Page 62 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2017- Online Magazine

Roger Cude A Grandson’s Perspective
y grandfather, Lt. Col.
Roger Cude, USAF,
Mwas born in November
1945 in Houston. The son of an
ironworker, Roger grew up in
the Houston Heights area and
graduated from John H. Reagan
High School in 1964. A two-time
All-City receiver, who ran the
100 in 10.2, Roger received a
4-year full athletic
scholarship to
play football for
the University of
Houston. After
his first season
at UH, Roger
sustained an
ankle injury that
ended his football
career, and he
transferred to
the University of
Texas at Austin in
62 Lubbock Senior Link
of a Life Well-Lived
by Jackson Cude,
6th grader at Hutch Middle School
1965. He graduated told him that she would pass
from UT in December on his message, but that the
1969 with a degree congressman didn’t write those
from the College of kinds of letters. Three weeks
Communications and passed, and Roger began to
began a job with the give up hope. Then one day, a
Austin American- special package was delivered
Statesman writing copy along with a letter from the
for classified ads. Little congressman. It read, “No
did he know that entry- one during this time of war in
level job would lead Vietnam is voluntarily asking
to an honorable and to join the Air Force. Because
storied, 45-year career you are bravely volunteering,
with the United States I am honored to write this
Air Force. recommendation for you into
the USAF undergraduate pilot
One day, while training school.”
working at the
newspaper, an Air Roger graduated from USAF
Force recruiter came in officer training school on March
to place an ad. When 15, 1971, and married his
Roger saw the pilot amazing wife of 26 years, Mary
salary in the ad, he Grace, on March 16, 1971. The
decided that because very next day, the newlyweds
he had always loved moved to Del Rio, Texas where
airplanes, he would take the test Roger’s year of pilot training
to get in to pilot training school. resulted in him receiving his
He did not pass. Determined, wings. In Altus, Oklahoma, he
Roger studied intensively for trained to fly the C-141. By the
nine months and took the test end of 1972, the young pilot
again in the fall of 1970. This began flying C-141s full of cargo
time he barely passed. Fearing to Vietnam.
they might still not let him in, he
looked up his U.S. representative For two years, Roger flew C-141s
in the phone book back and forth to southeast Asia.
and gave him a His squadron would fly into
call. When the Vietnam, unload an airplane
congressman’s full of bombs and bullets, and
secretary answered, then fly out with any number
Roger asked if of stainless steel coffins of those
there was any way who died in action. The coffins
the congressman were called HRs for human
would write remains. When Roger flew this
him a letter of precious cargo back to the states,
recommendation his C-141 had a special call sign,
into the USAF pilot and he and his squad would fly
training school. back in total silence in reverence
The secretary of the fallen soldiers they were