The words below were written by a CAP mission pilot from NV while viewing a beautiful sunset over Mt Potosi.  This was the first sunset after the crash. The member wrote these words viewing the sunset and grieving the loss of two of CAP's most respected leaders.     Just some thoughts as we reflect on life, sunsets, sunrises and the legacy we leave behind.  With every sunset, there is a sunrise... As we say goodbye to our leaders whom have led us well. Let us be reminded that they would want us to carry their memories on in the skies as we were born to do. Hear them say, "Be kind, be strong, let not a day go by that you don't positively touch the life of another. Continue to serve, to give, and let not the sun set on you, without doing it well. Grieve only because it couldn't be for just a little while longer. That one more life wouldn't be saved before this time. Look across the valley, skies and mountains and feel God's presence. Know that He holds you in His arms and hears your cries; The skies are where my heart longs, and the sunrises and sunsets are where my spirit soars. Now I have wings as Eagles...”

  A friend has passed on and will be very much messed as he was a very good friend.  He has done so much for Civil Air Patrol, NASA, and the US AIR FORCE. He was a professional in all that he accomplished for Civil Air Patrol.  He was a friend to all.  Prayers for Col Ed Lewis and for Col DeCamp have been requested at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.

 

     We will never realize all that these outstanding members have provided to Civil Air Patrol and will surly miss their advice to all of our members.

 

     Our prayers for Col DeCamp and for Col Ed Lewis and to their families and to the family of Civil Air Patrol for the loss of these outstanding members.

 

                                                                                                                                     Lt Col THOMAS P. DOMBECK CAP

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A friend has passed on and will be very much missed as he was a very good friend.  He has done so much for Civil Air Patrol, NASA, and the US AIR FORCE. He was a professional in all that he accomplished for Civil Air Patrol.  He was a friend to all.  Prayers for Col Ed Lewis and for Col DeCamp have been requested at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.

 

     We will never realize all that these outstanding members have provided to Civil Air Patrol and will surly miss their advice to all of our members.

 

     Our prayers for Col DeCamp and for Col Ed Lewis and to their families and to the family of Civil Air Patrol for the loss of these outstanding members.

 

                                                                                                                                     Lt Col THOMAS P. DOMBECK CAP

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Memorial Service / Celebration of Life for Col Dion E. DeCamp will begin at 1:00pm, 10 December 2007 at the Wilbur D. May Museum Center in Rancho San Rafael Park, 1595 N. Sierra, Reno, NV. There will be a light pot-luck with refreshments directly after the services.

In order to provide adequate seating and refreshments we need to know how many people are planning on attending. Please notify either Point of Contact listed below via e-mail no later than 5, December 2007. I have attached a map from the Reno Tahoe Airport for your convenience. Please do not contact the Museum directly.

POC SOUTH: Lt Col Roy Campbell, campbell1735@cox.net POC NORTH: Lt Col James Nicholson, tkanis@aol.com

Ms. Shawn L. Brewer
Nevada Wing Administrator
Nevada Wing Civil Air Patrol
PO Box 339
Sparks, NV 89432
775-358-3700
775-358-3757 fax
www.nvwg.cap.gov

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I met Col. DeCamp in 2006 as I was visiting the Nevada Wing office.

I joined the Washoe Jeep Squadron in 2007 and again met Col. DeCamp while working at the Reno Air Races. We were assigned together to escort photographers to the west pylons. Escort duty is rather boring and we found ourselves talking about cars, trucks, aircraft and a mutual love of motorcycles. We also talked about the Fosset search which was in progress at the time.

I worked over 30 years in the fire service and learned early which officers cared about the crews and who only cared for their own advancement. Listening to Col. DeCamp talk about the Fosset search I got a grasp of his concern for the search crews. The search had been going on for over two weeks and the chances of finding anyone alive was getting slim. Col. DeCamp was quite worried that the long days were taking a toll on the flight crews and that eventually someone would have an accident. I knew right then that this was someone I would want to work for, no matter what the job!

The loss of Col. DeCamp is a loss not only for Nevada CAP but for the entire organization and the good men and women who volunteer.

Ryan Smith
Senior Member
Washoe Jeep Squadron
Nevada Wing

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It is with great sadness that I must inform you that Civil Air Patrol has lost two of its valuable members in an aircraft accident last evening, Col Ed Lewis, PACR and Col Dion DeCamp, NVWG Commander. They were on a flight from Nellis AFB, Nevada to Rosamond California and crashed at approximately 1915 hrs PST near Mt Potosi, Nevada.

