OVERHAMM DIRICK C

LTC Dirick "Dick" C. Overhamm was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 11/12/2010 at the age of 78.8 from Home accident
Glendale, AZ
Flight Classes 56-8FW and 63-1Q
Date of Birth 01/14/1932
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with 18 AVN in 63, 174 AHC in 66-67, MACV in 72
Call sign in Vietnam SHARK 6
This information was provided by Martin F. Heuer, Mary Jane Bish, obituary

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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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


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