Page 112 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

Rance Nymeyer Marine Helicopter Pilot:

A Long History

by Katherine McLamore and Hugh Wilson

Raymond Lawrence receiving his wings, he was
Nymeyer, known by assigned to MCAS Tustin, near
the name “Rance”, El Toro, California, where he
was born in 1947 and transitioned into the CH53
lived near Loving, helicopter. The site was originally
New Mexico, where a Navy blimp base. The blimp
he worked on the hangars were among the largest
family farm until wooden buildings in the world,
he graduated from housing CH-53 and CH-46
Carlsbad High School. helicopter training squadrons,
Following in his dad’s as well as six Fleet Marine Force
footsteps (a WWII B-17 Tactical Helicopter Squadrons
pilot), he participated (and an occasional visit for
in the Civil Air Patrol maintenance by the Goodyear
and in his high school Blimp).
ROTC. He received an
appointment to the US Among assignments during his
Air Force Academy, 30-year career, he deployed and
but after a year, flew aboard the USS Inchon,
transferred to Texas USS Okinawa, USS Tripoli, and
A & M, graduating aboard NAS (Naval Air Station)
from that university in Cubi Pt. in the Philippines in
1970 with an aerospace support of Viet Nam coastal
engineering degree. operations from 1972-1974. His
lanky American next assignment was to HMX-1,
helicopter pilot resides He embarked upon his career in in Quantico, Virginia, the unit
A quietly among us, the Marine Corps as a Second providing Presidential support
staying connected to people and Lieutenant (with one set of and tactical support for the
a mission of service through “Dress Whites” for graduation Marine Corps Officers Basic
volunteering with Kindred and commissioning) and headed School and “other duties as
Hospice’s Vet- for flight school assigned.” He was a member
to-Vet Program, at the Naval of crews assigned to transport
MOAA Air Station in Presidents Ford, and later Carter,
(Military Pensacola, Florida. on Marine One. He operationally
Officers Ed White’s tested the CH-53E helicopter
Association of Uniform Store in prototype.
America), and Pensacola finished His next assignment was to
the Daedalians outfitting him with Marine Aviation Weapons and
(organized to uniforms “at a very Tactics Squadron One at MCAS
advocate for handsome price.” (Marine Corps Air Station) in
air and space His training Yuma, Arizona. The squadron
power and to included T34 and was very new, and members
honor those T28 prop trainers, learned, and then taught,
who flew and followed by Bell advanced low-altitude methods
fly in defense of Helicopter TH- and tactics for all USMC tactical
our nation). 57 and UH-1 aircraft and helicopters. Because
helicopters. After of the newness of the squadron,

112 Lubbock Senior Link