Thursday, January 07, 2010

In Memory: Richard Flick

I just found out that one of the men I served with during Desert Storm/Desert Shield was killed in an auto accident in 2006. I was informed of his passing by a mutual friend. Although I'd not had any contact with him since 1992, news of his death still struck me.

Rich Flick was a friendly, funny guy. When I met him he was full of youthful exuberance and excellent at what he put his hands to. He was a quick learner and eager to participate in whatever tasks were going on. He was quick with a joke and often made me laugh out loud.

  • If I recall correctly, he was the one who nicknamed me "Uncle B."
  • I, and the others in the platoon, called him "Flickster."
  • Also, if I recall correctly, he was the guy I was told who barfed on Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Supposedly, he was on a training flight and got air sick, and, rather than barf inside the cabin (a big "no-no") he opted to open the door and let loose over a parking lot in the town.
  • He and another guy were party animals for a time when we returned from the Middle East. Like I mentioned above, he was full of youthful exuberance when I knew him. There was no way I could have kept up with the pace those two guys maintained.
  • At a bar-b-que held at another of our platoon member's home, he and three other guys tossed me into the pool. I remember it scared my, then, 2-year-old son because he thought they were hurting me. Far from it, though. We all had a good laugh over it. At least the host of the party was kind enough to empty my pockets before they tossed me in so my stuff didn't get ruined.
  • He could also be very quiet and contemplative. He was very generous, too.
It was nice to read about the accomplishments he made since the time we served together. I would rather have read them under very different circumstances, though. 

He was a good man.

4 comments:

  1. Oh, so sorry to hear about your Army buddy, Richard. This is a very nice remembrance post. I enjoyed reading about your good times together. Take care!

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  2. Thank you for your kind comments about my precious little brother Richard. He was loved by many and I am still touched by how many people thought so well of him.

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  3. You're welcome, and thanks for stopping by.

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