Thomas Edward Schick (1932 - 2001)

Born 20 Jan 1932 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California

Ancestors

Husband of Charlotte Ann (Carter) Schick — married 21 Sep 1953 in Benton, Saline Co. AR

Descendants

Died 4 Jun 2001 at age 69 in Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Karen Macagno [send private message]

Biography

From a biographical sketch by Charlotte Carter Schick: Thomas Edward Schick was born during the Great Depression in Santa Monica, California. He was an only child with no siblings. He grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, during World War II. As a teenager he was a "beach-rat" spending summers and week-ends playing volley ball on the beach. When he was seventeen he joined the Naval Reserve and trained at the Naval Air Station at Los Alamitos, California, for several months. Intensely patriotic throughout his lifetime, he enjoyed and appreciated serving his country in the military so much that he enlisted in the United States Air Force in September 1949. Qualifying for pilot training, Tom became an Aviation Cadet, beginning his pre-flight training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, in January 1953. He took his basic pilot training in Bainbridge, Georgia and completed his flight training in Lubbock, Texas, at Reese Air Force Base. He was in the Class of 54-F. He earned his pilot wings and became a commissioned Air Force Officer in March of 1954. Then, proudly and faithfully he continued to serve his country, remaining on active duty in the Air Force for more than twenty years. He was on active duty during the Korean War, the Viet Nam War, and the Cold War. He always believed that duty and honor to country were far more important than the pursuit of wealth or any other occupation. He was retired from active military service, at the rank of Major, by reason of physical disability, in October 1969. He had earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel but was forced to retire medically before the effective date of his promotion. It was at the young age of twenty, in early September 1952, that Tom first saw seventeen year old Charlotte Ann Carter and commented at that time, to a friend: "Well, there she is, that's the girl I'm going to marry". He always claimed he recognized Charlotte at first sight. And, following through on his prediction, he arranged to meet her immediately and they were married a year later on 21 September 1953. They were together in an extremely close and loving relationship for more than forty-eight years. After his retirement from the Air Force Tom worked for a while for the Boy Scouts of America. Later, he decided to return to school and earned his degree from Chapman College in Orange, California. Although his degree was in psychology, he was also especially interested in the studies of geology and archaeology. He maintained his interest in these subjects for the rest of his life. He shared the hobby of genealogy and family history with his wife. They successfully traced his lineage back some 18 to 20 generations. One ancestor they found, only seven generations back, was Felix Brunner, a patriot of the American Revolution. Thus, much to his delight, he was able to join the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution and serve them as the president of the Southern Nevada Chapter and as the president of the Nevada State Society. An airplane pilot always in his heart, Tom loved the poem, High Flight, by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Obituary Thomas Edward Schick Thomas Edward Schick, 69, of Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospital. He was born Jan. 20, 1932, in Santa Monica, Calif. A resident for 13 years, he was a retired Air Force major and Korean War veteran, past president of the Southern Nevada and Nevada State chapters of Sons of the American Revolution and a life member of the Retired Officers Association. He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Ann; one daughter, Karen Schick Macagno of Las Vegas; one son, Thomas Andrew Schick of England; and five grandchildren. Palm Mortuary, 1600 S. Jones Blvd., is handling arrangements. [Source: Las Vegas Sun, Obituaries for Wednesday, June 6, 2001,

