I was saddened to hear SR 71 pilot Lieutenant Colonel John “Jack” Veth passed away May 27, 2021 Jack was a friend of mine, I met him a Beale Air force Base and Kadena when he was a pilot on the SR71 program. We played racquetball with him several times.
After the first ‘shutdown’ of the SR program I saw Jack at the SR reunion in Reno June 1991. He had retired from the AF, got his law degree and was associated with a firm specializing in aviation law. The firm started around 1956 when 2 airplanes collided over Grand Canyon. Our encounter became very important the Following year.
In April of 1992 I was still working for AIL Edwards Air Force Base. I was also involved in monitoring the disposition of the SR71 ELINT equipment that was being delivered to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. At that time my youngest daughter, Jeannie, was married and working in at the skydiving center in Perris CA. She and her husband were both skydivers. On 22 Apr 1992 my son in law, Wayne Flemington, was in the airplane carrying skydivers that crashed at Perris. 16 people died and in the crash Wayne was severely injured. Jeannie called us and told us of the accident and said Wayne was in the Riverside hospital and everything was being done for him there and he was OK and she was making all the necessary arrangements for him. There was no need for us to come down at the present time.
Three days later, on Wednesday Jeannie called asking Jan and I to come down because she couldn’t handle the situation. We immediately drove down and met her at a motel got a room for the evening and went with her to see Wayne in the hospital; he was nothing but a mass of bruises. Back at the motel Jeannie sat on the bed crying in frustration at the lack of cooperation she was getting, trying to get Wayne moved to a hospital with a trauma center. The lawyers for the sky dive center appeared to be slow walking the process. Trauma centers all over Southern California we’re being filled up with people from the Rodney King riots that started that day.
I do not remember how, but I was able to get in contact with Colonel Lee Shelton, the last Kadena Det 1 commander. Lee was at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha. I explained why I wanted to get hold of Jack Veth and asked if he had Jack’s number. Fortunately, he did, and I called Jack immediately and told him of my daughter’s situation. He said he could not come immediately what would be there early the next morning. The next morning he arrived, he made several phone calls, and by noon a helicopter landed at Riverside hospital to take Wayne to a trauma center in San Diego.
Jack became Wayne and Jeanie’s lawyer and got an ample settlement for them. I don’t know if he represented other survivors, but I think so. I was forever grateful to Jack and he remained friends with Wayne and Jeannie over the years. The last time I saw Jack was at the 1997 SR reunion in Reno.
Thank you and rest in peace Jack Veth!