Page 76 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine

Captain Eric Das
God, Family, Country
by Joslyn Harney

Captain Eric Das, 333rd Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina

“He knew every kind of plane F-15E. Following deployment,
that flew in the sky.” Few were they flew together. On April 7,
surprised when Eric returned 2003, during a combat mission
to Colorado Springs upon in Iraq, Captain and pilot Eric
admission to the Air Force Das and his friend Lt. Col.
Academy. Bill Watkins, weapon systems
officer, were killed when their
After graduating in 1995 with aircraft went down.
a civil engineering degree
and his pilot’s wings, he was These are the facts. But Eric
stationed in Alaska. During Das was more than a set
of facts. In order to better
understand the man, the
officer, the husband, the son
and the friend, we must invite
he son of some additional characters
missionaries, to our story: love, service,
TRosie and friendship and sacrifice all
Bruce Das, the play starring roles in the life of
late Captain Eric Captain Eric Das.
Das was born in
the Netherlands, His first love was Jesus Christ.
but later moved Eric is spoken of by his parents
to Amarillo and as a man who “exemplified
graduated from what faith in Christ, honor and
Amarillo High duty and a life of excellence
School. He and meant. His strong faith
his family lived briefly near that posting, Das met his wife- was an inspiration to our
the Air Force Academy in to-be, 1st Lt. Nicole “Nikki” family, friends and his fellow
Colorado Springs when Eric Skibinski, and they were servicemen, and to all who
was about 10. He watched married October 20, 2001, at knew him.” “God, family and
planes fly overhead and people First Presbyterian Church in country, in that order,” was
parachute from the sky. He Amarillo. Following their the priority Captain Eric Das
developed a love for planes and marriage, the new Das couple established for his life.
flying. While in high school, were stationed at Seymour
he was on the track team, and Johnson Air Force Base and His second love was wife
when a plane flew overhead, from there deployed to Kuwait. Nikki. After meeting at the
he would often quiz his coach, Prior to deployment, Capt. Officer’s Club in Alaska,
“Do you know what kind of Das and his boss, Lt. Col. Das invited her to dance – to
plane that is?” “Eric always Bill Watkins, were involved “Amarillo by Morning”. He
knew,” Coach Langdon says. in training colleagues on the later proposed to her atop

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