European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 20, 1963, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday july 20, 1963 widow proud husband gave life in Viet Nam by Denne h. Freeman Dallas up air Force capt Condon h. Terry was proud to be an american. His widow Audrey is proud of him and what he fought and died for. The Pride came through the words that he lived fought and died in South Viet Nam the wettest buggies dirtiest place on  and it showed As she described How he volunteered for the assignment As military adviser. The Mission lasted but five weeks before he was shot Down and killed with his vietnamese Pilot june 27 on a strafing run against Viet Cong communist rebles. He was proud to be serving America she said. In a letter to the commander of the 1st air commando Wing at Eglin air Force base fla., she expressed it. The letter was dated june 30, the Day of his military funeral in Viet Nam. Terry was buried a few Days ago in Dallas. Condon spent four years at Texas am College preparing to become an officer mrs. Terry wrote. He worked so diligently at his goal. He did not attain what he had because someone gave it to him but because his career meant More to him than anything else and he believed in what he was  she said that Condon used to Tell her it would be an insult to be run Over by a car and he did t want to die on some dumb training Mission  and that when he died it would All have purpose to it As his whole life had purpose to it in spite of the Many obstacles he enc Oun fallen of Captain knew Why he was there editor s note the official record states that capt Condon Hunter Terry . Air Force was killed june 21 with his vietnamese Pilot during a strafing run against communist rebels in Viet Nam. This is a message to his widow in dal Las. By Robert c. Miller Bien Hoa Viet Nam up maybe it will ease your grief a bit Audrey Terry to know that Connie suffered no pain. The enemy ground fire that downed his plane june 27 apparently killed him and his Viet namese Pilot instantly. There May be bitterness mixed with your grief because a 30-year-old husband and father of two boys should die at a place like can Tho thousands of Miles away from Dallas. The Tropic skies above the hot humid Mekong Delta Are a Long Way from Texas and certainly 30 is an awfully Young time to die. But you know that Connie from the Day he graduated from Texas am was a professional military Man who loved flying and the air Force More than any thing except his family. Along with your grief today there should be Pride for you now and for Young Connie Ami Dennis later in the kind of Man Connie was and the Way he died. Some of your Well meaning friends have probably told you it was a shame Connie had to come Way Over Here and fight and die in this Nasty mess with out even having the satisfaction he was fighting in a recognized War. It May be a shame Audrey but lots of women know it was t much easier having their men killed in the official War of the forties or the police action of the fifties. The blow is just As stupefying the grief just As Ter Rible. And Connie died fighting a War Audrey a War just Asim portent As Korea the Eto Orthe Pacific. Maybe it is a Shadow War maybe the diplomats have their reasons for insisting that Connie was Here merely As an  the important thing was Connie knew Why he was Here what he was doing and Why he was doing it it was his duty and his Job and he did it Well. If you re confused Audrey about Connie s being Here think of be Hoai son s family. He was death notice follows greetings to father Roanoke a. A ten Days ago army capt Lawrence e. Hackley wrote from Viet Nam sending belated birthday Greet Ings to his father Brennler e. Hackley of Roanoke. The letter dated july 11, arrived this week. Addressed to both his parents it said the 80-year-old officer expected to be at Home in less than a month. That he wrote will be vacation .a. For  shortly before noon the next Day or. And mrs. Hackley were informed that their son had been killed in a communist Viet Cong ambush. No tears mrs. Condon h. Terry at her Home in Dallas tex., calmly describes How her air Force Captain husband volunteered for his assignment As military adviser in Viet Nam. Mrs. Terry is shown with her two children Condon h. Terry Iii left8, and Dennis Wade Terry 5. Up photo Connie s Pilot and died with him when their t28 crashed during the strafing run. He was killed by one of his own countrymen maybe even a relative in this fighting which has been going on in Viet Nam for More than 15 years. Wars Are like that Audrey. Remember we had one of our own in the 1860s. The thing to remember in your hours of grief Audrey is what his fellow pilots in the 1st air commando up thought of Connie. They All came to the Little Green Chapel in Saigon for the memorial service White and coloured lieutenants colonels corporals and pics some in Sun Tan khakis and some in Slacks. And even capt Condon h. Terry. Life of purpose though Connie had been Over there Only a month they enjoyed him As a Friend respected him As a Pilot and admired him As a Man. They All knew the dangers of this Job and How somebody would eventually die just As others had died before and others will Golater. Connie s Pilot had been wounded the week before and smitty Connie s Wingman got his plane shot up the same Day Connie died. But the flights went on just the same. The services were delayed an hour because All the pilots were out on missions earlier in the afternoon and they la be out Fly ing them tomorrow and the Days after tomorrow. Probably compared to the Flower banked services of the High and the mighty the funeral was t much. There were Only two cases of Flowers at the altar and the fold ing chairs for the mourners and the casket was gently placed onto stubby old Sawhorse. But the important things about the services were the Flag which draped Connie s casket the Flag he had proudly fought and died for Ana the thing chaplain Pat Terson said in his Eulogy. The chaplain quoted the scrip Tures about he that liveth and Beli Eveth in me will never  and As Long As men like Connie Terry believe in that Flag Aud Rey and Are ready to die for it in Korea Europe the Solomons or Viet Nam the United states will live As the land of the free and the Home of the Brave. Tired along he Way. Mrs. Terry 26, was at work at an air conditioning company of fice on june 27 when she received the Telegram notifying her of his death. She was stunned. But she said she had almost expected it. When i waved Goodby to him at love Field in Dallas in May i just Felt it was the last time i would see him she said. He had told me his chances. They weren t very  her husband she said lived and breathed the air Force. He wanted to be a test Pilot or an astronaut or something. If he had been forced to Fly a desk he would t have been in the air Force. He just had to do some thing worthwhile so he volunteered for the Viet Nam assign  mrs. Terry or cookie As her 30-year-old husband called her continued he just wanted to help his country. He wrote after he got to Viet Nam that americans were the most fortunate persons in the  at times emotion choked her voice but there were no tears. Her face lighted up As she talked of the two children Dennis Wade Terry 5, and Condon h. Terry Iii 8. The terrys had planned that the boys would go to am As their father did. Now if they wish they can have automatic appointments to the . Air Force Academy after High school. No said mrs. Terry she would not try to hinder them if they wanted air Force careers. In her letter to col Gerald Dix the Wing commander at leg Lin fab she summed up her feelings ". If it had to happen this is the Way he d have wanted  she said too Many people in our world have forgotten what Freedom is. My loss is great but your air Force team s loss is  she wrote continue to hand pick your men and choose them Well. They Are the men who still possess a Devotion for peace while the rest of us stand in our Corners and cower. God bless these men whose Strong shoulders our whole country leans  european edition army Navy air Force col Ridgway p. Smith jr., Usa editor in chief it col William w. Coleman jr., Usan Deputy editor in chief Arnold Burnett ". Managing editor Elmer d. Frank production manager Henry s. Epstein circulation manager directory of news bureaus Germany Darmstadt Central activity Homer a. 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Armed Force in Europe printed daily at Darmstadt Germany under the auspices of the Public affairs division Usa eur. Apo address the stars and stripes Apo 175, . Forces. International mall the a 5rand a strip Ach 1034, 61-Darmstadt, Germany. Tel Darmstadt new Vork of i �41 Washington st., new York 14.tel. Watkins 4-1000. Re entered As second dais matter sept. 10, 1956, at la poll office at n.y., n.y., under act of March 3, 1879