The History of Flight of C-124A 51-156 C-124A # 51-156A, from the 19th Logistic Support Squadron, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, arrived at Patrick Air Force Base at 1855 EST on 15 August 1956 from Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia, enroute to San Salvador Auxiliary Air Force Base. Upon arrival at Patrick Air Force Base, Captain Ulsh and the aircraft commander, of C-124A #51-110 received their overseas briefing. This briefing was conducted by the overseas briefing officer at approximately 1930 EST. The briefing lasted between 20 and 30 minutes and consisted of an oral briefing using a written outline (blanked out word or two) and pictures of the destination. An opportunity to ask any questions was offered to the crew members. Later in the evening Captain Ulsh was asked by the air freight section it it would be possible to airlift an additional 12,947 pounds of cargo to San Salvador. Captain Ulsh was aware that the personnel at San Salvador were in urgent need of these materials due to the devastation caused by hurricane "Betsy." The other C-124A #51-110 from the same organization had been previously loaded with bulky cargo. It was determined that the additional cargo at Patrick Air Force Base would be loaded aboard the C-124A #51-156A, as more space was available. This brought the total gross takeoff weight to 173,741 pounds which is within the limits of 175,000 pounds gross takeoff weight. Takeoff time was established as 0530 EST, 16 August 1956, and the crew members proceeded with their duties, refueling, loading of cargo, and eating. The pilots and navigators retired at 2230E, leaving a call for 0230 E the next morning. C-124A #51-156A departed Patrick Air Force Base at 0531E; destination, San Salvador Auxiliary Air Force Base. Captain Ulsh had filed an instrument flight plan direct, estimating 2 hours and 5 minutes enroute; he had 6 hours and 30 minutes fuel on board (3666 gallons) and he was granted a flight altitude of five thousand feet. The existing weather at destination was nineteen hundred (1900) feet scattered, twenty-eight thousand (28,000) scattered, ten (10) miles visibility with winds from the south at twelve (12) knots. Forecast weather for time of arrival was two thousand (2000) scattered, thirty thousand (30,000) broken, visibility ten (10) miles and the winds from the south at twelve (12) to fifteen (15) knots. The flight to San Salvador was normal and routine, and communications were maintained by the radio operator as briefed. The pilot was briefed prior to his departure from Patrick Air Force Base that there would be no communications available at San Salvador due to hurricane "Betsy" having rendered the Island's communications equipment inoperative. At approximately 0700E the communications personnel at San Salvador managed to put San Salvador radiio back on the air under a makeshift arrangement, i.e., transmit in one room and receive in another room. At approximately 0710E San Salvador radio contacted C-124A #51-110 and #51-156A and advised them that the control tower was still inoperative. (couple of words blanked out here). The first C-124A #51-110 landed at San Salvador on runway 28 and was parked in the parking area north of the landing strip. Captain Ulsh, pilot of C-124A #51-156A and Captain Raby, pilot on C-124A #51-110, then discussed over the VHF radio the best directin for landing. Captain Raby advised Captain Ulsh that landing on runway 10 looked the most favorable as the wind sock seemed to indicate a wind from slightly east of south. San Salvador radio had given Captain Ulsh the winds as southeast at eleven (11) knots. Captain Ulsh elected to land on runway 10. In compliance with the briefing received at Patrick Air Force Base to make a low pass prior to landing. Captain Ulsh flew down the runway at one thousand (1000) feet on a heading of one hundred (100) degrees and turned onto his cross wind leg to the left at the end of the runway. He flew a normal left hand traffic pattern. At approximately 0735E he turned final approach which was normal, and airspeed and power settings were set up as standard. A crab was established to counter the cross wind from the right. The approach end of runway 10 is 124 feet from a sea wall on the eastern edge of San Salvador Island. The runway is 4440 feet long. As Captain Ulsh was passing over the approach to the runway, he felt a jar on his right gear and thought he had made a hard landing on his right main gear. He prepared to make a normal hard landing recovery but the aircraft continued to settle on the right side, sliding down the runway and off the right side, finally stopping with the flight compartment tipped to the right at an estimated 60 degree angle. The aircraft had turned approximately 145 degrees to the right. The crew in the flight compartment escaped through the co-pilots window and proceeded to a safe distance. That's all the description I have, more data below. Airfield data: Runway length 4400 ft. - Asphalt Surface - Dry - Elevation 10 ft. MSL Crew members - - Injuries Front end, Cockpit Captain Arvel D. Ulsh - Instructor-Pilot - - Minor 1st Lt. Thomas E. Schick - Pilot - - Minor Captain Verner J. Wormlight - Navigator - - Minor TSgt Henry W. Turner - Flight Engineer - - Minor SSgt George M. Garrison - Flight Engineer - - Minor Back end crew SSgt William J. Zelco - - Minor TSgt Donald W. Smith - - Minor A/2c Ernest Smith Jr. - - Minor A/2c Guadalupe Rangel - - Fatal A/2c Samuel A. Scott - - Major TSgt Ralph E. Jewell - - Major A/1c Clifford D. Cockrell - - Minor A/1c Glenn N. McLeod - - Minor To my knowledge, this is the only such incident suffered by the, 19th Logistic Support Squadron, aka (19th LSS) and (19th LOG) If you know of others Please let me know and I will add them. J.C.

Sources

• Source: S1 Geni World Family Tree Publication: MyHeritage The Geni World Family Tree is found on <A href="http://www.geni.com" target="_blank">www.Geni.com</A>. Geni is owned and operated by MyHeritage. Media: 40000 Collection https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-40000/geni-world-family-tree?s=216133531&itemId=34144231&action=showRecord

• San Antonio Express. "Kingsville Airman Dies in AF Crash" 18 August 1956, p. 26. Citing 1st Lt. Thomas E. Schick.

• Family Search. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Thomas Edward Schick <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VG7H-HHS> as viewed 04 June 2019.

• Ancestry. Nevada Death Index, 1980-2012. Thomas Edward Schick <https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8997&h=228176&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=uTq2738&_phstart=successSource> as viewed 04 June 2019.

• Find A Grave, Thomas Edward Schick <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96884844/thomas-edward-schick> as viewed 04 June 2019.