More detail on this person: It is with great
sadness that I inform you of Mike Wheeler's
passing. Yesterday he was giving a private pilot
rotary wing check ride to a student. After
entering autorotation the engine did not come back
on line. He,in his typical style, maneuvered the
aircraft away from a populated area so that it
landed in the woods. He was lost in the process,
the student survived. Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
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I flew with Mike in Korea for two years is some
very challenging conditions. He was always cool
and calm, the safest pilot I ever flew with. We
became very close friends and grew to enjoy
hunting. We hunted pheasants in Korea and later
South Dakota. He was an original member of the
core SD hunt group.
Mike was a very young warrant officer in RVN.
Mike Sloniker, his ops officer at the time, says
that he was one brave man. Knowing Mike like I
did I can truly believe it.
Please remember him over this Memorial Holiday.
We can tell stories about him around the outdoor
fire in SD.
John Binkley
Our unit, A 229th 71-72 , 1st Cav, stays in
contact and is at cc. Blue Max, our gun cover, F
Battery 79th ARA are also at CC. We would not be
here today had it not been for the steady, on time
accuracy of Blue Max.
Mike came to our unit as an incountry transfer
when the 101st stood down Jan 72. He was a
B-101 Kingsmen. He and many other incountry
transfers brought to our unit a high level of
experience in flying in the mountainous regions of
I Corps.
As a 19 year old farm boy from upstate NY, Mike
showed up with a load of confidence and
professionalism. ALWAYS could rely on him when
I was Ops officer of A 229. Bravery was common
place in A 229th because we flew the ARVN into
the surrounded city of An Loc, see pictures.
Young and stupid also played a big part. Mike was
in the lift that made the famous picture(
attached). Yellow 2 with his AC Chad Richmond.
In October 2009 at the retirement of the Huey
ceremony at Ft Myer, Mike showed up and it was
the last time I saw him. Bruce Crandall, MOH A
229 Nov 65, was the guest speaker. We are very
proud of Bruce Crandall. He brought A 229 over
from Benning in 65, the unit got the Presidential
Unit Citation, Pleiku Campaign, and we got the
PUC, Easter Offensive 72. The ONLY VN Aviation
BN to get the PUC twice.
Mike was an amazing, and incredibly humble
person. At the time of his death he was still
flying and still passing flight physicals. He
went down doing what he did best.
Never Forget.
From: Mike Sloniker
Michael J. Wheeler, age 58, Watertown, New York,
passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, May 26,
2010, as a result of an aircraft accident in
Boxborough, MA.
Mike was born in March of 1952 in the City of
Norwich, NY to Corda Wheeler and the late Ralph
Wheeler. He attended South New Berlin Central
School, where he was known as Jamie, graduating
with the Class of 1970. Mike received a Bachelor's
Degree in Professional Aeronautics ent from
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Dayton
Beach, FL in 1986.
Mike entered the Army in 1970, graduating from
Warrant Officer Candidate School in 1971. He
married Barbara Voorhis in South New Berlin, NY
on April 4, 1971. Their life in the Army took them
to Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Ft.
Wainwright, Alaska, Ft. Wadsworth, Staten Island
and Ft. Rucker, Alabama. Mike also served two
tours in South Korea. During his time in the
military, he received numerous awards and
commendations including the Legion of Merit, the
Purple Heart, and the Air Medal with V Device. He
retired from the military with the rank of Chief
Warrant Officer 4 in 1991 after 21 years of
service as an Army Helicopter Pilot and Flight
Instructor. He had been an active member of the
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association for the past
15 years.
After his retirement, Mike worked in Charlotte, NC
and Marshfield, WI as an EMS Pilot for Air
Methods, Inc. based in Denver, Colorado. He
became their Chief Pilot in 2000. He was employed
as a Flight Safety Inspector for the Federal
Aviation Administration, in the Boston, MA office
at the time of his death.
Mike liked to hunt, was an avid history buff but
his greatest love was being with his family,
particularly his four-year old grandson.
Mike is survived by his wife, Barbara, his
daughter and her husband, Erin and Matthew
Steffeck; one grandchild, Roman Steffeck,
Woodville, Wisconsin; his mother, Corda Wheeler,
South New Berlin, NY; a brother and his wife, Paul
and Brenda Wheeler, Norwich, NY; two nephews,
Todd Wheeler, Greene, NY and Ira Wheeler, New
Berlin, NY; an aunt, Louise Leach, Maryland,
NY.
Funeral services for Mike will be held at 11:00
a.m., Friday, June 4th, at the First Baptist
Church in South New Berlin. The Rev. Barry Davis,
Pastor of the First Baptist Church of South New
Berlin and Rev. Kurt Funke will officiate. Burial
will be in the Arlington National Cemetery at a
later date. Family and friends are welcome at the
R.J.Fahy Funeral Home, 116 No. Broad St.,
Norwich, NY on Thursday, June 3rd from 6:00 to
8:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in
his name to the Wounded Warrior Project, 7020 AC
Skinner Pkwy, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32256
(or online at www.woundedwarrior.org).