F-15 Eagle dedicated to fallen pilot

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ARNOLD AFB, Tenn. --   "The father is the hero, or he hopes to be -- Jim was my hero," said Art Duricy, the father of Major Jim Duricy, an Air Force test pilot who had an F-15 Eagle static display aircraft dedicated in his memory at Arnold Air Force Base, Aug. 9. "We are very proud of him - he never ceased to amaze me.

Mr. Duricy, with his wife, Irene by his side, spoke those words to those attending the dedication ceremony. Those present included Major Duricy's widow, Elaine Johnson, children, Erin and Kate, other family members, friends, guests, community leaders and AEDC contractor and military personnel.

Mrs. Duricy said even though her son's life was cut short, he led a very full and rewarding life -- and was someone who showed a love of flying from an early age.

"When he was about 14, he came home one day and said, he wanted to fly jet planes," she recalled. "Like every other mom, I said 'What in the world do you want to do that for?'"

"He loved all of his jobs in the Air Force, from his first job as an instructor pilot to his last job in the test wing, but above all, he just loved to fly."

Major Duricy was a 12-year test pilot who was killed when he was forced to eject at high speed as the F-15C he piloted crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, April 30, 2002.

The major was assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla., and was on a captive flight development test of a new air-to-air missile when the aircraft crashed. His body was never found.

The guest speaker for the event was Brig. Gen. C.D. Moore II, commander of the 478th Aeronautical Systems Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours in 30 types of aircraft. At the time of Major Duricy's death, General Moore served as the commander of the 46th Operations Group at Eglin.

General Moore said Major Duricy was the epitome of what makes the U.S. Air Force great.

"I really am humbled and grateful to be here today as we honor a fighter pilot, a test pilot, loving husband, father, devoted son and truly an outstanding American -- Major Jim Duricy," the general said. "It's an honor to be here, not only to help dedicate this 46th Test Wing aircraft, but in recognition of the sacrifice Jim and his family have made for our nation."

He also expressed his appreciation for all those who work at AEDC.

"I also want to thank all of you at Arnold for your role in preserving our freedom and national security," he continued. "Five years ago, I was the commander of the 46th Operations Group -- that's where I first met Jim. We worked together to test and integrate the new weapon onto our fighter force -- F-15s, F-16s, A-10s and Jim was one of our premiere F-15 test pilots.

From the moment I met Jim, there was no doubt that you were in the presence of a really remarkable test pilot and individual. He was the kind of person you would expect to rise to that level -- a valedictorian in high school and star athlete, who went off to the Air Force Academy and graduated with honors. Just a handful of the graduates are sent to graduate school -- only the smartest. Jim went on to George Washington University, not an easy school."

Colonel Huber said the dedication also had some personal significance to him.

"As it turned out, when Major Duricy lost his life in 2002, he was performing a captive loads mission with then new AIM-9X air-to-air missile," he said. "Back in the 1990s, I too flew the F-15 and was involved in the initial planning for the AIM-9X test program as a flight test engineer. I did that with the air-to-air missile test wing within the 46th Test Wing at Eglin. It was this unit that oversaw the last mission in which Major Duricy flew.

"While I never met Jim, I did meet his widow when she graciously and courageously shared her experiences at my group commander's course at Maxwell Air Force Base. From my perspective, Major Duricy was clearly the right choice for this memorial."

The F-15C that was dedicated at AEDC was assigned to the 46th Test Wing, the same wing that Major Duricy flew with at the time of his death. The 46th is part of the Air Force's Air Armament Center at Eglin. 

Reprinted with permission from the Shelbyville, Tenn., Times-Gazette