More detail on this person: I received a call
this morning from Janet Owens. Max is in hospice
care at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. His
liver and kidneys are failing rapidly. Physicians
anticipate he will only live a couple more days.
Many of you remember Max as a well-known Army
aviator. Some of you worked with us as military
contractors after the military. I have known Max
since I was ten years old when we lived in the
same neighborhoods at Fort Bragg and afterwards
in Fayetteville, NC. He and my brother were high
school friends. Max was a "High School to Flight
School" (Warrant Officer Program) pilot who was
sent to Vietnam right after flight school
graduation. He was shot down while attempting to
land to medevac wounded soldiers from a
battlefield. Max was wounded and badly injured in
the crash. He received the Purple Heart. Another
crewmember was killed. Max was supposed to
convalesce for an extended period afterwards but
insisted on returning to flying sooner than he
should have. He was also the recipient of the
Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, many
Air Medals, and numerous other awards and
decorations during his distinguished career. In
the early eighties, Lizz and I were honored to fly
with him while assigned together in Hawaii and
Korea. Max gave Lizz her initial checkride, right
out of flight school. He has bragged about her
many times, saying that it was one of the best
checkrides he has ever given. That was when
women first started being allowed to fly in the
military. While some male chauvinist aviators
struggled with that, Max strongly supported the
induction of female military aviators. As a
Division Standardization Instructor Pilot, Max
showed up at my unit on a couple of occasions to
give me no-notice checkrides. He did not take it
easy on me because of our personal relationship.
It was exactly the opposite. In the late
nineties, we served together in Washington D.C.,
where I had the honor of speaking at his
retirement ceremony. After the military, we
continued serving together as military contractors
at U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB (Tampa)
FL. Max is a hero, a friend, and a brother. We
have heavy hearts today. Please include him and
his family in your prayers. Burial information: Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, CO
This information was last updated 07/02/2017
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
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Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
From: Ed Owen
The funeral for Max Owens will be held Monday,
February 27th at 2:30 at the Fort Logan National
Cemetery, 4400 W Kenyon Avenue, Denver,
Colorado. There will be a Celebration of Life,
Saturday, February 25th at 1:00 at Max's home, 56
Anderson Drive, Sedalia, Colorado. In lieu of
flowers, the family recommends donations be made
to the Army Aviation Museum Foundation in
memoriam of CW5 Max Owens, Aviation, U.S.
Army-Retired, online at armyaviationmuseum.org or
mailed to Army Aviation Museum Foundation,
Building 6000 Novosel Street, Fort Rucker,
Alabama 36362. The Army Aviation Museum
Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
All donations are tax deductible.