More detail on this person: Mike Hammer was a member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the
VHPA & USMC Combat Helicopter Association (also know as Popasmoke).
Born Jan 14, 1940 in Guernsey, Iowa, he died Jan 19, 2012 at home in Lakewood, Colorado. Mike
graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Business Administration. After Marine OCS,
Mike attended the Navy Flight School at Pensacola, Florida. He flew two tours in RVN, on his first
tour with HMM-263, he flew CH-34's. On the second tour, he flew a UHIE gunships with HML-167. His
Air Medals had the numerals 63 along with a bronze star for valor. As a section/division leader in
HML-167, Mike often lead missions deep into Laos & North Vietnam on the Mission Prairie Fire
(Prairie Fire was also know as Mission # 72). Mike then flew the President of the United States
with HMX-1.
After leaving the USMC in 1975, Mike moved to Lakewood, CO and joined the Environmental Protection
Agency, for 25 years. He also worked for FEMA on many different emergencies.
Rick Beaver, Gary Heurelle, Fred Lyssy, Jim McNamee & Walter Wise of the Rocky Mountain Chapter
of the VHPA attended Mike's services, they were conducted by Mike's brother-in-law the Reverend Ray
HInsch, himself a former CH-46 pilot in RVN with HMM-161 in 1970.
Mike is survived by his wife of 51 years, Kathryn. They have three children Robert, Susan & Jon,
and 5 grandchildren. Also survived by his two sisters: Janus & Carol, and brother: Norman. Mike
will be deeply missed.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 01/11/2025
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