Remembering Williams and Elbracht

I didn't sleep well last night. 
Yesterday I made a phone call that was 29years over due.  I called the father of my wingman WO1 Ken Williams.
 I called because I couldn't bring myself to write. 
I thought I would be ableto handle it better on the phone rather than an impersonal and awkward letter.

John Cashwell had met Helen and Roy Williams about 2 weeks ago.  They talked about Ken and the circumstances of his death.  The Williams brought out an old letter from Major Swindell.  Major Swindell had written to explain about
Kens death.  He said Ken had not suffered and in that letter he mentioned Kenwas the wingman of Mike Rasbury. 
John didn't realize that there was any connection with me till that moment.
 He told them he was still in touch withme and I would probably be glad to write them a letter.

John called and explained the situation.  He asked about Kens death.
 I told him that we had been busting bunkers located by the scouts when they started taking fire. 
After a couple of runs Ken shouted that his engine had been shot out and he was going down.
 Ken was at 800 feet, just at the top of his pull out. 
We all looked up at his ship. The rotor blades had all but stopped.  
His voice told it all. 
He was going in and he had no control.

He hit the trees flat.  The Cobra, that had recently been rearmed and refueled, just blew up. 
Jim Ormsbee was a scout door-gunner that day and was the first on to the ship. 
There was nothing to do.  The fire was intense and the rockets and ammo were cooking off. 
Later a ground force was able to recover the bodies of WO1 Ken Williams and his pete 1lt William Elbracht. 

A D Troop 3/5 Cav memorial service is something to behold.
A small folding table with a white covering. 
Two yellow scarfs with crossed sabers on top of them, then a Gray Stetson hat on top of each scarf. 
The unit surrounds the table on 3 sides in platoon formation. 
A missing ship formation flies overhead while an unseen bugler plays Taps.

I'll never forget.