JERRY RICHARD CADICK

Jerry Richard Cadick, of Penn Valley, CA, died suddenly in his home on August 4, 2015. He was 72. Jerry was born in Evansville, IN, on September 30, 1942 to Pearl (Hopkins) (Cadick) Shourds and Jerry Richard Cadick. During childhood, his family and other close relatives lived on a large farm in Grandview, IN located along the Ohio River. His early education was at a nearby two room schoolhouse. He then attended Rockport High School, graduating at the top of his class in 1960. According to Jerry, he paid for his tuition at Evansville College by selling two calves and a pig. Uninspired, he left college after one year. What had captured his imagination was flying. At the age of 14 his uncle James took him flying in a biplane for the first time. They would fly very low and chase cattle around the farm. To pursue this love Jerry enlisted in the USMC in 1962. Boot camp in Parris Island preceded infantry training in Camp Lejeune. In 1963 he entered the Marine Corps Aviation Cadet program (MARCAD) in Pensacola. He finished at the top of his class and was chosen Cadet Regimental Commander, already displaying leadership qualities. After several assignments and piloting various aircraft (T-34, T-2A Buckeye, F9F Panther, F-11 Tiger) he received his naval aviator wings in October 1964, and was promoted to second lieutenant. During the remainder of 1964-65 he served at El Toro MCAS, where he flew F-4 Phantoms. Starting in 1966, he would spend two consecutive tours in Vietnam. The first tour was as a FAC (forward air controller), on the ground with the Third Marines, the second as a fighter pilot with VMFA 115, flying 192 combat missions in an F-4B Phantom. Upon returning to the US he had many assignments including flight instructor, executive officer, personnel manager at HQ, and additional training. Some of the assignments included overseas travel to Japan, Europe, and the Middle East. In 1978, he attended Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas after marrying Vicki May. After stops at Lemoore NAS, Camp Pendleton, and El Toro, he was promoted to full Marine Colonel and returned to command MAG 11 at El Toro MCAS, the largest Marine Air Group at the time. His responsibilities included nine fighter squadrons, 300 officers, and 4,000 Marines. Though Jerry developed into a strong leader in the service of his country, his first love was flying jet fighter aircraft – he was a fighter pilot and a good one. Earlier in his career he had experienced at least two flying incidents that tested his ability to land nonfunctional aircraft while avoiding disastrous results. The first experience ended with Jerry landing a burning T-33 with no engine power in a corn field – by the time the power went out of the ailing engine he was simply too low to eject and had no choice in the matter. Two years later during a training dogfight in an A-4 Skyhawk, he found himself in the cockpit of another fighter jet without power. Instead of ejecting, he chose to land the aircraft, which by then had a fully seized engine. With no electrical control over the flaps he was able to glide in and land without further incident, thereby preserving the “14 year-long accident free record” of the fighter squadron. The squadron’s commander was understandably appreciative of his efforts and gave Jerry the call sign that lasted throughout the rest of his military career: Kamikaze. He was known for greeting each new pilot in his command with a one-on-one flying exercise (dogfighting) so they could get to know each other in the only arena that counts in this line of work. Jerry once said "Fighter pilots, above all else, know who among their peers are hunters and who are hunted". At the height of his military career, tragedy struck. During an air show at El Toro in April 1988, before 350,000 onlookers, he was performing a solo aerial exhibition in an F/A-18 when the Hornet failed to exit a loop correctly. The tail of the plane struck the runway. Jerry had performed the maneuver many times before without incident. Although fortunate to survive the crash, his countless injuries proved to be severe, enduring, and life-changing. He later said of the accident, "I broke everything but my earlobes". During his long and difficult convalescence he retired from the USMC a year after the crash. Jerry founded the company Tactical Military Air Training Systems (TMATS) in 1991 and developed hardware to assist in the training of military fighter pilots. Though he invested much time and money into the project, it was eventually shut down in 1994. Also in 1994 he became an air show pilot for Team America. He continued touring with this organization until 1997. After divorcing from Vicki in 1995, he relocated to northern California, first in Somerset and then later in Penn Valley. He rode horses as much as possible in the earlier years there, but eventually had to give that activity up due to diminishing mobility that was a direct result of the 1988 airshow crash. Earlier in his adult life he enjoyed many outdoor activities: riding horses, backpacking and cross-country skiing in the Sierras, hunting, fishing, shooting black powder weapons, and, of course, flying his own plane. His final years were spent in Nevada County, contributing to a lively blog and making friends on the internet, feeding the wild animals around his home, taking part in the local Tea Party movement, continuing his life-long enjoyment of history through extensive reading, and looking after his various pets. He is survived by his former spouses, Jacqueline (Garner) Jarboe, and Vicki (May) Reynolds; son Stephen Goldberg (Cohen); and sister, Gwendalyn Jeffers. He is predeceased by his parents and former spouse Miriam Cohen. Chapel of the Angels Mortuary and Crematory, Grass Valley, CA. The memorial will be held on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 from 2:00-2:30 PM at the Miramar National Cemetery located at 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA. Focus. Achieve. Fly. Semper Fi.

JERRY RICHARD CADICK

September 30, 1942 - August 4, 2015