More detail on this person: My dad seemed to
be able to party with the best of them and one of
his friends was LTC Kirklighter. On New Ears day
1969 my dad had some friend over to watch a
football game and one of them was LTC Kirklighter.
I was still a senior in HS and I had a little
Yamaha 100cc motorcycle. Well, at some point
that afternoon LTC Kirtlighter came out onto our
carport and asked me if he could ride my Yamaha
and I said, "NO". Well, a few minutes he returned
later with my dad and I was told to let him ride
my Yamaha. This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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03/10/2024
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So I started it up, and without letting them see,
I turned off the fuel valve with my knee and COL
Kirk hops on and disappears around the corner. A
quarter hour went by when he returned pushing my
'cycle saying it won't stay started. Again, with
my knee, I turned the fuel valve back on and
started it and took a spin around the block.
Later that night I 'fessed up to my dad what I had
done. Fast forward two years and I am now a WO
Huey Slick driver in Vietnam and I saw this
colonel walking towards me and it was COL Kirk.
He pointed at me and said jokingly, "I'll get even
with you, Mister".
Just a note. My father told me about COL
Kirklighters death from a heart attack. He also
told me he had a son who was a USAF Captain
pilot who also had died of the same type heart
attack. Apparently my mother and Mrs. Kirklight
were good friends and remained in contact over the
years.
From: Tom Nadeau