Vietnam-era Pilot Takes Last Flight

Story by Maj. Cindi King, S.C. National Guard Public Affairs

Another chapter for Army Aviation came to a close June 29, as the last of the generation of Vietnam War-era pilots in the S.C. Army National Guard took his final flight at McEntire Joint National Guard Base. 

Chief Warrant Officer Five H. Eric Seymore, a native and resident of Easley, who has flown for 41 years is moving from his position as the Aviation Safety Officer to be the Command Chief Warrant Officer of the S.C Army National Guard- a non-flying position. With his son, fellow pilot Capt. Eric Seymore by his side, they brought their UH-72 Lakota through the traditional “hose down” from two fire trucks before landing. The Seymore pilots received a second hose-down as they walked from the aircraft towards the cheering crowd. Waiting among the group were Chief Warrant Officer Five’s wife Peggy and their other son 2^nd Lt. Andrew Seymore. 

Members of the unit all have their own versions of their first encounter with Chief Warrant Officer Eric Seymore, the longest serving pilot in the 59^th Aviation Troop Command history. Most agree he’s got that “old school” approach.

“I first met Chief Seymore when I was a lieutenant,” said Lt. Col. James Barkley, Commander 1-151 Aviation. “I recall him wearing his sunglasses and coming over to asking me in his own words, ‘who I was and what was I doing there.’

Seymore volunteered in the Army in 1970 and went to Vietnam immediately after graduation from flight training to fly the historic UH-1H “Huey” and AH-1G Cobra.  Upon his return from Vietnam he joined the S.C. Army National Guard where he flew a variety of aircraft during his career to include the UH-1H MEDEVAC, UH-1M Huey Gunship, AH-64A Apache, OH-58 Kiowa, and most recently the Army’s new UH-72 Lakota.  He’s logged more than 5000 hours of flight time during his career.

Peggy, his wife of 37 years, said she can still remember when he’d fly over their house years ago.  She added the aviation family has been very good to them and they’ve made many friends.

When “egged-on” to make a speech to the crowd in attendance, Seymore grinned, wiped his sunglasses still dripping from the hose-down and thanked the crowd, telling everyone he was now a “ground-pounder.” 

As his large group of friends and co-workers lined up to congratulate and thank Seymore for his outstanding years of service as a pilot, he looked up and asked in jest, “Hey, who is the new “old guy” around here?”