This is a list of those FACs who took their last flight during 2023 and some from other years because we recently discovered their passing.
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Flew West 2025

Slow hand salute to these brave warriors
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Announcements:






19 Jan 25:Lt Col (Ret) Leonard M. Wills, Covey 5W, slipped the surly bonds on a westbound wills-leonard.jpgheading on 15 Jan 2025.  He flew OV-10s for the 20th TASS.  He was a life member of the FAC Association and a proud native of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  Funeral services will be on Friday 24 January 2025.  Details and obituary may be read at https://ransdellfuneralchapel.com/tribute/details/3154/Leonard-Wills/obituary.html  Slow hand salute for this fearless warrior.


chan-joe.jpg15 Jan 25:Col(USAF Ret) Joseph "Joe" W. Chan, Nail 11 flew West on 8 January 2025. Joe flew OV-10s for the 23rd TASS out of Bien Hoa.  He was a stalwart member of the FAC group in Phoenix and a life member of the FAC Association.  Slow hand salute to this very brave warrior. What follows is a letter from his family.


Subject: Announcement for Sun City AZ Memorial Service for Col. Joseph W. Chan   



Dear Family and Friends:

 

On January 8, 2025, Col. Joseph “Joe” W. Chan completed his life and flew his last mission from Sun City, Arizona. Please join his wife Eliz, his daughter Cyndy, and son Chris, at a celebration of Joe’s life and legacy in Sun City, Arizona at 10:30 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the Fairway Recreation Center, Arizona Room #2, located at 10060 W Peoria Avenue in Sun City. On Saturday, February 15, 2025, Joe will be laid to rest at the Chapel of the Chimes, located at 4499 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, California, and further details will be provided for family and friends to attend.

 

Born a “Hoosier” in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Joe grew up working in his parents’ Chinese restaurant “Lem’s Mandarin Inn” in Muncie, before graduating from Indiana University. Joe and Eliz met on a blind date in college. They married and Joe joined the U.S. Air Force. Joe honorably served our Country for 30 years, flying combat missions in the Vietnam War, and serving as the Air Liaison Officer to the Republic of Korea and to Hong Kong. Joe and Eliz raised their 2 children Chris and Cyndy while serving in the Air Force across 8 states, with Chris ultimately attending Georgia Tech and Cyndy attending William & Mary. After retiring from the Air Force, Joe continued living an active life with Eliz in Hong Kong. Thereafter, they returned to California and volunteered as docent tour guides at the Angel Island Immigration Station near their home in Alameda. During the winter months, they volunteered at the Musical Instrument Museum near their second home in Sun City. Joe’s passion for genealogy was reflected in the countless hours he spent teaching others about how to research their own family histories and sharing his own family’s immigrant story of arriving to America in the early 1900’s. Joe was proud to have served as one of the few Chinese-American Vietnam War veterans, and perhaps, the only to have served as a combat pilot. In his 82nd year of life, Joe and Eliz celebrated their 60th year of marriage. During Joe’s final year, he enjoyed watching the Hoosiers complete its most successful college football season ever, but also had to endure a yearlong battle with cancer that ultimately ended his life this past week. Joe is survived by his wife Elizabeth, their son Christopher and daughter Cynthia, and 2 grandchildren Callamei and Cathan.

 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his name (Joseph W. Chan) to either or both the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and/or the Musical Instrument Museum, both of which are worthy institutions that Joe was passionate about and that Eliz will continue to volunteer at and support.

 

The online donation pages are: 

 

www.aiisf.org/donate (Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation)

www.mim.org/donate (Musical Instrument Museum)

 

In the meantime, if you would like to contact us to pass along any communications to our immediate family, please feel free to text the son, Chris at 404.625.9599,

 

With much love and sorrow, but thankful for all of your continued support,

Eliz, Cyndy, and Chris