onebob

I realized it been 60 years since CP. Gary L Herod was killed guiding his aircraft down from a engine flame out in preventing it from crashing into the houses below. It was the early morning 2-3AM March 15, 1961 We lived on Jackwood St. close to Renwick and all were woken the early morning by sound of something exploding. My father was out of town on business at the time but my mother got up and got into the car and drove down Renwick towards the bayou. She came of back hours later and explaining a plane had cash down by the bayou. She had found CP. Herod wallet in the field and gave it to the police but said he was laying on the north side on the cement surface of the bayou and was quit upset of what she saw. Being a nine year old youngster and with my kid friends went down to the crash location after school and saw the jet tail section. At that time Renwick stop at Lock Lomond Dr. and pass that was a dirt road and deep ditch to the west that emptied into the bayou. This area was a empty field area all the way to the bayou but a large forest of tall tree just near to the bayou that ran east to west. At the time east of Renwick was empty fields also. When we came upon the crash site it was approximant maybe 100-150 feet east from the dirt road and ditch but could see the remains of a jet tail section extruding up and out of the ground but slightly titled to the west being the front remaining section was buried in deep. Bit and pieces of glass from the canopy was about and melted metal at the immediate site. The remains of the wreckage was removed days later. I offend thought about Captain Gary L Herod every time when I drive near around the site or in the old neighborhood. What it must have been as he leaving Ellington AFB heading to San Antonio that early morning and having a flame out loosing propulsion and looking down into the dark and the dilemma to glide back or how to put his aircraft down without causing any ground causalities. His guidance was street lights and darkness.