More detail on this person: Lt. Col. Herbert W. R. Banks, U.S. Army (Ret.) went home to be with the Lord on June 1, 2020, while rehabilitating at the Charlotte Hall Veteran Home in St. Mary's County MD. He was 90. "Herb" as he was so affectionately known by his wife and friends was born to the late Luther and Mary Banks of Amissville, Va. Mr. Banks joined the U.S. Army at an early age and became a Paratrooper. He attended flight school and became a pilot. He served two tours in Vietnam and as a Commander of an assault helicopter company, he was shot down twice. He flew over 8000 hours and over 1100 hours in hostile combat fire. He was one of the few African Americans who attended the Army's Command and General Staff College, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. After retiring from the U.S. Army, he joined the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as a field aviation accident investigator. Mr. Banks received a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award from the Honorable President George Bush. Mr. Banks was a faithful member of the Shiloh Baptist Church of Landover, MD where he served as a Trustee until his illness. He is survived by his beloved wife Eleanor of 45 years; daughters; Barbara, Linda, and Denise, and stepdaughter, Judy; Stepsons: Gerald (Connie) and Michael; eight Grandchildren: and a host of family and friends. A celebration of life and Interment will be on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 9 a.m., at Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Cheltenham, Maryland, Rev. Be Louis Colleton, officiating. Published in The Washington Post on Jun. 28, 2020.
Burial information: Maryland Veterans Cemetery, Cheltenham, MD
This information was last updated 07/06/2020
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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