Replies

Army pilot was hero to his family, friends
By Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

U.S. Army Capt. James F. Adamouski of Springfield wrote a letter to his mother several days before he and five of his soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in central Iraq Wednesday.

"It was like he was telling me he was prepared for anything that would come spiritually," said Judy Adamouski, 56. "He had great faith."

Yesterday, family and friends remembered Capt. Adamouski, 29, as "an American hero" who loved his country.

"He's somebody who made a difference," his father Frank, 63, said. "It's almost like Alexander the Great — he conquered the world and died at age [33]. ... What his West Point buddies told us is that Jimmy died the way they wanted to die. He died in a blaze of glory, and he's an American hero."

Capt. Adamouski, who administered the Eucharist to his troops in the field, was embarked on a successful professional life both in and beyond the military when he was deployed to the Middle East. He got married seven months ago and recently was accepted to Harvard Business School, where he planned to earn a master's degree in business administration.

He wanted to have children, and he wanted to teach economics at West Point after he returned home from war.

"He was the most amazing man," his wife Meighan, 29, said. "I bet you a million dollars you couldn't find anybody who would say a bad thing about him. ... I'm just fortunate that I got to spend the time I did with him. I was so blessed."

Capt. Adamouski graduated from Lee High School in 1991 and later graduated from the U.S. Military Academy with a degree in engineering management. Capt. Adamouski was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., when he was deployed overseas Jan. 5.

Pentagon officials said they are still investigating the cause of the helicopter crash. As a Black Hawk pilot, Capt. Adamouski logged more than 1,000 hours, but he was not piloting when the accident occurred, Frank Adamouski said. The helicopter crashed near Karbala.

His parents learned of his death Thursday, and flew to Savannah to be with their daughter-in-law. Meighan Adamouski said she has had much support from military wives at Hunter. She said the wives told her that their husbands thought Capt. Adamouski was "the best company commander they've ever had."

"He served his country proudly and he was a leader to his men, so his children would have a safer place to live," she said as she quietly wept.

Capt. Adamouski's parents returned to their Springfield home Sunday. Since then, they have been sharing stories about their son with friends and reporters.

The only son, Capt. Adamouski was the second-youngest of four children. In high school he ran cross-country and played football and soccer.

"Anything with a ball, he loved," said his wife, an elementary-school teacher. "He drove me nuts watching sports, but he let me watch the Home and Garden Network. He was great that way."

Capt. Adamouski was on active duty for the last eight years. He graduated from flight school and was deployed to Bosnia for four tours in the late 1990s.

In his last e-mail message to his wife March 30, Capt. Adamouski said he couldn't wait for the war to end so he could come home. He also talked about the threats from the enemy.

"The conventional Iraqi Army forces are no match, however the crazy Iraqi with a bomb strapped to his chest or a shoulder-fired missile is what scares me the most," he wrote. "However, I am doing fine and I want you to know that."

The day of the crash, Capt. Adamouski's takeoff had been delayed about an hour by some mechanical problems. He was a little depressed that day, but just before takeoff he got an e-mail message from his wife. His soldiers told the Adamouskis that their son's face lit up after he read the e-mail. "God, it's good to hear from home," he told his soldiers before takeoff.

Capt. Adamouski is the third Virginian to be killed in the war against Iraq. Sgt. Michael V. Lalush, 23, of Troutville was killed March 30 in helicopter crash in southern Iraq. Staff Sgt. Donald C. May Jr., 31, of Richmond was one of three Marines killed March 25 when their tank went off a bridge into the Euphrates River.

The family asked that donations be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society's Central Virginia Chapter. It can be reached at 804/353-5008. Capt. Adamouski's sister, Laurie Griffith, suffers from multiple sclerosis.

http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20030408-16378471.htm