Paul Thomas Horish
Paul Thomas Horish was born to Peter Horish and Eva Marie Ozura on March 1, 1946 in Ellensburg, Washington. He passed away April 14, 2023 peacefully in his sleep, not screaming and kicking like his passengers.
He grew up in Cle Elum, was a cub scout & boy scout. Mowed lawns, shoveled snow, had a paper route for 2 years. Spent summers at the family cabin that his dad built at Salmon La Sac. It is possible to live without electricity! Panned for gold, explored gold and silver mines and generally ran wild - Participated in numerous snipe hunts. River raiding came later. He bought his first rifle age 12. Shot his first deer age 13. Worked at local gas stations and sawmills. Bought his first car at age 16, cost $10 - A '53 Ford. In 1956, spent summer with dad at a gold mining camp in the Vanepps area - was a gofer.
Graduated high school (barely) 1964. Entered US Army December 1965; Graduated Flight School - Helicopters class 66/19/21; Sent to Vietnam February 1967. Flew with A company 229th AHB 1st Cav Div. Missions included: Lotsa combat assaults, resupply, medivacs, night flights (scary); was shot up, shot down, shot at. Fellow pilots called him "magnet ass"; Transferred to Fulda, Germany. 14th ACR; Flew the east - west German border; Got to see communism up close; Barb wire, ditches, land mines exploding from weight of snow; Survived the Czech uprisings of 1968. Was a member of many rifle/pistol teams; Sent back to Vietnam; 358 AVN det; More of above; Discharged November 1968; Employed by Navy - Keyport, WA. Joined National Guard, flew out of Fort Lewis, WA; Became fed up with government crap. Quit, Moved to New Orleans, LA. Flew to offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1977, was hired by Arabian Helicopters (ARAMCO) in Saudi Arabia; Got to see the 17th century mingle with Mercedes Benz.
Flew in various aircraft from B-17 to Concord; Traveled some 69 countries; Hung up guns. Returned to Cle Elum, married Linda Lonzo in 1985; Built House; Liked playing on old cars & street rod; Enjoyed bar games - shuffle board, pool, darts, etc. Hated alcohol - Drank it to get rid of it.
Those temporarily left behind are: wife Linda, older brother Pete (Lynn), nephew Peter (Vita), brother-in-law, Lloyd, and a few dogs, Cali, Heston, and Arlo.
P.S. He never learned to tie a necktie and never knowingly used algebra.