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Harry J. "Hank" Copsey, 86, of Albuquerque, passed away on September 27, 2007, after a sudden illness - one day short of his 63rd wedding anniversary to his wife Naomi. A Memorial Service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, October 16, 2007 in the Kirtland Air Force Base Chapel, 1950 2nd St. SE on base. The New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Fighter Wing will honor Lt. Col. Copsey with a fly-by following the service. Hank was born June 17, 1921, in Westerville, NE, to Harve and Ruth Copsey who raised him and his two older brothers on their farm. After high school, Hank was a cowboy in the sand hills of western Nebraska, where he met his future wife, Naomi Sibbitt, at a dance in 1940. When it became evident that war was coming, Hank's father came and got him off the ranch so he could attend college and fly for the Army Air Corps. Hank and Naomi dated for two years and became engaged just before he was sent off to war. He completed two years of college and then received his bars of gold and wings of silver in the U.S. Army Air Corps on Decemer 3, 1942. He and Naomi were married in 1944. During his 26-year career with the Air Force, he was the only pilot to fly seven different military aircraft in combat. He flew the B-24 Liberator and B-25 Mitchell during World War II in the South Pacific, and H-5 and H-19 helicopters, T-6 Texan and L-5 Sentinel planes, and the C-47 Skytrain transport during the Korean War. Hank flew 86 missions in World War II and was shot down four times in his B-24. On one bail out, he and his co-pilot spent two days afloat with nothing but their "Mae West" life vests before being picked up by a Rescue PBY Seaplane. He flew 129 missions as a helicopter pilot in Korea, transporting the wounded to field hospitals. As a command pilot, Hank became fully qualified in 63 different aircraft and accumulated more than 8,300 hours' flying time. He flew more than 2,000 hours of test flights in many different aircraft, including the F-86 Sabre, and F-100 Super Sabre fighters. He had more than over 700 hours of combat flight time and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, The Bronze Star, and The Air Medal during his combat tours. Hank was an avid trap shooter and was named to the All-American Trap Team nine times beginning in 1954, and was selected as coach of the U.S. Olympic Trapshooting Squad for the 1956 Olympic Summer Games. He was a regular at the Belen Trap Club, shooting a few rounds of clay targets, giving a few tips, and always sharing a good story. After his Air Force career, he managed the Texas International Gun Club in San Antonio, TX, was the chief pilot for the Zuni Tribe in New Mexico, and flew DC-3s throughout the Rocky Mountain region for a freight operation until age 72. He accumulated more than 24,000 flying hours during his lifetime. His later years were spent between his home in Albuquerque and his friend's ranch outside Denver, where he kept his horse - Ma Ferrari. The day before he died, he rode his horse before dawn helping his friends round up cattle. He even called his family after the morning ride saying "I have died and gone to heaven It just doesn't get any better than this." He is survived by his wife; his daughter, Jackie Davies of Las Vegas, NV; his son, Jim Copsey of Los Lunas; his brother, Dr. Gayle Copsey of Spokane; a granddaughter, Jeanette Jones; and a great-granddaughter, Emily Wilson.
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