Honor: Capt. Jeremy Fresques, USAF (KIA)

[AJChenMPH]

Got this in my inbox this morning.

Bet Mr. MacRae wishes he had not written this letter to the editor of the Arizona Republic.

THE QUESTION

Letter appearing in the Arizona Republic on June 23rd: A wake-up call from Luke's jets.

"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns' early-bird special? Any response would be appreciated. - Tom MacRae, Peoria"


THE RESPONSE

Flyby honored fallen comrade
Jun. 28, 2005 12:00 AM

Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday):

On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Captain Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the president of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.

A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects. The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?" The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
Luke Air Force Base
The writer is commander of the 63rd Fighter Squadron.

:salute2:

 

[AJChenMPH]

Did a little digging, found this on the Internet as well:

An Apology From the Heart to the Airmen of Luke
Jul. 9, 2005 12:00 AM
Regarding "Flyby honoring fallen comrade" Letters, June 28):

I read with increasing embarrassment and humility the response to my unfortunate letter to The Republic concerning an Air Force flyby ("A wake-up call from Luke's jets," Letters, June 23).

I had no idea of the significance of the flyby, and would never have insulted such a fine and respectful display had I known.

I have received many calls from the fine airmen who are serving or have served at Luke, and I have attempted to explain my side and apologized for any discomfort my letter has caused.

This was simply an uninformed citizen complaining about noise.

I have been made aware in both written and verbal communications of the four-ship flyby, and my heart goes out to each and every lost serviceman and woman in this war in which we are engaged.

I have been called un-American by an unknown caller and I feel that I must address that. I served in the U.S. Navy and am a Vietnam veteran. I love my country and respect the jobs that the service organizations are doing.

Please accept my heartfelt apologies. - Tom MacRae, Peoria

 

[AJChenMPH]

Sorry, one more -- more info on him, and how he died.

Thursday, June 02 2005 @ 08:20 AM EST
Contributed by: tomw

Arizona Central -- Memorial Day will never be the same for the tight-knit family of Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques.

Alongside three fellow soldiers, the 26-year-old commando with Arizona ties - who had been promoted to captain that morning - died Monday in a plane crash during a training mission near Baghdad.

A graduate of the prestigious Air Force Academy in Colorado, Fresques was married for a little more than a year. He lived in Florida with his wife, Lindsey, who is also an officer in the Air Force, said Chuck Shaw, Jeremy's father-in-law.

"They had an excellent marriage, loved each other very much," Shaw said. "He's going to be very sorely missed, and we couldn't have been more proud."

Lindsey Fresques graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder before joining the Air Force and heading to Florida. The couple worked at bases near Destin, Fla., down the street from each other, Shaw said.

Fresques had been chief of communications and an information officer at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale before transferring to special operations in 2002.

He was set to return home next month after being deployed earlier this year. He and his wife had yet to decide whether they would stay in the military. The couple had no children, Shaw said.

"They were taking it day by day," he said.

Fresques' mother and father lived in Clarkdale, south of Flagstaff, before moving to Yuma. Neither was available for comment Wednesday.

Fresques died when a single-engine Iraqi air force plane crashed during a training mission near Jalula, about 50 miles northeast of Baquba.

The cause of the crash has not been determined, Air Force Master Sgt. Randy Phelps said.

Other Americans killed in the crash were Maj. William Downs, 40, of Winchester, Va.; Capt. Derek Argel, 28, of Lompoc, Calif.; and Staff Sgt. Casey Crate, 26, of Spanaway, Wash. Fresques, Argel and Crate were assigned to the Air Force 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, while Downs was part of the 6th Special Operations Squadron. All were based at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

An Iraqi pilot also died in the crash.