More detail on this person: LAFAYETTE -
Funeral services will be held on Monday,
September 15, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. at First Baptist
Church in downtown Lafayette for Vernon E. Albert,
72, who passed away on September 11, 2014 after
a long battle with cancer.
Visitation with the family will be on Sunday,
September 14 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Delhomme
Funeral Home on Bertrand Drive, Lafayette and at
11:00 a.m. until time of service on Monday,
September 15 at First Baptist Church. The burial
will follow the service at Lafayette Memorial Park
Cemetery. A resident of Lafayette for over 40
years, Vernon was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania
on March 31, 1942 to the late Sarah P. and Carl H.
Albert. The son of an Army officer, Vernon lived
in Germany for six years starting in the late
1940's before his family settled in San Antonio,
Texas.
Shortly after graduating from Douglas MacArthur
High School and attending San Antonio Jr. College
for two years, he went to work for the Army
and
Air Force Exchange Services, which eventually
took him to Fort Polk, Louisiana where he met his
future wife in August 1962. In 1963, Vernon
decided to enlist in the United States Army. When
Vernon went to New Orleans to take the Army
recruitment test, the helicopter flight school
program first opened up and he decided to stay a
couple of extra days to take the test. He was
sworn into the Army on Good Friday, 1963 by his
father and recruiting sergeant. According to the
sergeant, Vernon was the first pilot to join the
Army to go directly to helicopter flight school
and then into combat. While home on Christmas
leave from flight school in 1963, Vernon and
Reatha were married.
Upon completion of flight school at Fort Rucker,
Alabama, Vernon was assigned to Vietnam as a
combat helicopter pilot. While serving in Vietnam,
he accumulated over 1000 combat flight hours and
2408 combat sortie hours. His service in Vietnam
earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross for
volunteering for a middle of the night mission to
rescue Army advisors who were trapped in hostile
territory with no means of escape. He was also
awarded several Air Medals and the Vietnam Cross
of Gallantry for valor. He completed his Army
career as a combat flight instructor at Fort
Rucker, Alabama and was honorably discharged in
1967.
In 1967, Vernon joined Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
(PHI) as a helicopter line pilot. Earning his way
to upper management, he served in management for
19 years and held the position of Vice
President/Chief Pilot for 10 of those years.
Vernon took every opportunity to serve the
helicopter industry, not the least of which was
being invited by NASA to fly as a guest test pilot
in their microwave landing system tests in the
late 1970's and early 1980's. Also during this
time, Vernon had the opportunity to fly as an
invited guest test pilot with Allison Detroit
Diesel Aviation Engine Division. This project
involved numerous flight test hours on enhanced
engine performance and during which time he
established three helicopter world speed records,
which he still holds today.
Vernon was a long time member of Helicopter
Association International (HAI), the association
that manages the international helicopter
industry. In the late 1980's, Vernon was elected
by industry peers to six years of service to the
HAI
international board of directors, serving one of
those years as chairman of the
board. In 1995, HAI awarded Vernon the highest
honor the industry has for service, the Lawrence
D. Bell Memorial Award.
In 1994, Vernon retired from PHI and formed Albert
& Associates, Inc., an aviation consulting firm
servicing oil, insurance and aviation companies to
enhance the safety of their programs. He was
qualified in courts across the country as an
aviation expert. However, one of the highlights of
his career was the contract to work with the FAA
in establishing the low altitude flight routes and
the heliport system throughout the Atlanta area
for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Vernon's
career took him around the world, filling three
passports along the way.
Vernon spent his spare time with his family and
supporting his children and
grandchildren in their endeavors. He coached girls
soccer in Lafayette for 10 years, including 6
years with a select team that won five state
championships and was first runner-up at the US
Youth regional tournament in 1989. He assisted in
coaching the Comeaux High School girls soccer
team to the 1993 state championship.
If Vernon were to choose to be remembered in any
capacity, he said it would be that he was a man
who loved the Lord, who believed in family,
prayer, and divine guidance. He was faithful
member of First Baptist Church, Lafayette for over
forty years where he served as a deacon, was a
member of the same Sunday School class since
1973 and volunteered in several ministries over
the years.
Vernon will be greatly missed by his wife of over
50 years, Reatha Albert; his two children, Jeff
Albert and his wife, Dr. Jennifer Miles, and
Andrea Albert and her husband, Chip Carriere; and
his grandchildren, Jessica, Emily, Jordan, Blake
and Austin, who affectionately called him "Pop."
He is also survived by his sisters, Isabel Meloni
and her husband, Louis, of San Antonio, TX and
Joyce Rodgers of Enterprise, AL and his
brother-in-law, Nolan Richardson and wife Bess of
Lake Charles, LA, and sisters-in-law, Gloria
Grogger and husband Dean of Overland Park, KS
and Rhetta Johnston and husband Tom, of Prairie
Village, KS along with numerous nieces and
nephews, an uncle and several cousins.
Vernon loved to spend time with his family and
found it a privilege to take care of them. He and
Reatha created a home where everyone was
welcome. He was kind and humble and exemplified
the fruit of the spirit (Galations 5:22-23). His
family and friends will miss his gentle spirit,
his big heart, his willingness to serve others,
and his homemade ice cream.
Pallbearers will be his son, Jeff Albert;
son-in-law, Chip Carriere; his grandsons, Jordan
and Austin Carriere and Blake Johnson; and his
brother-in-law, Nolan Richardson. The honorary
pallbearers are the deacons of First Baptist
Church, Lafayette.
The family would like to thank the medical staff
at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, Dr.
James Cole, Dr. Jason Shumadine, Dr. Edward
Breaux, Hospice of Acadiana and his nurse, Iggy
Landry. In lieu of flowers, please consider a
donation to the Miles Perret Cancer Services, 2130
Kaliste Saloom Rd., Suite 200, Lafayette, LA
70508, MD Anderson Cancer Center for research,
P.O. Box 4486
Houston, Texas 77210-4486, or Hospice of
Acadiana, 2600 Johnston St., Suite 200, Lafayette,
LA 70503 or on their website at
www.HospiceAcadiana.com.
Personal condolences may be sent to the Albert
family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association