HUTCHISON WILLIAM R #2

CPT William "Hutch" R Hutchison was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 03/12/2016 at the age of 83.0
Grady, NM
Flight Class 64-6W
Date of Birth 03/16/1933
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with AIR AMERICA in 66-74
This information was provided by Sammie Williams

More detail on this person: William R. Hutchison was born in Wheatland, NM on March 16, 1933, passed away on March 12, 2016, at 82 years. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Charles R Hutchison who was only 2 days old; parents, Charles Hutchison and Florence Murdick Hutchison; sisters, Viola H Thomas and Pauline H Smith; brothers, Charles, James & Albert Hutchison.

He is survived by his wife, Carol Blankenship Hutchison after being married 59 years; sons, Wes and Joel Hutchison; nieces, Susan Smith Engle and Karen Hutchison; nephews, Rodney Smith, Karl and Charles Hutchison; and his many loving cousins and friends.

Services will be conducted by his cousin, Rick Hutchison, at Muffley Funeral Home Chapel, on Saturday, March 19, 2016, at 1 pm. William will be laid to rest at the Grady Cemetery, located near his childhood home.

William was the youngest of six children and grew up on a wheat farm in New Mexico. He may have been the little brother but he was very much a giant in many people's lives. After he met his wonderful wife Carol, he pursued his dream and took his family with him to where ever the job was. William's first job as a pilot had him flying a helicopter to lay cable up Sandia Peak for the tramway. His next job was for Air America which resulted in him taking the family to live in Thailand for 9 years.

He flew rescue and covert missions in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. He worked closely with the CIA with mission planning and coordinating for the war effort. He had many, many close calls in which his aircraft was hit multiple times by gunfire and he survived crash landings. He received an accommodation from the Air Force for finding and rescuing two of their F-4 fighter pilots who had been shot down. His bravery performing his job would save lives and serve his country. Most people would be surprised that William lived and worked in so many places from New Mexico to Alabama, Florida, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Venezuela, Surinam, China, The Bahamas, Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Nome, Alaska. He commented how beautiful the Northern Lights were dancing overhead while he was flying at about 10,000 feet and 40 degrees below zero. Incredible. Whenever asked, the children were always so proud to say "My Dad's a Pilot". William could never truly appreciate how much he enriched their lives with his experience, intelligence, wit and drive. They saw him as FEARLESS!

Arrangements have been entrusted to Muffley Funeral Home. 575 762-4435 muffleyfuneralhome.com

Published in the Clovis News Journal on Mar. 15, 2016

Burial: Grady City Cemetery, Grady, Curry County, New Mexico, USA

Burial information: Grady City Cemetery, Grady, NM

This information was last updated 05/18/2016

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


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