|
A Maritime Tribute to a Warrior and a Friend
by Dick Brauer
Colonel, USAF (Ret)
|
 |
At noon on Thursday, December 16, 1999, the
Hurlburt Field Chapel was filled to capacity with the family, friends and
compatriots of a fallen hero, Colonel Richard A. "Dick" Dutton
who passed away on Sunday, December 12, 1999.
Yes, Dick Dutton was indeed
a hero and a friend for me and for so many others. Those that attended the
Memorial Service in Dick's honor know only too well how moving and
appropriate a ceremony it was and how much he was loved and respected by
so many people. What he gave of himself for his country as a career Air
Force officer, a Prisoner-of War, an educator and a humanitarian has been
acknowledged by so many, I will not repeat those words again here, only
because I could not say it any better.
Following the service inside the
Chapel, the attendees moved to the Hurlburt Airpark for a military honors
ceremony and an F-15 fly-by performed by Dick's former squadron, the
333rd Fighter
Squadron, from
Seymour-Johnson A.F.B. North Carolina. Even as a former aviator,
I could not help but feel chills run from my neck to the base of my
spine as the flight of four F-15 Eagles arrived directly above the Airpark
and one suddenly broke from the formation and streaked vertically toward
the heavens in full afterburner. At that moment I knew that Colonel Dick
Dutton, similarly "broke the surly bonds" of earth and was truly
in the cockpit of that Eagle jet in spirit, with firm and steady hands on
the throttles and the stick. That solo "Eagle driver" may not
have known it but he was not alone. Dick was flying that fighter!
What a few of us experienced later that
afternoon, is really what I wish to tell you about in this article. For
you see the Chapel and Airpark Memorial Services, as moving as they were,
did not mark the finale of the tribute by his family and his friends to
Colonel Dick Dutton. Some of us were privileged to participate in a
maritime ceremony just outside the Destin East Pass, on our emerald green
waters during the waning afternoon hours on Thursday. It was Dick's wish
that his ashes be scattered from the stern of his boat, "Fish
Tale", upon the ocean that he loved so dearly. As a conservationist,
Dick both preached and practiced the Catch and Release method as an active
member of the
Fort Walton Beach Sailfish Club, where he served as
treasurer for many years.
The idea for a flotilla of boats to
accompany Dick's wife Jean and her family in their boat was conceived and
organized by Colonel "Woody" Kimsey, USAF (Ret), also a member
of the club, a friend and a neighbor. Earlier in the day I had been
honored to be asked to be a member of Woody's "crew". Eight of
us, to include active duty and retired officers who had served with Dick,
boarded Woody's 32 ft Sport Fisherman, the Pastime II, at Ben's Lake
Marina and motored to the rendezvous point in the vicinity of the Fort
Walton Beach Yacht Club and Shalimar bridge. By about 3:30 PM, seven boats
had arrived and after some
brief radio chatter for coordination, our "flotilla" departed
for the Destin East Pass in line astern formation.
As he had blessed our nation by giving
us Dick Dutton, God smiled upon this event as well, for the water was
calm, the weather was cool and the ocean was clear. As I stood on the
flying bridge of the Pastime II, I felt totally at peace with the world,
enjoying the cool sea air, the serenity of the setting sun and the
conversation and "war stories" with my friends. As we approached
the Destin Bridge and slowed to idle speed in the channel, yet another
three boats, berthed in Destin, joined onto the tail end our formation,
bringing our total to ten. Including Dick's boat (Fish
Tale), and Woody's
Pastime II, our "funeral fleet" (all sport fisherman) consisted
of Jus Jukin', Full Pull, Bottom Line, Aquaholic, Big
Blue, Misty, Voyager and (very appropriate for the occasion)…High
Flight.
I could not help but wonder if a funeral procession of gleaming
white boats such as these had ever passed beneath the Destin Bridge
anytime in the past in honor of a fallen hero. After proceeding through
the Pass the formation broke up and slowed to a stop, circling the Fish
Tale. At precisely 1600 hours (4:00PM) the Fisherman's Prayer was recited for
all to hear and Dick's wish was fulfilled and his ashes scattered upon the
waves by his family.
As our lives were truly enriched by Dick Dutton, the
ocean is now also that much richer by his presence. As our
"formation" broke up and we headed back to safe harbor, my
friends and I on board the Pastime II raised our glasses in salute and
said goodbye to our fellow Warrior…Colonel Dick Dutton…Godspeed, fly
high and good fishing.
"Bravo Zulu" my friend…(Navy
parlance for Well Done!)