Please put both of them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. More info will follow when it becomes available.

Larry Myrick

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

Two nationally recognized, highly regarded members of the Civil Air Patrol – Col. Edwin W. Lewis Jr., Director of Operations for CAP’s Pacific Region and former National Vice Commander, and Col. Dion E. DeCamp, Commander of CAP’s Nevada Wing – died Thursday evening, November 8th when their CAP plane crashed south of Las Vegas. Catholic services will be held for Col Edwin Lewis on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 10:00 AM at the Transfiguration Catholic Church, 4000 East Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley, CA.

Additional memorial services for Col Lewis will be held in Palmdale, CA on Dec. 1, 2007.

No services have been scheduled yet for Col DeCamp.

Further details will be posted when available. Both families have requested that in lieu of flowers donations should be made to either the Edwin W. Lewis, Jr Memorial Scholarship Fund or the Col. Dion E. DeCamp Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Civil Air Patrol Pacific Region Headquarters, P. O. Box 4718, Hayward, CA 94540-4718. A page is established a page on the national web site http://www.cap.gov/visitors/donations/ where members can donate to each of these scholarship funds online. Further details will be posted when available.

Very respectfully
Don Rowland

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CAP leaders die in plane crash

Pacific Region director of operations, Nev. Wing commander were en route to Rosamond, Calif.

November 09, 2007

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS -- Two nationally recognized, highly regarded members of the Civil Air Patrol – Col. Edwin W. Lewis Jr., director of operations for CAP’s Pacific Region, and Col. Dion E. DeCamp, commander of CAP’s Nevada Wing – died Thursday evening when their CAP plane crashed south of Las Vegas.

 

Lewis had traveled to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas to drop off a CAP airplane to be used as an air show display.  He and DeCamp where apparently en route to Rosamond, Calif.,  Lewis’ hometown, when the crash occurred.

 

Col. DeCamp	Col. Lewis

Lewis and DeCamp had enjoyed long and distinguished careers, both in the U.S. Air Force and CAP. Most recently, both men were actively involved in the search for legendary American aviator Steve Fossett.

Lewis, 71, had served in the Civil Air Patrol for more than 50 years. He was a former national vice commander, elected in August 1993. He served in that capacity for one year. Before that, he served as Pacific Region commander for four years. He also was California Wing commander from 1978 to 1982.

Lewis was both a CAP and USAF command pilot with more than 28,000 flight hours.

 

He retired from Pan Am as a commercial airline pilot in 1989 to become a research pilot with NASA. Since 1997, he worked at Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where he instructed in four aircraft – C-12, C-20A, DC-8 and T-34C – supporting NASA-Dryden flight test programs. He also was the center’s aviation safety officer.

 

Lewis’ military awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and others. His CAP awards include Distinguished Service Medals, Exceptional and Meritorious Service Awards, Gill Robb Wilson Award, the Search and Rescue ribbon, and others.

 

Lewis was a region advisor for the Fossett search.

He is survived by his wife, the former Midge Chrestenson, and two adult sons, Eric and Steven.

  

DeCamp, 73, of Reno, Nev., became commander of the Nevada Wing in 2003. Most recently, he led the wing’s initial search efforts for Fossett, who disappeared on Labor Day during a solo flight in Nevada. The search for Fossett, who has yet to be found, was the largest in the Civil Air Patrol’s modern-day history.

 

DeCamp's wife, CAP Lt. Col. E. J. Smith, also served as search incident commander during the Fossett mission. He is survived by adult son, Michael, and two daughters, Kristin and Gayle.

 

DeCamp joined CAP in 1994. He served as Nevada Wing director of operations, vice commander, representative to the Nevada state SAR Board and  Pacific Region director of operations training before becoming Nevada Wing commander.

DeCamp was a CAP and USAF command pilot with more than 27,000 flight hours. He was retired from the California Air National Guard, served in Vietnam and flew C-130 missions worldwide. He retired, as captain, from American Airlines in 1994.

The cause of the crash is unknown at this time. A full investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to begin this morning.

“The CAP family is deeply saddened by this tremendous loss,” said Brig. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP interim national commander. “There were no finer members than Col. DeCamp and Col. Lewis. 

"Their illustrious volunteer service, which collectively spanned more than seven decades, touched innumerable lives and now, in sorrow, consoles those left behind as a testament to their dedication and commitment to the citizens of their respective communities.”  

 

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