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First one gone
codenamepaul
Member Posts: 2,931 ✭
Got an e-mail that my friend Russ died on 4 May. He was a fellow Marine and DS vet. We served together for about 3 years. A spiritual man, he was a source of guidance and advice whenever I needed it.
He suffered from lung cancer of unknown origin. Never smoked or anything. Was a minister in NC. He went to the doc early this winter with dizziness, headaches, and weight loss. Pretty much downhill from there. We kept in touch through an e-mail network of squadron buddies. Hadn't heard anything since about Feb despite many e-mails and unanswered phone calls. Turns out he went home to Maine and died there.A mutual friend of ours was in Germany when he got the voicemail from Russ's wife. He just got the message the other day.
This is the first of my squadron mates I've lost. It sucks bad.
He suffered from lung cancer of unknown origin. Never smoked or anything. Was a minister in NC. He went to the doc early this winter with dizziness, headaches, and weight loss. Pretty much downhill from there. We kept in touch through an e-mail network of squadron buddies. Hadn't heard anything since about Feb despite many e-mails and unanswered phone calls. Turns out he went home to Maine and died there.A mutual friend of ours was in Germany when he got the voicemail from Russ's wife. He just got the message the other day.
This is the first of my squadron mates I've lost. It sucks bad.
Comments
Rev. Russel D. Hande
Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home
CRESWELL, NORTH CAROLINA (April 30): Rev. Russel D. Hande, 41, of Creswell, N.C., passed away Friday, April 28, 2006, in Corinth, Maine. He was born in Trenton, Mich., on April 28, 1965, son of Harry and Evelyn Hande.
Hande rose to the rank of sergeant during 12 years in the United States Marine Corps and was a veteran of the first Persian Gulf War, serving as a helicopter crew chief on the H-46 helicopter. After leaving the Marine Corps, Russ entered the ministry and was an ordained bishop with the Church of God, Cleveland, Tenn. Russ served as an associate pastor to the congregations of the Lexington Park Church of God, Lexington Park, Md., the Park Avenue Church of God in Portland, and the Faith Temple Church of God, Belfast. At the time of his death, he was the senior pastor of the Cherry Church of God, Creswell, N.C. He was also a member of the board of directors for Souls Harbor Ministries.
Russ is predeceased by his mother, Evelyn Hande Morris; stepmother, Verna Hande; and stepfather, Wesley Morris.
He is survived by his wife, Bethany (Libby) Hande; his children, Zachary, Abigail, Hannah and Luke Hande; his father, Harry Hande; his brothers, Steve Hande and his wife, Debbie, of Monroe, Mich., Denny Hande and his wife, Carla, of Riverview, Mich., Terry Hande and his wife, Mary, of Southgate, Mich., and Ron Hande and his wife, Trina, of Brentwood, Tenn.; stepbrother Skip Roush and his wife, Lori, of Trenton, Michigan; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends are invited to call 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, at Faith Temple Church of God, Lincolnville Avenue, Belfast, where a funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 3, with Russ' father-in-law, Rev. Rick Libby, and grandfather-in-law, Rev. Ron Libby, officiating. Burial will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Corinthian Cemetery, Corinth. Those wishing to make memorial donations may do so to the Souls Harbor Ministries, PO Box 275, Corinth, ME 04427. Arrangements are under the care of Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast.
ECC, is it Gulf War Syndrome?
My God, what has the government exposed you vets to?
Dolphin, I apologize. I did not mean to edit your post. I hit the edit button instead of the quote button. Yes, my problems are gulf related...but I did not mean to hijack codename's thread. I was just wondering about his health.
I just came across this website on a search of my husband's name. My husband is Russel D. Hande, the one that you all are discussing. I would not be taking this time to reply, except that some of the information is incorrect. If you are concerned about your own health, I wanted to make sure that you had the correct facts. My husband did not have lung cancer. He had metastatic colon cancer. It spread to his lungs, liver, thoracic vertebrae, and clavicle (that we know of). They ran all sorts of tests because the first place that they found it was his lungs, but he was never a smoker. Therefore, they knew that it was not lung cancer. They traced it to his colon. He first went to the doctor because of back pain. He did not have any other symptoms. This pain was traced to a compression fracture in his T10 vertebrae. This was traced to a tumor that caused it to compressed. He did not have any other symptoms until after being diagnosed. He did look a little pale and was tired, but we did not even notice this until after his diagnosis. He died 6 months and 4 days after being diagnosed. He died on his birthday. Doctors said that it may have come from something that he was exposed to in the service, but they would never know one way or the other. He did not have a family history of cancer, but it could have been a fluke. I just wanted to make sure that you all knew what really happened, in case you were looking for similar symptoms in yourself. I would be happy to answer any other questions. Thank you all very much for your concern and your sympathy.
