A Tribute to Lt. Colonel David Hale Groark, USAFA Class of 1959
- Christina DeSantis
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
"A robust life, lived with passion, earnestness, and unwavering integrity."
DAVID HALE GROARK
As a member of the historic, very first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy, Lieutenant Colonel David "Dave" Groark helped pave the way for the Long Blue Line. He was a top-tier scholar, a legendary combat veteran with three tours in Vietnam, an elite test pilot, and a man proudly recognized by his fellow aviators as the "World's Greatest Fighter Pilot."
Beyond the cockpit, Dave was a relentless adventurer and a visionary entrepreneur. From the boardrooms of Dallas to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, and from the skies in his beloved T-6 Texan to the television screens of the first season of The Amazing Race, Dave approached every chapter of life with fierce determination and an infectious sense of fun.
This video, lovingly compiled by his family, is a celebration of a man of immense character, a devoted husband, an inspiring father and grandfather, and a loyal classmate.
We celebrate his final journey with the words he lived by: "Off we go, into the wild blue yonder, climbing high, into the sun."
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