More detail on this person: WINGO, RONALD
DARWIN Age 73, of Warrior, died May 13, 2013 in
Birmingham, Alabama. He was born on December
31, 1939 in Sipsey, Alabama in Walker County to
the late James E. Wingo and the late Lucille
Hatcher. At a very young age, he moved with his
mother to Rockford, Illinois where upon
graduation, he immediately volunteered for
military duty, serving in combat beginning in 1964
as a member of the 1st Special Forces Group in
Vietnam. Between tours, he was stationed in
Okinawa, Japan where he met his wife, marrying in
1967. In 1969, after several tours of duty in
Vietnam, he received orders to attend the U.S.
Army Warrant Officer Candidate School and
attended the flight training program in Fort
Rucker, Alabama. Upon graduation, he returned to
service in Okinawa, finally returning to the U.S.
in 1975 with his wife and three young children,
residing in Fayetteville, NC until 1980 when he
retired from active military service as a Chief
Warrant Officer (CW3) with the 82nd Airborne
Division. Still young and full of adventure, he
began his civilian career as a helicopter pilot,
ferrying men and equipment to oil derricks in the
Gulf of Mexico with Air Logistics from bases in
Louisiana and Texas until 1984. Two years after
moving his family back home to Empire in Walker
County Alabama, he began a new career in 1984
saving lives as a helicopter pilot for Carraway
Methodist Medical Center's LifeSaver air ambulance
service. After retiring as LifeSaver's Chief Pilot
in 2000, he spent his final 12 years tending to
his house and yard in Warrior, eagerly
anticipating the annual Special Forces reunions
from Tampa Bay to Seattle, Washington to catch
up with old friends and brothers-in-arms, enjoying
their company and reminiscing. He leaves behind
his wife of 46 years, Fumiko (Kawamistu) Wingo,
three children: Brett (wife Cindy), Katharine and
Linda Wingo, two brothers: Tony and Rex Wingo,
four nephews: Ryan and Blake Wingo (Tony and
Gail Wingo), Alan and Stephen Wingo (Rex and
Tina Wingo), five grandchildren: Abbi Brown, Cody
Small, Houston Wingo, Harrison Wingo and Hudson
Wingo and a dwindling family of Veterans, an elite
band of brothers who will miss him dearly. Per his
requests, the funeral services will be simple, no
open casket service. His cremated remains will be
interred in the columbarium at the National
Cemetery in Montevallo, Alabama (3133 Alabama
Hwy 119, Montevallo, Alabama 35115) in a service
with full military honors at 1:15 pm CST on
Thursday, May 23. The family will host an informal
gathering and reunion for friends, family and
acquaintances on Wednesday, May 22 from 6 to 9
pm at the Fairfield Inn Reception Room (1795
Morris Ave, Fultondale, AL 35068), to pay our
respects and celebrate his life with food, drink
and remembrances. In lieu of flowers, per his
requests, please make a donation to the Special
Forces Association at P.O. Box 41436,
Fayetteville, NC 28309 or online at
www.specialforcesassociation.org.
Published in The Birmingham News from May 15 to
May 17, 2013
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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