Photo By Staff Sgt. Cary Smith | Team Aviano members joined together for a remembrance memorial ceremony, June 28, 2018...... read more read more
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The sense of family within the military community is felt most when a life is lost. Family, friends and coworkers band together and support one another during this tragic time.
In 2016, the Aviano Air Base community experienced a devastating blow when one Airman went missing. Organized search parties were sent to look for Staff Sgt. Halex Hale in the local areas. After round-the-clock searches, sadly, a team recovered his body. Although the loss of Hale happened two years ago, his memory has carried on.
On June 28, 2018, the 31st Communications Squadron organized a memorial ceremony on base to honor Hale and to remember the lasting impact he left at Aviano. During the ceremony, the 31st CS unveiled a permanent fixture on the front of the squadron building – The squadron emblem engraved with the Air Force song and Hale’s name.
“For years we wanted to memorialize Hale, but we didn’t want something that got put off to the side and forgotten,” said Tech. Sgt. Vicente Valdovinos, 31st CS client systems section chief. “A plan came about to create the squadron emblem and Master Sgt. David Smyer thought of the idea to include an engraving of his name.”
In attendance were members of the communications community and Hale’s friends who are still stationed here. Those who knew Hale personally recalled what it was like to be his friend and work with him.
“We were good friends and would go out a lot when he was an Airman. Everyone liked him and he was such a big people person,” said Senior Airman Dmitry Stroman, 31st Force Support Squadron postal clerk. “When he promoted, he became my supervisor and always took care of me and his two other troops.”
Stroman also recalled Christmas of 2015 where Hale invited a group of single Airmen he worked with to his house and made food for them so they weren’t alone during the holiday.
As the ceremony kicked off, members of the 31st CS stood in formation and Lt. Col. Jeffrey Thompson, former 31st CS commander, spoke on his memory of Hale.
“I remember him as a young man whose career was off to a rocket of a start. He received senior airman below-the-zone and made staff sergeant his first time,” said Thompson. “He was one of the few folks that lingered after our change of command to talk and he spent some time with me again after our first commander’s call…you don’t forget a guy like that.”
Thompson mentioned that the unveiling of the memorial gave them all time to reflect on memories of Hale and to think about how to commit to Air Force ideals as they look ahead.
Some of those ideals included being a good wingman and providing support for others.
“We felt the impact here at the squadron because I don’t think we realized how unready we were to deal with the loss,” said Valdovinos. “It’s hard to know what loss will do to you. I supervised a lot of young guys his age and you always expect them to come back.”
According to Valdovinos, over the past two years, the 31st CS has worked to develop more of a family-like unit within the squadron, to lean on one another and help everyone out. He added that by coming together and supporting one another, the squadron’s morale is at an all-time high.
As the ceremony neared the end, Thompson ended his speech with words from a poem “High Flight” by WWII fighter pilot, John Gillespie Magee Jr., Royal Canadian air force.
“Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of.”
Halex Hale was a shining example of what it means to be an Airman within the Aviano community. The memory of Hale will continue on as a reminder to future Airmen to be a wingman, to take care of those around them and work hard at whatever they do.
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2018 05:03 |
| Story ID: | 283379 |
| Location: | AVIANO AIR BASE, ITALY, IT |
| Web Views: | 247 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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