Warbird Information Exchange

I think numb sums up my feeling right now.

I'm glad I got to talk with him a few years back at Mid Atlantic Air Museum. He was as great in person as on-line.

Tim

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www.tailhookstudio.com

16 breaths divided into four sets of four.

The first four represents being born into this world.

The second set represents our adulthood when we can do those things we chose to do, like working on Warbirds. Or making a difference in other people's lives.

The third set of breaths represents passing away from this world which inevitably we will all do. It is neither to be feared nor regretted because...

The fourth set of breaths represents where we came from before we were born and where we will return after our time in this world is through.

Anybody who got to know Gary (whether it was in person, or through reading his posts) knew we were fortunate for the gift.

Gary's standards were not always the easiest to meet. But never was there a doubt that they were the correct ones.
I guess that was why a lot of us respected him so much.

Gary was not what I call warm and fuzzy, because he did not suffer fools gladly. I remember joking about doing something half-assed and him talking to me like he would a dog, "Bad Don... No Don... BAD!"
I am glad that when I did meet him the first time I decided to reveal ALL the B17s known problems so he could start from there and help us.

A mutual friend just said it better than I can right now.

Gary would want us to take care of our Warbirds and keep living large with them.

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Oh my god no...I am so bummed out...been mourning the loss of some lost friends I am just finding out died- Now Gary too who is one of my heroes. Just terrible.

John

A great loss......

God Speed

Cannot believe it. I had hardly anything to do with Gary but I appreciated his posts about the Lib and all the advice he provided on here. I commented on one of the Austin Acres threads how I'd love to visit one day and he invited us along with open arms. That was the character of the man - so willing to share his passion and knowledge. A true gentleman.

He will not be forgotten and his wonderful posts on here are just a small part of his legacy. Whenever the Lib flies and a WIXer sees her, they'll think of Gary. He'll be up there with her, swinging in his tail gunner's sling.

RIP Gary - I barely knew you but I miss you.

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?

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http://aircrewbookreview.blogspot.com/

I don't know what to say. I have been close to the same a couple of times, but managed to pull myself together. I know Gary was going thru tough times and sometimes you can't find any other way out.
I talked to him on the phone a couple of times and was hoping to meet him someday.

as a tribute, I propose the CAF name the new B-29 engines as R-3350-B29GA

Long live the Stratolina,

Fly safe Gary,

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

RIP Gary,

You have been a source of inspiration to all of us.


John Ward

(can someone post a link to his facebook page, please)

Truly at a loss for words. Never met the man aside from his online presence. He will be truly missed. Prayers go out to his family and friends,
Chris Sheppard

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Aviation Illustration Website
http://shepartstudio.com/illustration/

Stunned and speechless.

RIP Gary

If the CAF wont do anything.
If someone out there can come up with a RetroAviation Sticker of garys Avitar.......................I would love to stick one on our N3N!

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

That would be a great tribute. Maybe someone can do that.

It absolutely makes me ill to read this tonight... as I said to a few people tonight as I collected my thoughts about it, I mentioned that I (along with many of us I am sure) have lost friends and acquaintances in the day-to-day risk we all see in warbirds... and as a result, we build up a thick skin to deal with the fact that the inevitable will happen to some of us. We chat with each other and give the standard "poor bastard" response...

Then we return to nursing our beer or whiskey and continue on. When you are friends with aging veterans and warbird pilots, you deal with it this way.

But then there are the people who, when they leave us, they take a part of us with them... and as a result we take it harder than the rest. I think it's because of the regret we feel... the regret over taking their quiet friendship for granted, the regret of not telling them how much we appreciate them, the regret of not getting to know them better and buy them that drink that we had been talking about for years.

I have only felt that with three people... the first being Darren Banfield in NH who lost his life in a tragic float-equipped UC-78 crash in '04, the loss of Air America Foundation founder and overall nice guy Paul Vasconi earlier this year... and now Gary.

I was just chatting with Ron Sanders, one of our old salesmen from Midland, at NBAA last week about coming out and staying with him and getting the chance to actually meet and shake Garys hand and chat a bit with him in the shade of the Stratalina... I had been saying I was going to do so for years... and what good are those intentions now?

God-damm-it... Gary, why the did you have to be one of the good guys we lose so early on?? I mean, most of us saw his posts here each day and felt he was like a brother... but how many of us got to actually meet him and really know him? I wish I had been one that did... but I always took his mortality for granted. I mean, he wasn't much older than I am... and he's a Texan, that's got to count for something right?

But I am one of those who never talked to him beyond the keyboard, and never got to actually look him in the eye and shoot the bull... and damm-it, he's gone.

Between Scott and I when we talked on the phone tonight, we were both near tears. Gary was such a critical part of WIX... he was as close to family as we all can imagine online. We are all so sad over this... more than sad though.

I've already raised a glass to the West and given him a toast... then raised another... then another.

The only consolation in all of this is that we have his words and spirit that will live on through his posts here. As long as WIX lives, his wisdom will as well... and it's my hope that someday his documentation of the B-24A project will make it into print... so it passes from the transient nature of the web and becomes just that much more a legacy.

God speed Gary... we all miss you already.

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

Clay (Muddy) you are a brave man, my friend. I know of the disease up close as we lost our "adopted" son, my boy's best friend, who also needed to deal with his demons in his own way. There are many tattoos in our family in rememberence of Stevie.

In all our discussions, arguements, great stories of heroism, and examples of success, we all must realize that there is another force at work that is many times, the ultimate stealth killer. Remain understanding of one another and if you have the opportunity to be "that" friend, take it as it is much more rewarding than the sound of a Merlin.

Those who knew Gary, I did not but enjoyed his posts greatly, there was nothing you could have done at this time to change fate. Don't be hard on yourselves. It was Gary's choice, he no longer hurts.

I am sorry Gary that our paths never crossed.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

A wonderful tribute it would be!! I'll take a few as well.

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Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

Wow!! Still don't beleive it. Gary was a great guy and I still feel as I expect him to log on leave us some of his deep insight. He must have really been hurting to feel that this was his only way out to stop it.

We always take for granted those around us until they're gone. Hopefully Gary's tearful absence will cause us all to stop for second and appreciate everyone in our lives.

Though you felt alone in the end, you'll be missed by many. Warm wishes to you Gary.

Shay
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Semper Fortis