It’s Memorial Day weekend. Over 35 years ago my best friend Tim Harrison was stationed out of Hurlburt Field, a part of Elgin Air Force base, headquarters for Air Force Special Operations.
Tim lived in Ft Walton Beach and invited me to come see him. I never made it there – until a few weeks ago.
The last time I talked to Tim was New Year’s Eve – 30 days before he died in 1991 in operation Desert Storm when his AC130 gunship was shot down.
I’ll never forget that phone call. I was at my parents. He called about 11:30pm. Maybe a 3-4 minute call. He said he just wanted to wish us Happy New Years. He said he couldn’t tell me where he was, which wasn’t unusual when he called. He travelled places and did things he said he just couldn’t tell me about.
In that call he said “I don’t want to die but I have a job to do and if that happens it happens.”
Earlier this month we took a 2,200+ mile motorcycle trip and stopped at the Hurlburt Field Air Park where they have a monument with Tim’s name and the rest of the crew who lost their lives.
It was a very, very emotional stop for me & I couldn’t help but shed a tear.
I’m sorry it took me so long to come visit my friend. I’ll always regret not going when you asked.
I celebrate my freedom every day because of the sacrifice that you and your fellow soldiers made and I will be forever grateful.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
God bless you Tim Harrison.