Sincerely,
Bethany Hande
Thank you for the correction and I'm very sorry to hear of your loss. We are all greatful for your husbands service. May God grant you peace in your time of need.
Eric
May God be with you during these trying times.
Ben
A little story- Rusty's airplane side number was 00 (called double nuts). We watched that poor bassturd test fly that aircraft for an entire cruise without flying a single mission. Could never get the engines set up. We finally started calling his plane Rusty Nuts. It stuck good and that's what he called it from there on out.
My plane was 04, called Fourplay.
Vne to the pearly gates-Godspeed Rus.
Thank you all for your sympathy and support. I enjoy talking to you and getting to know you.
I was not present at the illustrious mooning. It was, however, the stuff of legend in the squadron. Russ had split time, I knew him when he started his second hitch. Before he came back it was the talk of the shop, so he was quite familiar to everyone before he even came back.
I knew Russ from about 88-92 or so. We were stationed in NC (New River) at HMM-261 together. We did a few missions in DS together as a flight of two. Another story for you...
We were tasked with a mission to insert Jeeps with TOW (wire guided I think) missiles mounted on top. There were 52 aircraft in the flight altogether. We waited for 2 days for good weather and troops to arrive. We loaded these Jeeps in the aircraft only to find we could not leave the missiles mounted on them. This meant we had to give them cover while they mounted them on the Jeeps. This takes about a minute-not long you say...
We go to man up and launch (with all our chemical warfare gear on) and I find my whamodyne new fangled, state of the art, powered gas mask, doesn't work. I go to Russ and he has an old, dirty, plain Jane, works in anything because its got no moving parts gas mask to go to war in. Away we fly off into the night-did I mention night vision goggles? We spent 30% of our flight time on them. That for me was about a thousand hours staring into two one inch tv sets.
Anyway, we fly this gaggle of helicopters into the night like something out of Apocalypse Now, full of Jeeps. 53's in front. They're faster and bigger so their Jeeps had the missiles mounted and they would get out of the zone quicker. Did I mention the zone was picked 4 days prior to launch? 4 days is a lifetime in war today. Alot changes in 4 days. In this case, about 100 Iraqi tanks and about the same on the coalition side (probably more like 20-looked like 100) The Jeeps were flankers or a blocking force "light enemy activity, if any" we were told.
We fly into this zone. We are off the goggles because the oil fires are so bright they don't work down low. 3 birds from our squadron in the formation covering 360 with 50 cals. All around below us, a tank battle rages. No BS, absolutely rages. Saw plenty in 5 minutes or so to know armor is not my thing. I could see we were spanking too, or rather someone was spanking (I assumed it was us) Word comes back-too hot to land. No kidding. An astute observation on someone's part.
We turn around and head back. 'Bout 10 seconds later, some idiot pilot calls Blinder (this is when you can't see your wingman, the lights are off because they shut down the goggles too) And his wingman turns on his smack (anti-collision) lights. This lights up the whole world on the goggles. Well, this alerts the entire Iraqi army, who were previously unaware of our presence. You remember those pix on CNN with all the bullets going into the air over Bagdad? This is what it looks like BETWEEN helicopters! Had 20 holes in the bottom, 19 on top when I got back. 20th stayed in the grunt on the passenger side of the Jeep-he made it. That's exactly how I wrote up the battle damage report.
Was the only one to take battle damage that night, lucky burst I guess.
Needless to say, the next morning we had quite the conversation about ourselves and what we believed at that time. It was the first time I ever felt vulnerable, after the fact, after over a hundred combat missions in 3 conflicts up to that point.
The elder among us, Russ was there, solid as a rock.
Anyway, I have been married now for 17 years to the same woman who was waiting for me on that night. And countless others just like it. The same woman who's never heard the story I just told you.
He would tell me of practial jokes that he pulled on everyone all the time. I guess to keep things light. I think that the mooning was the only documented in photos. Goodness knows, though. He was capable of anything.
Thank you all for the therapy that you are providing for me. I appreciate your time and sacrifice.
P.S. And the lesson on military terminology
I know that I have told you how grateful I am for the story. I just wanted to reiterate it, publicly. It gives me a completely new perspective on who my husband was. He was brave, there was never any doubt about that in my mind. He was my hero. I tried to tell him that regularly.
He would tell me of practial jokes that he pulled on everyone all the time. I guess to keep things light. I think that the mooning was the only documented in photos. Goodness knows, though. He was capable of anything.
Thank you all for the therapy that you are providing for me. I appreciate your time and sacrifice.
P.S. And the lesson on military terminology
It's nice to have you on board here...[:)]