More detail on this person: LTC Dirick Carl
"Dick" Overhamm, 78, died Friday, Nov. 12, 2010 at
St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix surrounded by his
loving family to whom he was especially devoted
and inspirational. His presence will be sorely
missed by family and his many friends.
Dick was born Jan. 14, 1932, in Teaneck, N. J. to
the late W. J. and Rosa M. Overhamm. He was the
consummate soldier, serving in the U.S. Army for
20 years, from private to lieutenant colonel, with
three combat tours in Vietnam as a helicopter
pilot, the most important to him being the 174th
Assault Helicopter Company.
Dick is survived by his wife, Toni; sons: Eric
(Dina) of Gilbert and Christopher of Glendale; two
grandchildren: Syerra and Dominic; and stepson
Damian Sinka. He was preceded in death by his
parents.
Services will be conducted Monday, Nov. 22, at
West Valley Chapel, 9380 W. Peoria Ave., Peoria,
AZ. In lieu of flowers and plants, the family
prefers memorials in the name to Guide Dogs for
the Blind at PO Box 3950, San Rafael, Calif.
94912-3950.
From: White Mountain Independent
Dick graduated from the University of Maryland
with a BS in Dairy Husbandry. He enlisted in the
Army on 1 November 1954 and after basic and
advanced engineer training, he attended Infantry
OCS, and commissioned a second lieutenant in
1955, followed by Ranger School. He was awarded
the silver wings of an Army Aviator upon
graduating from fixed-wing training with Class
56-8 at Spence Air Base, Moutrie, GA. He was
assigned to the 25th Aviation Company in Hawaii
where he was OIC of both the Army Rescue and
Aerial Delivery Teams. He attended the five-week
U.S. Navy SCUBA Diving School at Pearl Harbor
Submarine Base in 1959, the first Army officer so
qualified. He served a ground duty tour as XO,
Combat Support Company and S-4, 39th Infantry
Battle Group, 4th ID at Fort Lewis, WA. While on
ground duty, he attended the Air Transportability
Planning Course at Fort Eustis, VA and the Combat
Surveillance Radar Course at Fort Huachuca, AZ.
Dick returned to flight status with the 4th
Aviation Co, 4th ID at Fort Lewis. He completed
the FW Instrument Qualification Course conducted
by Ross Aviation in Oakland, CA. He next attended
the Officers Rotary-Wing Qualification Course at
Fort Wolters, TX from 3 August to 28 September
1962 with Class 63-1Q. He then attended a
transition course to become qualified to fly the
CH-37B Mojave at Fort Sill, OK en route to Korea
to serve with the 19th Transportation Company, 8th
Army. While there, he attended the USAF Open
Sea Survival School in Japan and spent a TDY tour
in RVN flying the Mojave recovering downed
aircraft. Dick returned to the states to attend
the Infantry Advanced Course at Fort Benning, GA
and then was assigned as Operations Officer, 5th
Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, NC. He was
reassigned on 15 November 1965 to the 174th
Aviation Company at Fort Benning, the unit being
organized and trained for transfer to RVN, where
he served in the gun platoon. When Dick arrived
with the 174th at Lane AHP, 12 miles west of Qui
Nhon, he wrote a letter to BG Robert L. Scott the
former fighter commander of the China Air Task
Force, also known as the Flying Tigers, to
request permission to use the Sharks Teeth of the
Flying Tigers on the nose of the 174th gunships.
Bob Scott wrote to Major Overhamm on 28 June
1966, granting permission and the UH-1Cs were
promptly decorated, making the unit the only one
in Vietnam with authorization to do so. Dick
commanded the Shark platoon until reassigned as
the Liaison Officer to the Capitol ROK Division,
headquartered adjacent to Lane AHP. Dick
returned to the states in March 1967 to Hunter
Army Airfield in Savannah, GA where he served as
an instructor, flight commander and safety officer
and later as Commander, Academic and Synthetic
Training Division for both U.S. and VNAF aviators.
He served his third tour in Vietnam during 1971-72
with the J-3 Section, MACV in Saigon. From
1973-74 he served with the Department of Aerial
Surveillance, Systems Operation and Maintenance
for the OV-1 Mohawk program at Fort Huachuca,
AZ. He retired on 30 November 1074 in the grade
of lieutenant colonel after 20 years military
service. He was awarded the Legion of Merit,
Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal,
Meritorious Service Medal w/OLC, Air Medal with V
and numeral 13, Joint Service Commendation
Medal, Army Commendation Medal with V and
OLC, and other service medals and badges. After
his retirement, Dick began building a home of
considerable size on property in Show Low, AZ,
mainly by himself with a minimum of tools. He
fell 15 from the roof of this nearly completed
home while winterizing it and died two days later
of internal injuries.
Survived by his wife, Elaine ("Toni"); his sons,
Eric (Dina), Gilbert, AZ, and Christopher,
Glendale, AZ; two grandchildren: Syerra and
Dominic; and stepson Damian Sinka,
Services were conducted at West Valley Chapel,
Peoria, AZ on 22 November. His family has his
cremated remains.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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