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Today in History – November 30, 1957 – Capt Benny Lacombe killed in U-2 Crash

30 November 1957 – Capt Benny Lacombe is killed when he unsuccessfully attempts to bail out of Lockheed U-2A, 56-6704, Article 371, 13 miles SE of Laughlin AFB. Ejection seats had not yet been fitted to U-2s at this point. The history of the U-2 program is fraught with fatalities and crashes. “CIA pilots Wilburn S.

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Collomb, Henry L.

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  • Collomb, Henry L.

Henry Louis Collomb

Preferred Name: Lou
Date of Birth: September 19, 1929
Highest Military Grade: 0-5 – Lieutenant Colonel
Hometown: Washington, DC
Headed West Date: October 7, 2021
Biography
Pilot Information
Headed West

Lou “enlisted in the US Naval Reserves while in High School and transferred to the US Air Force ROTC program while in college. He was accepted into the US Air Force Fighter Pilot Training Program and flew F100 Super Sabre jets during the Vietnam War. After active duty he served in the US Air Force Reserves and retired as Lieutenant Colonel with 42 years of military service.

Lou attributed his interest in flying to the time he was invited at the age of 12, to meetings of a local women’s flying club that was held in his home and was taken for a flight over Washington, DC.” (1)

 

Source (1): findagrave.com

Units Assigned

  • Enlisted in US Naval Reserves while in High School
  • Transferred to US Air Force ROTC program in college
  • Fighter Pilot Training Program
  • Vietnam War (F-100)

Awards & Decorations

Flight Info

F-100

Military & Civilian Education

Military Education:

  • 1958 Air Command and Staff College Maxwell AFB, AL

Civilian Education:

  • 1947 Central High School, DC
  • 1954 BA, University of MD, College Park
  • MS/Business and Computer Information Systems, American University.

Henry Louis Collomb, Jr., LtCol USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on October 7, 2021.

Lou passed away peacefully on October 7, 2021, at his home in Felton, Delaware at the age of 92.

He was the son of Henry Louis Collomb Sr. of New York City and Evelyn Maguire Collomb of Baltimore, Maryland. Lou was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Washington, DC.

Lou graduated from Central High in Washington DC in 1947 and regularly attended his class reunions. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1954 and later earned his Master’s Degree in Business and Computer Information Systems at American University.

He enlisted in the US Naval Reserves while in High School and transferred to the US Air Force ROTC program while in college. He was accepted into the US Air Force Fighter Pilot Training Program and flew F100 Super Sabre jets during the Vietnam War. After active duty he served in the US Air Force Reserves and retired as Lieutenant Colonel with 42 years of military service.

Lou attributed his interest in flying to the time he was invited at the age of 12, to meetings of a local women’s flying club that was held in his home and was taken for a flight over Washington, DC.

He worked for JoS. A. Bank setting up their computer systems, and taught Introduction to Computer courses at several local Community College as well as the Jessup Correctional Institution.

He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and helped build 29 houses and a pole barn. He also volunteered as a tax preparer for the AARP/IRS for over 20 years.

He is preceded in death by his father, mother and sisters, Nancy Adams and Betty Collomb.

He leaves behind Joan, his wife of 26 years. They shared the love of travel and together they camped in every one of the 48 contiguous states then “cheated” and flew to Alaska and Hawaii.

He also leaves behind his son Charles (Linda), daughter Renee (James), son Thomas, stepchildren Patricia Nash, Raymond (Janette) Nash, grandchildren Garrett Kroll, Cooper and Owen Esposito, Hannah and Eric Lorenz, Zoe Collomb, Nicholas and Raechel Rukstela, Savannah and Zoe Nash, great granddaughter Rylee Rukstela and numerous nieces and nephews.

Inurnment was at Arlington National Cemetery.

Wall of Honor Location

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