers and Desert Medical Group. As an Antelope
branch or era, Afghanistan. Troopers Humphrey and healthcare workers who knew Jerry Valley journalist he deployed to Iraq
he brought Ochsner partied and imparted genera- called in, distraught, in tears. with a local National Guard unit. He
in military tional knowledge to troopers young “He was like a grandfather to specializes in veterans and community
re gula rs, enough to be their grandchildren. me,” said Katherine Letterman, with mental health issues.
non-com - Now, Jerry has joined their long,
mis s io ned gray line. In addition to those history-
officers and makers, he honored dozens of other
officers, ca- veterans facing the undiscovered
reer people. country, and now he has gone there
The veterans’ himself.
service and We are in “Safe At Home” mode
awards would because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
be noted. Re- Jerry left us so quickly that we never
Courtesy photograph spect by hand had the chance to honor him in the
Marine Corps veteran Jerry Lawrence at the AV Wall. salute was way he honored so many others.
given, and This is love and death in the time
sometimes of the Coronavirus. Fortunately, he
refreshments was recognized by a raft of veterans
rence led with his self-started “You were served. support groups, and also former Rep.
Are Not Forgotten” project. We teamed together on a quest Steve Knight, House Armed Ser-
The first time I met Jerry Lawrence to honor vanishing World War II vices, a Cold War veteran, and state
was about 15 years ago, at the Wil- veterans, with some success. Sen. Scott Wilk, Assemblyman Tom
liam J. “Pete” Knight American He- Among those honored were Charles Lackey, Supervisor Kathryn Barger
roes Dinner, an event in support of “Charley” Rader, a top turret gunner and more. Courtesy photograph
Boy Scouts. A key award was named awarded the Silver Star for helping Hundreds of his brothers and sis-
for Justin Wotasik, the Eagle Scout to save his stricken B-17 Flying For- ters in the veterans’ community are Marine Corps veteran Jerry Lawrence gets a kiss form Katherine Letterman
of Bombshell Betty’s Calendar for Veterans.
from Palmdale who gave his life in tress, and the entire crew. The recent sad about this, amid all the pandem-

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