13 Jun 2004 This tribute is submitted in memory of Captain George F. Volk, OF105858, Infantry, who died in Vietnam more than 37 years ago on April 21, 1967. He was 26 years old. If he had lived, he would be 63 years old now. George and I served together in Taegu, Korea in 1964-65. He was a distinguished military graduate; also a 1st Lieutenant at the time. We were close friends. I was extremely fond of him. He was bright, handsome, full of life and very personable. Everybody knew him and all liked him. He was a fixed wing pilot and I was an occasional passenger in his plane. We hunted pheasants and geese together along with Dr. (1st Lt) Bill Hand, Veterinary Corps. I cried when I found George had died in Vietnam and I still think of him often. I have tried repeatedly to find his next of kin so I could offer my condolence but to no avail. If anybody reading this knows of his next of kin or the circumstances of his death, I would appreciate having that information. My e-mail address is omiandap@highstream.net May George and all of his 58,000 plus comrades on the Vietnam Memorial Wall rest in peace along with all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in all of our wars, and now once again in Iraq. God knows He has some wonderful and heroic men and women sharing heaven with Him. With deep affection and a heavy heart, I am sincerely, Tom Lyons, CW3 (US Army Retired) omiandap@highstream.net

 

13 Feb 2005 From Anne-Marie 'Mimi' Volk, mother of Capt. George Francis Volk: "Georgie" was our firstborn, the oldest of seven children. He was truly a wonderful big brother to all of his siblings. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1962 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the ROTC. He had been a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity while in college. When I heard that Georgie would go into the Army after graduation, I was very unhappy and concerned about his safety. Georgie had always been an adventurer and somewhat of a daredevil, so being in the military seemed to be a dangerous place for him from my standpoint. He was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. There he also began his parachute training (or was it Fort Campbell??) He eventually completed 130 jumps. He completed his aviation training at Fort Rucker. Then, he was stationed in South Korea for 13 months. While there, he told us he would be going to Vietnam in the summer of 1966. Those few weeks in 1966 in the San Fernando Valley, where we lived at the time, were so special to all of us, including Georgie's four sisters (Irene, Marilou, Christine and Jeannie) and his two brothers (Phil and Danny). He took his brothers and sisters to the beach to go body-surfing. He spent time with his famous brother Phil "Fang" Volk of Paul Revere and the Raiders, driving around together in Hollywood in his Alpha-Romeo sportster. All the kids looked up to him as a confidant and counselor. Before he left for Vietnam, he had at least one sweetheart, Rhonda, that we knew of, and probably a few others we didn't. You see, Georgie loved the girls, and he always treated them with the utmost respect. Unfortunately, he was never able to get married and have a family. It would have been wonderful to have had grandchildren from him with his unique and appealing personality traits. He called us from Vietnam one night to say he had received approval from his C.O. to go to the Jungle Survival School in the Philippine Islands. There was room for "one more officer". Georgie was thrilled to be a part of that adventure. The group of men in the school lived in the jungle for about four days, surviving on a diet of snakes, rats or whatever they could find, and drinking liquids from the vines. While there, he was photographed in a home movie showing him skinny-dipping in a jungle pond, he was smiling so beautifully. Also, the movie showed the men carrying on survival techniques involving hunting and food preparation, etc. That was the last time we saw Georgie alive. It was on their way home driving down the mountain in the jungle that they encountered a native man and his son driving an oxcart pulled by a water buffalo up the mountain. The buffalo became quite spooked by seeing the two-and-half ton truck coming towards him. The army truck driver pulled over to the very edge of the narrow dirt road so the oxcart could pass. The ground gave way under all the wheels of the truck and it rolled over down the embankment with all the men, as they all tried to jump clear. Sadly, Georgie was the only one to die, being pinned under the truck, breaking his neck. The others were all injured, some critically. He was flown home from Clark Air Force base to our grieving family in Tarzana, California (a suburb of Los Angeles). He was buried with a 21-gun salute at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery. His Father, George N. Volk, who died in August 1992, is buried next to him. If anyone would like to pass on any information they may have about Captain George Francis Volk, please do so by email to his brother, Daniel J. Volk at info@integrityfirstinv.com , or call me, Mimi Volk at (702) 252-0844 in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can also find information about Georgie and his family from his other brother Phil fang@philfangvolk.com . Also, his sister Marilou Hammergren at hammcks@aol.com We look forward with eager anticipation to seeing our beloved Georgie once again in the coming resurrection of the dead in God's promised New World. He will thrill to see and enjoy life without end in the earthly paradise under God's Kingdom with Christ Jesus as king. At that time there will be no more pain or death, or wars. (Rev. 21: 3,4) Sincerely, Anne-Marie 'Mimi' Volk P.S. Deepest thanks to Tom Lyons from Carlisle, PA for his heartwarming tribute to my son, his friend. We greatly appreciate your effort to contact us and give us a further glimpse at Georgie's time in Vietnam. From his brother, Daniel Volk P. O. Box 4437, San Clemente, CA 92674 info@integrityfirstinv.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall Captain Volk was a graduate of the University of Idaho, commissioned through the University's Army ROTC program on 09 June 1963. After receiving his commission he was "stashed" with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell until 05 Oct 1963 when he reported for flight training at Fort Rucker. A year later he reported for duty with the Aviation Detachment, Taegu District Command, US Army Korea, as a newly-fledged Army aviator. Following a one-year tour he returned to the United States for transition training into the OV-1 Mohawk and on 03 Jun 1966 began pre-deployment leave preparatory to assignment to Vietnam. On 15 July 1966 he reported for duty as a platoon commander within the 156th Aviation Company (ASA) based at Can Tho, SVN.

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