| Sources |
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 11 Jan 2013.
Just Plain Talk: One of Bill Agee's legacies is Union's new mausoleum
.
.
.
Airman Bockmann saving lives
Last week we began talking with an Army airman who is married to the daughter of a former Cocke Countian and former Newport family, too. Lt. John Bockmann never realized it while flying regular missions in the territory but he was "a hop and skip" from the compound where Ossama Bin Laden was living and killed in 2012.
While Lt. Bockmann spoke, among those in the audience were his wife, Katherine, who is the daughter of Robert and Brenda (Bailey) Kisabeth, of Newport. And, Brenda Kisabeth's father Kiwanian Reid Bailey was there along with Katherine's parents. So let me tell you what I learned about this young man married into a local family and how he is serving our nation and others in the world through his flying talent. John is one of four boys, parents being Bob and Maggie Bockmann of Tyler, Texas. I'm sure he did not plan to marry into a family with other Bobs, the Kisabeths.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 4 Jan 2013.
Just Plain Talk: Soggy landscape may stay that way so learn to fly
.
.
.
Early interest in all things flying
During a December Newport Kiwanis Club meeting I got to meet an interesting military pilot with Newport ties. Maybe it was my youthful interest in aviation and flying that made we want to know more about Lt. John Bockmann. Many a youngster flew model airplanes, gliders or gas powered ones they bought or built. I can't recollect if many females ever got interested in this hobby or wanted to fly a helicopter. When this Army helicopter pilot with Newport ties trained years ago he most likely never imagined his skills would be tested in combat zones not firing weapons but on mission of mercy.
Lieutenant Bockmann is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who is on active duty in Pakistan and Afghanistan and he described his duty to the Newport Kiwanis Club during a December program at Fox & Hounds banquet hall. One of the largest rescue missions he was involved in was the massive flooding in August/September in Pakistan, a country wedged between Indian on the east and Iran on the west. The flood affected 20 million people or about one-fifth of the nuclear-power nation's people.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 25 Jan 2013.
.
.
.
Here are the last words for now on Lt. John Bockmann, US Army helicopter pilot. He is married to the former Katherine Kisabeth, daughter of Robert and Brenda (Bailey) Kisabeth, of Newport.
"What did we do," he said referring to the US forces in Pakistan after the major 2010 flooding: moved 25 million pounds of food, built roads, and airlifted 40,000 people. The country is extremely mountainous with difficult terrain for transportation.
Lt. Bockmann was among about 500 military personnel and he flew one of the 33 Blackhawk helicopters dedicated to aid the Pakistan victims. Because he spent a considerable time in Pakistan he became a blogger for Pakistan's Express Tribune, and learned a lot more about the country, people, their culture, and politics.
He came away with his "proposal" to be that the US back away from its current effort with military aid and presence. He suggested non-traditional diplomacy and to develop more person-to person contact. "The connection with the people of Pakistan enriched my time there immensely, and I hope to someday return, perhaps as an ambassador," he said, speaking to he Newport Kiwanis Club this winter.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 1 Feb 2013.
Good luck to Airman Bockmann!
There is meaning in mission
Before wandering along on my weekly journey, let me finish up our chat with Lt. John Bockmann, who is married to the former Katherine Kisabeth, her mother being the former Brenda Bailey of Bybee. If you are like me, visiting Town & Country Drug Store, you know her as pharmacist Marty Bailey's sister. In 2011, John was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army's Medical Service Corps, as an aeromedical evacuation officer (MEDEVAC). Now, he has not been deployed as a MEDEVAC pilot yet but most likely soon transport Army medics to pickup wounded soldiers and civilians to transport to the nearest medical facilities. I thought it impressive the Army MEDEVAC mission has a 92 percent survival rate for those wounded. The Black Hawk helicopters are marked with the iconic Red Cross for whatever message and protection it provides. While these aircraft have no weaponry they do have protective armor and devices to thwart enemy missiles. This is in accord with the Geneva Convention.
"Do they shoot at you?" asked Steve Eldridge at a recent Newport Kiwanis Club meeting. "You bet. They don't follow the Geneva Convention," said Lt. Bockmann. Early this year, Lt. Bockmann travels to Afghanistan to continue his mercy missions. "As much as we MEDEVAC pilots love to fly and find meaning in our mission, we hope our services won't be needed."
After his tour, he expects to return to Ft. Bliss, Texas, to continue training and be ready for his next mission and journey. The next wounded solider he flies might be a Tennessean; he or she might be someone you know and love.
|
Search | Advanced Search
