Monday, July 14, 2008

The Accident

In a letter from Mike's commander of the 118th Ordnance Detachment stationed in Ft. Bliss, Texas sent in October, 1987:

"...Mike was a member of the Maintenance Platoon, and had been working temporarily for the Air Defense Board on a Special Project. He was traveling south on highway 54 approximately 4 miles north of Carrizozo, New Mexico, when he lost control of his car and skidded off the road. He was killed almost instantly. I sincerely hope that the knowledge that he was not subjected to any prolonged suffering will be of some comfort to you..."

From what Mike's Army escort, Greg Ulibarri, told us, Mike was driving with a friend in his car on Highway 54 and hit a pot hole in the road, lost control and flipped over in the ditch. Both Mike and his passenger were unrestrained, ejected through the windshield, and landed in the ditch where they both instantly lost their lives. They were found by a passing truck driver. The additional misfortune was that the passenger's wife (who was not in the car) was expecting a child.

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