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<em>HERBERT CHARLES RICE</em> was one of those rare personalities who was able to keep an inner balance and sense of proportion, especially amid the turmoil and frantic pace of plebe year. His roommates recall his generosity of spirit, quiet perserverance, and equanimity under pressure. Together with grit, these would prove to be auspicious qualities in an air warrior.</p>
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First class year, we A-1 files followed Herb as our Guidon Bearer, even through that famous last parade when we raced to our places to take the Corps review, and subsequently directly into arrest that night for breaking ranks and stride!</p>
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At branch choice time, after a brief flirtation with the idea of requesting a transfer to the Marine Corps, Herb chose the Air Force. He married his high school sweetheart, Denise, and together they reported to primary flying school at Graham AFB, Marianna, FL, and then to Reese AFB, Lubbock, TX, for multi-engine basic training. While at Reese, Herb and Jack Gleason and their wives began a lasting friendship by sharing the same instructor in B-25s. Jack recalls one memorable dual student solo flight at night with Herb, when each thought the other had the “Con.” When it became obvious to them that “nobody” had the con, their hand and throttle response was “at the speed of light!” Jack remembers Herb as a fine friend, excellent pilot, and dedicated officer. After winning his silver wings, Herb was assigned to Strategic Air Command, first to B-47 training at McConnell AFB, KS, and then to B-52s. Herb and Denise completed five years at the eastern anchor of SAC’s “banana belt” at Loring AFB, ME, where the average snowfall is 140 inches!</p>
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Denise Rice Barry now picks up the narrative: I first met Herb in high school in Hamburg, NY, a small town near Buffalo. He was the only son of Herbert and Hazel Rice, both school teachers. This was probably instrumental in Herbs outstanding academic achievements throughout school. Early on, Herb professed his desire to attend West Point. By our high school graduation, he had received many full scholarships, including an appointment to the Naval Academy, but he had heard nothing from West Point, his first choice. He was actually packed and ready to leave for Annapolis when notified of his appointment to West Point.</p>
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Herb and I dated his first class year, and I can attest that, while he totally enjoyed his years as a cadet, his proudest moment was being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. Four days after graduation, Herb and I married in our hometown Catholic church in Hamburg and began a series of moves from one undergraduate pilot training base to another as Herb earned his pilot wings. Herb loved flying almost beyond the point of explanation. We also started our family with the birth of our first child, Leslie, at Reese Air Force Base in 1958. With the completion of pilot training, Herb was assigned to Strategic Air Command as a B-52 pilot at Loring AFB, MN. In five years at Loring, our family grew with the additions of Laurie, Stephen and Thomas.</p>
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In 1965, Herb was selected for an Air Force Institute of Technology-sponsored MBA program at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Loring had been a busy, fun life for the Rice family. Herb loved to socialize, play golf and cards, but after five Loring winters, it was not hard to leave for the southern California climate. The family quickly adapted to an environment without snowsuits and snow shovels, with beaches and Disneyland twelve miles from home. Herb’s academic excellence continued at USC. He helped other classmates with their studies, played much more golf than at Loring, and joined his family in exploring a land area where the only snow one saw was on top of a mountain.</p>
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Herb received orders for Vietnam upon graduation in June 1966. We moved to Florida, bought our first home near Eglin AFB, and settled in. Herb trained at nearby Hurlbert Field as a pilot in the AC-47 gunship (Puff the Magic Dragon). On 26 Dec 1966, Herb said what turned out to be his last good-byes to his wife and children, who were eight, seven, six, and five, and used to waving when their Daddy went off to fly.</p>
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On 29 Mar 1967, Herb volunteered to fill in as copilot for a sick crewmember on an AC-47 gunship mission. All seven crewmembers were killed that night when the AC-47 was shot down while providing air support to our ground forces engaged with the enemy.</p>
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Herb was awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and Air Force Commendation Medal with a second oak leaf cluster for his duty in Vietnam. Herb came home, and now, as a family, we returned to our Catholic church in Hamburg, where our lives together began. With many hometown friends and classmates in attendance, we celebrated Herb’s life. We then traveled the same roads that Herb had traveled in 1953 to West Point, and we laid him to rest.</p>
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Our family moved back to California where I eventually remarried. The children are all married and have produced ten grandchildren.</p>
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Herb Rice’s life, and death, have become part of the Long Gray Line, where he joins other heroes of our class and the Corps—a great warrior, friend, husband, and father. Grip hands!</p>
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<em>His family and classmates</em></p>