commanded in Field Artillery, as well as aviation units. Harvey logged about 10,000 pilot and instructor hours in the air. After commanding the 118th AHC Thunderbirds, he was selected to receive the Kitty Hawk Memorial Award as Military Aviator of the Year in 1965, the first Army Aviator to be selected for that award. His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross; Purple Heart w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster; Soldiers Medal; Air Metal w/V device & numerals 54; Bronze Star Medal w/V Device and 1 Oak Leaf Cluster; Legion of Merit; Army Commendation Metal; Vietnam Service Metal w/1 Silver Service Star (2 awards); Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/Palm (2 awards); Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/Gold Star; Master Army Aviator Badge; Parachutist Badge; Combat Infantrymen’s Badge; several expeditionary and service medals from areas of service. He received his DSC for his command and actions in the Battle of Dong Xoai up by Song Be in N. III Corps in May of 1965. Harvey retired from the Army in 1975 and spent the next 39 years in ministry and mission work in more than 75 countries and all of our states. Harvey is survived by his wife of 63+ years, Travis Stricklin Stewart; one son, one daughter, three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was characterized by single-minded determination, boundless enthusiasm, and fearless devotion to God, Country, Family, and Friends. His enthusiasm and positive approach are greatly missed by his family and those he has worked with through the years. UNDERWOOD, Donald L. ~ Graduated flight school with flight class 68-1, in 1968-69 he flew in Vietnam with the 283 Medical Detachment (Dust Off ), Air Ambulance under the Dustoff 61 call sign; in 1971 he served a second tour flying fixed wing aircraft in the Command Airplane Company (CAC). LTC Donald L. Underwood, LTC, USA (Ret), took his last flight on 18 October 2014 in Spring Lake, MI. Don was born in Hickory, NC, at the time of his death he had fought long and hard for over a year battling pancreatic cancer, all with great courage, faith and dignity. Don’s life was filled with enormous accomplishments both in his military career and his
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second career with industry. Don attended the University of Southern California, pursuing a degree in Industrial Engineering, prior to entering the US Army. Don graduated with Class 68-1, Rotary Wing flight school, and became a Warrant Officer upon completion of his training in 1968. As with most flight school graduates during this timeframe, Don was sent to Viet Nam where he flew Dust Off with the 283rd Medical Detachment/Air Ambulance, Pleiku. On one fateful day, while attempting to evacuate wounded soldiers from a mountain top fire base, his ship was hit by heavy enemy fire resulting in a loss of aircraft control and subsequent crash. He and the Air Craft Commander, Cpt. Conners (his unit C.O.) were both severely injured. WO Underwood was evacuated to the 71st Evacuation Hospital in Pleiku and eventually to Japan where he quickly recovered and was back with the 283rd Dust Off in only a month’s time. Dust Off 61 completed his year-long combat tour in spite of his injuries. Don’s second Viet Nam tour (1971) was far less stressful in that he was now flying fixed wing aircraft in the Command Airplane Company (CAC). In 1971 Don accepted a commission as a 2LT in the Air Defense Artillery branch of the US Army where he commanded a Hawk Missile Battery and served as assistant Battalion Operations Officer. Don completed his BS in Industrial Engineering while in the Army and returned to USC in 1976 to earn a Master’s Degree in Operations Research Systems Analysis. Don graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School in 1980, class 78. His next four years saw him working as an experimental test pilot and Integrated Systems Division Chief in the US Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity (AEFA) at Edwards AFB, CA. The project for which Don is most famous was a flight test of the Williams Aerial Surveillance Platform (WASP). The vehicle was essentially a cruise missile engine mounted vertically and stabilized only by the pilot shifting his weight. He was one of only two uniformed service members to achieve sufficient proficiency to operate the WASP in free flight. After graduation from the Air Command and Staff College in 1985, Don returned to AEFA as the Director of Fight Test and Deputy Commander. He accrued over 3700 flight hours in 35 models of 24 different types of aircraft. Don retired from the Army in 1989. His military awards and decorations include: Purple Heart, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Ser-
vice Medal (2nd award), Air Medal (17th award), Army Commendation Medal (3rd award), National Defense Service Medal, Viet Nam Service Medal, Army Service Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal, Republic of Viet Nam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (with palm), and Master Army Aviator Wings. Don’s career did not end following military service. He continued to work in the research and development field on advanced aircraft and ground combat vehicle systems concept design, development and multi-disciplinary integration of electronics, software, hybridelectric technologies and advanced energy management systems for military and industrial markets. He held numerous program leadership positions, initially with the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company as the Long Bow Apache Program Manager for Test and Evaluation; later as Director, Airborne Programs at Litton Guidance and Controls, then Director, Advanced Concepts for the DRS Technologies Incorporated, and also in a number of positions with L-3 Communications Combat Propulsion Systems culminating as Vice President of Engineering. Don kept close to the technical world he so loved by establishing X-Winged Consulting, LLC. A strong supporter of SETP, Don served on the Membership Committee for six years and presented papers at several technical symposia. He was presented the Fairchild Award at the 16th San Diego Symposium for best paper. Don is survived by his wife Becky, his son Christopher Underwood, daughter Kelly Underwood, sister Drenda Randell, step children Kristin Fisch, Jennifer Hayter, Ben Dewitt, Jeff Dewitt, Abby Moulatsiotis, and six grandchildren. Donations may be made in Don’s memory to the charity he strongly supported, the Central Indiana Teen Challenge, CITC, PO Box 564, Lebanon, IN 46052. Sent to us by Member Mike Rinehart TW IGGS, George E. ~ Graduated flight training with Flight Class 63, flew in Vietnam with B/229 AVN. 1 CAV DIV (1966-67) and MACV (1970-71) under the Preacher 3 and Preacher 26 callsigns. George Eugene Twiggs, died at the age of 77 years of a massive heart attack on November 23rd, 2014, in a Homestead, Florida, hospital. Gene was born in Wilmington, N.C., but moved to Toomsboro, Ga., as a child. He Page 38 The VHPA Aviator