By Beth Wilson Caller-Times January 29, 2006
Bugle notes filled Hangar 42 at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on Saturday as two Navy pilots who died Friday were remembered as heroes.
Lt. Raul David Jimenez, 31, of Freeport and his student pilot, Ensign Jeremy Lee Drag, 24, of Millington, Ill., died Friday when their T-34C plane crashed during a routine training flight about 9:45 a.m. off Yorktown Boulevard, three miles south of the base.
Navy officials confirmed the names of the pilots Saturday while continuing to investigate the crash.
HM-15 Commanding Officer Cmdr. George Parisi told those gathered for a NJROTC drill competition the two pilots were heroes training for future defense of our country.
"There is not a better platform than all you right here to honor them," he said.
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Parisi served with Jimenez in the HM-15 squadron before Jimenez transferred about a year ago to the training wing. "You only send your best pilots to go instruct others," he said, alluding to Jimenez's skills.
He said Jimenez came early, stayed late, was athletic and cared about the enlisted sailors.
Parisi notified his squadron of the deaths Friday and said they were understandably upset. But, Parisi said, Jimenez "was the type of individual, he didn't want us to mourn."
Glenn Heath, a former editor of The Facts, the newspaper covering Jimenez's hometown of Freeport, said he directed Jimenez to ask his congressman for a recommendation to the Naval Academy when he was in high school.
"David had all his life wanted to be in the Navy and wanted to be a pilot," he said.
The crash is the second of its kind this month. Another plane crashed Jan. 12 in the flats by the Oso Creek mud bridge. Neither the instructor nor the student pilot were injured in that crash. Investigations into that crash are ongoing.