Lieutenant Joseph M. Hickman

Vietnam US Navy NALF, El Centro, California Service Number: 524-54-3465 Born: July 20, 1941 - Yuma Inducted: June 1966 Died: November 8, 1974 at El Centro, California Buried: Yuma Cemetery, Lot 18 north addition, Yuma

Son of Paul and Dorothy Hickman of Yuma. Husband of Jeannine Williams Hickman of Wray.

Wray Gazette November 21, 1974

Joseph M. Hickman was born July 20, 1941 to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hickman of Yuma. He was killed November 8, 1974 at N.A.L.F. El Centro, California in an S3A aircraft accident during routine pilot flight training at the age of 33 years, 3 months and 18 days.

He grew up in the community of Yuma, was active in school sports and an all conference wrestler. He was a graduate of Yuma High School in 1959, continuing his education at Colorado State University where he graduated in 1963 with an agricultural business degree. Joe was an active member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity at CSU.

He worked in Yuma with Yuma County Transportation and belonged to Yuma Jaycees where he was an active member and officer. In June 1966 he began his aviation officer cadet training at NAS Pensacola, Florida. He was designated a Navel Aviator on November 8, 1967 at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. In March 1968 Joe was attached to VS-37, air antisubmarine warfare squadron, which deployed aboard USS Hornet in 1968 and USS Ticonderoga in 1970, serving in the western Pacific during the Vietnam War.

At the time of his death he was attached to US-41, a replacement air group training squadron, at NAS North Island, San Diego, California in the capacity of flight instructor for the S3A.

He was married to Jeannine Williams of Wray on December 22, 1966 in Yuma. Two sons, Justin Lee and Jeremiah Royal, were born to this union.

Funeral services were held at St. Johns Catholic Church in Yuma on November 14, 1974 with interment in the Yuma Cemetery.

Survivors are his wife and two sons; mother, Mrs. Dorothy Hickman of Yuma; sisters, Jo Ann McCall of Castle Rock, Teresa Hickman of Omaha, Nebraska, Eileen Stanley of Glenwood Springs, Elizabeth Ellis of Ft. Collins, and brothers Richard of Richardson, Texas and Robert of Denver.

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