Daniel Gavin

[wehlagew]

Daniel a US Army Soldier and a rider in hawaii. He died not on a bike but serving his country in Afghanistan. I had never met him but a buddy of mine and he were best friends. He was, as a Blackhawk crewchief, in eastern Afghanistan in Aug 04 when the the pilot, who was clearly neglant failied to pull up in time (I heard the chalk blocks got caught under the collective) and the bird hit the deck hard. They told me he struck his chest on the machine gun causing blunt force trauma to the heart. Some of the marines in the second chopper, still circling overhead said they saw him pull two wounded marines out of the wreckage before he collapsed dead. I spoke to his dad and his brother on email. Daniel was the only one who died in the crash. All others were seriously wounded. I was the chaplain on the base where they brought him in. I prayed with his fellow Soldiers who loved him and were greatly hurt. The post on Oahu where he was stationed had a memorial service for him. Local bikers went for a memorial ride in his honor after the service. Those who knew him the most loved him the best.

[tmwfla]

Sorry to hear this. If anyone ever wonders what it takes to be a hero, it's a matter of having the unbelievable, rare character, bravery, and love of others like this particular hero. Not how quickly one runs the 40, how much their new contract is worth, how many bikes (or other toys) one has, etc. etc.

"...saw him pull two wounded marines out of the wreckage before he collapsed dead..."

[Iceman_954rr]

Rip