Warbird Information Exchange

I received a touching email from Mark Mansfield aka Hellcat concerning his thoughts on Gary. I thought it worth sharing and with his permission do so.
I took the day off from work and walked on the beach here in Carmel. Thinking about a person I have never met but had so much in common with. I too suffer from severe depression and have been struggling with it for many years. I wouldn't know what life would be like without depression. But I have also learned to never give up in my struggle with my own demons. Gary and I had been e-mailing quite a bit over the past few months and I tried everything I could to convince him that life is still worth living. I was quite surprised as to how much he was willing to discuss his illness with me. So I took it upon myself to mentor him and to assure him that he wasn't alone and that he could beat this illness and that I would help him as much as he would allow me. I felt peace with him and I knew he felt the same way back. I was planning to fly him to Chino this coming May for the POF airshow. It's been quite hard these past few years for me and this month alone I have lost two great people in my life. Jack I know Gary had a special comforting place in his tormented heart for you as he would always mention you as well. It's such a loss and such a shame that a gift of a person is no longer with us all. Gary was a shining example of the very fact that you don't have to know someone very long or even in person to love them. I'll do what I have always done in life and that is to mourn and recover and continue to live life and continue to treat people as best I can with respect, compassion and love. It's tragedies like this that reinforce those emotions and feelings. All we can ever hope is that Gary's loss will make us stronger, wiser and more caring of one another, if not for us, for Gary.

But as for the rest of this night .... I'll just have to surrender to my emotions and be OK with not being strong.

I sincerely hope you're OK too Jack ....

Mark

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Don't touch my junk!!

Thanks Mark and Jack.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

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Jack, thank you for posting Mark's message, I hope he does not get too down.

I cannot imagine how rough it must be for you guys who were close to Gary and knew him outside of Wix.

With all this talk about stickers or t-shirts in the other threads, does anyone else think it may be a good idea to make a donation to charitable Depression related organization in Gary's honor?

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Thanks for sharing that with us.

-Derek

Jack, thanks for passing that along to us, & the next time you correspond, with Mark, would you please send my regards.

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Mark-

We are all moved by the compassion and love your words express. May it ease the pain you went through to be able to write them to know that you have brought the beauty of understanding and empathy to many others, not only with your feelings for Gary, but also with the sharing of your own journey.

Blue skies for us all,
Michael

Mark has rec'v some very nice messages from some wix folks.
If anyone would like his email just let me know and I'll sent it along.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Mike said it all for me.

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

Mark and Jack; Thanks Guys!

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"They can teach MONKEYS to fly better than that"

http://www.heritageflight.org
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My jaw is still on the floor. Thanks Jack and Mark, I know about Depression.....it can be a MF, and you can't let the b a s t a r d win.
I'm leavin claw marks on the runway

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.