22 May 2008 Steve was a fabulous guy. He was a freshman when I was a junior at Wichita State. We were both in Air Force ROTC and members of the honorary organization Arnold Air Society. We spent a lot of time after meetings and functions at a campus hang-out eating pizza and drinking vast quantities of 3.2 beer. We all sang along with the juke box LOUD and passionately. Steve's favorite song was "I Am A Rock" which we pronounced "Roch" by Simon and Garfunkle. He was a joyful, friendly guy. I think he would forgive me for saying, he screamed more than he sang. I think of him a lot. Whenever I see the comedian of the same name I remember him. Whenever, I hear Paul Simon sing anything I think of him. But occasionally I hear "I Am A Rock." I smile and am transported back to my youth and I sing at the top of my lungs. And, once again I am with a 19 year old boy that left college to go to war because he was afraid the war would be over before he graduated. The world missed out on seeing quite a guy grow up and old. From a friend and ROTC classmate, John Fleming freethrowguru@yahoo.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Four men were killed when UH-1C tail number 66-00720 was shot down 7 kilometers west-southwest of Dong Tam: 135th AHC, 222nd Avn Bn CPT Dennis M. Phillips, Irving, TX, pilot WO Steven L. Martin, Wichita, KS, copilot SP4 Byron B. Bowden, Arcata, CA, crewchief Royal Australian Navy Fight Sqdn Vietnam Leading Aircraftman Noel E. Shipp, RAN, gunner

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