Page 43 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2024 - Online Magazine
P. 43
Garry Baccus Solum Volamus, But
Never Alone
by Kara Baccus Hutchinson
met, and Garry went straight to
Lackland AFB in San Antonio
for Officer Training School.
Upon completion, he reported
to Reese AFB in Lubbock for
a year of pilot training while
Kim attended Texas Tech. Kim
pinned his silver Air Force
school. By the time he wings on him on May 6, 1982.
graduated, he had attended From there, they moved to
nine schools. Little Rock, Arkansas for C-130
Initially, Garry attended training, then on to Pope AFB to
Harding University in fly the Hercules. In 1984, there
Searcy, Arkansas. But one was a need for flight instructors
Sunday, while on summer at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls,
break visiting grandparents Texas, and Garry reported for
in Haskell, Texas, as he was duty. In March of 1988, their first
child, Kara, was born. Quickly
arry Clinton Baccus was leaving the church service, thereafter, they moved to Beale
born in January 1958 he noticed a cute girl standing AFB in California to train to fly
Gto Clinton and Brenda on the curb, twirling her dress the T-38 Talon and the Dragon
Baccus. They were stationed at absentmindedly. Kim Hale was a Lady, the reconnaissance aircraft
Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, junior in high school in Haskell, U-2. The U-2 is regarded by
Mississippi, where Clinton, the daughter of the local John many as the toughest military
a Texas Tech alumnus, was Deere dealer. He transferred to aircraft to land. Garry earned his
learning to maintain U.S. Air Abilene Christian University to solo patch, Solum Volamus, “We
Force radar systems. It was then be closer to Kim! Fly Alone,” and his own unique
that Garry’s love of all things Before graduating from ACU number as the 513th pilot to solo
aviation began.
in December 1980, Garry met a in the iconic jet. Shortly after
He had a typical military brat Navy recruiter and was accepted training, they were stationed
childhood, moving from base to to Navy Flight School. Having overseas at RAF Alconbury in
base, city to city. In particular, he grown up in England, where Garry flew the
spent his formative elementary the Air Force,
school years in Nebraska. The he pestered
community he grew up in there the USAF
had kids everywhere--enough to recruiter to
put together full baseball teams allow him to
to play in the summer. There test for flight
were hills to zoom down on school and
skateboards, and, in the winters, was accepted.
those same hills were covered in In May of
snow, perfect for sledding. Jets 1981, he and
flying overhead every day always Kim married
had him looking to the sky. From in the same
Nebraska, it was on to Missouri, church in
then to Jacksonville, Arkansas, Haskell
where he graduated from high where they’d
Lubbock Senior Link 43
