Street naming ceremony memorializes fallen Grissom aviator Published May 17, 2012 By Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Little boys often dream about growing up to be doctors, pilots, farmers, veterinarians, servicemembers or businessmen, but one Hoosier boy grew up to be all of the above before his untimely death in service to his country. Col. (Dr.) Marvin A. "Doc" Evens was remembered by family, friends and Grissom Airmen during a special ceremony May 14, which concluded with the unveiling of a memorial lithograph and a street being renamed in his honor. Over 100 people, including Evens' wife, Phyllis, and his two sons, Patrick and Christopher, attended the ceremony in Gus Grissom Hall. "To us Marvin Evens was what America is supposed to be about," said retired Maj. Gen. Robert Nester during the ceremony. "He understood that if you put your God-given talents to work you can be successful, you can lead by example, you can pursue the American dream with all your heart and soul, and I'm truly sorry that today's generation never had the opportunity to meet our marvelous Marvin Evens for he made a positive difference for all of us." Evens was born in Greencastle, Ind., on Aug. 3, 1934, and graduated from Greencastle High School in 1952. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education from Purdue University in 1956, a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Purdue in 1963, and his Doctorate of Medicine degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1968. "I was going through some things my mom had brought over, and I saw an article that was pretty funny and described my dad as a triple threat, which pretty accurately describes his whole life," said Patrick Evens, Doc's son, during the ceremony. "He started out as a pilot, spent some time working on pets as a veterinarian, and then he decided to put his talents to work on people and became a doctor. "And somewhere in there he served a tour in Vietnam and a total of 36 years in the Air Force," Patrick added. "He touched so many lives through his work as a farmer, doctor, pilot, family member and dear friend." Shortly after graduating for the first time from Purdue, Doc was commissioned in the regular Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and later became the only dual-rated command pilot and flight surgeon in the Air Force, said Nester. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1962, flying C-119 Flying Boxcars with the 434th Troop Carrier Wing. In 1968, Evens and other 434th TCW Airmen were called to active duty to serve in Vietnam. There the newly minted doctor distinguished himself, flying 108 combat missions. Upon returning home, Evens continued to fly with the "Hoosier Wing" while completing his residency requirements. In 1979, the 930th Medical Squadron at Grissom was in desperate need of a flight surgeon and commander, so Doc selflessly took a reduction in rank and received his commission in the Air Force Medical Corps to fill that need, recalled retired Chief Master Sgt. Mary Stamper. "Within a 24-hour period he had gone from lieutenant colonel line officer to a civilian to a major in the Medical Corps," Stamper continued. "That may seem like it was going backward, and I'm sure it was nerve-racking for him because there's always a glitch somewhere and he could have possibly thrown his entire career down the drain, but it worked out well." As a commander, Stamper said Doc was one of the best. "He never asked us to do anything he wasn't willing to do or hadn't already done," she elaborated. "He was the leader of the pack, and he took pride in that." Despite his new role as a flight surgeon, Doc continued to fly with the 930th TFW, a feat that endeared him to the pilots he served as a doctor. "Doc really looked out for our well being and did it in a most constructive way," said Nester. "He wanted us to maintain our health and never look for ways to ground his fellow pilots." But it wasn't just his skills as a pilot and doctor that made Doc stand out, said Nester. "Doc had the most radiant smile and personality of nearly anyone I've ever met," Nester explained. "I always marveled at the energy and positive attitude he displayed; he was upbeat, he was fun, he looked at the bright side of life and he made everyone around him smile as well." That upbeat attitude and energy was what kept the doctor not only gainfully employed as an anesthesiologist, pilot and commander, but also as a farm equipment dealership president and manager of a farm in Greencastle. And, even with all that on his plate, Nester said Doc was excellent at all he did. "Doc could compartmentalize better than any person I've ever met," the retired general said. "When he was active as a pilot he was there to fly the best jet possible, he was not there to cut corners, and he was there to pull his own weight, and believe me he did. "Then he would transfer to his role as our flight surgeon," Nester continued. "He was absolutely into that role and his professionalism was outstanding." While all of the speakers at the ceremony talked about different parts of Doc's life, they all discussed his commitment to his family. "(He) had immense pride when talking about his family," recalled Nester. "At the core of everything he did, his family was first in his heart and it showed to us in every conversation." In 1981 Doc and other Grissom Airmen switched from flying the A-37 to the A-10 Thunderbolt II, an aircraft he flew for 11 years until an aircraft crash during a training mission in April 1992 claimed his life. With more than 5,100 hours of flying time, including 461 hours of combat flight time, Doc flew a myriad of aircraft during his Air Force career including the T-28, T-33, T-34, B-25, C-47, L-20, U-3A, C-119, A-37 and A-10. "Not a lot of pilots get to fly that many different types of aircraft during their careers," said Col. William T. "Tim" Cahoon, 434th ARW commander. "It was truly a pilot's dream." Patrick Evens said his dad would also have loved the ceremony that reflected on his dedication to his family and country. "It's certainly an honor to have a street named after my father here where he spent so much time flying and working in the hospital," he concluded. "He always had a love for the Air Force and everything it embodies, service, duty country, and excellence in all we do." The 434th TCW became the 434th Air Refueling Wing when it assumed an aerial refueling mission in the 1980s. The 930th TFW merged with the 434th ARW and today the 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
