More detail on this person: Colonel David
(Dave) A. Measels, United States Army (Retired)
made his final flight into the clouds on July 26,
2014 in Gainesville, Florida.
A memorial service will be held at the
Interdenominational Worship Center (6470 W
County Rd. 476, Bushnell, FL, 33513) on August
11, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. A prior viewing and
visitation will be conducted at 12:00 p.m. Burial
will be at the Florida National Cemetery (6502 SW
102nd Ave., Bushnell, FL 33513) at 2:30 p.m..
He was preceded in death by his father, Louis
David Measels, and two of his sons, David Arlen
Measels, Jr. and Robert Louis Measels. Surviving
Dave are his loving and devoted wife of over 46
years, Kim Phung Measels; his eldest son, Drew
Thanh Measels and his wife Kristi, both residents
of South Jordan, Utah; and his sister, Mary Diane
Vesty of Orange, Texas. He is also survived by
three grandchildren: Elizabeth Joyce Fleming of
Louisville, Kentucky, Haley Morgan Measels and
Max Andrew Measels who reside with their parents,
Drew and Kristi Measels, all of South Jordan,
Utah. In addition to his immediate family, Dave
has a very wonderful extended family in Mo Cay,
Vietnam and many great friends located throughout
the United States.
Dave was born in Beaumont, Texas on October 6,
1941. He graduated from South Park High School in
1959, attended Lamar University, and enlisted in
the U.S. Army in 1961. He was commissioned as
an Infantry officer through the Officer Candidate
School at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1963. Dave
married the former Kim Phung Nguyen, from Mo
Cay, Vietnam, on December 31, 1967, while he was
serving as a helicopter pilot with the 120th
Aviation Company, having the radio call sign of
"Deans", and based at Tan Son Nhat Air Base
located in Saigon, Vietnam. While serving in the
Army, Dave received his Bachelor of Science
degree from the University of Tampa in 1972 and a
Master of Science degree from the Florida
Institute of Technology in 1980.
Dave commanded three Army companies, two
battalions, and the brigade level 2d Infantry
Division Support Command in Korea. As an Army
helicopter pilot, he accumulated almost 2500 hours
of helicopter flight time of which 1600 were
combat hours in Vietnam and 600 hours were as an
instructor pilot in Vietnam and at Fort Wolters,
Texas.
His military awards and decorations include the
Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Superior
Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious
Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Air
Medal for Valor (with 35 Oak Leaf Clusters for
Service), Army Commendation Medal, Air Force
Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Senior Army
Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge, Expert
Infantryman Badge, and the Army Staff
Identification Badge. His military service took
him to Korea twice, Germany, Vietnam twice, and
eight states in the United States. After serving
as the Deputy Director and then as the Director of
Plans and Operations, Office of the Deputy Chief
of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, Department
of the Army during his second tour at the
Pentagon, Dave ended his Army career as an
Ordnance Corps officer with the rank of colonel in
1992.
In the civil sector, Dave worked as a senior
logistics analyst for three different defense
contractors located in the National Capital Region
until he retired from Science Applications
International Corporation in 2001.
Dave was a member of the Vietnam Helicopter
Pilots Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Association, the Ordnance Corps Association, and
the Military Officers Association of America.
Dave and Kim relocated from Springfield, Virginia
to Port Neches, Texas in 2001 and in 2002 they
completed their dream home in Waterwood Estates
on Cow Bayou in Orange County just east of Bridge
City, Texas. They spent their retirement years
traveling the United States and making frequent
visits to Vietnam. Dave recalls his 20 months of
Vietnam War service with the 120th Aviation
Company from 1966 to 1968 with the myriad of
great officer and warrant officer pilots, and the
crew chiefs, door gunners, and maintenance folks
who pulled it all together in the "Best of Times
in the Worst of Times."
Dave will be remembered for his selfless military
service to our Nation for over 31 years, as a
loving and devoted husband and father, and a loyal
and true friend to all.
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