Published Jul 29, 2006 12:03
Richard M. “Dick’’ Huber, 84, of Martic Township, was buried with full military honors Friday morning in Mount Nebo Cemetery.
Before he was a township supervisor, school board member, Sunday School teacher, father and grandfather, friends said Huber was a successful and well-respected pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
On Friday morning, as Huber was laid to rest, two black U.S. Air Force F22 Raptors crossed the skies with a roar, shaking the earth and causing numerous people to wonder what was going on.
Cheryl Melhorn, Lancaster Airport Authority administrative assistant, confirmed the planes were Air Force jets.
“They were two F22 jets that were flying over a funeral and then going back to their home base,’’ she said.
Melhorn said a nervous caller phoned the airport to express concerns about the low-flying military jets.
“A woman called and said she heard this loud bomber and ‘I just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong,’” Melhorn said.
According to his obituary, Huber flew a P-38 Lighting named Baby Dean out of Italy for 66 missions with the 27th fighter squadron during World War II.
With four confirmed hits to his targets and two unconfirmed, Al Eberhardt, Huber’s friend and fellow Air Force veteran explained, Huber was considered an “Ace’’ fighter pilot.
“He was a real hero,’’ Eberhardt said today. “There aren’t too many Aces left from World War II.’’
Following active duty, Huber continued with the Air Force Reserve, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1982, just shy of 40 years of total military service to the country.
He was also a member of the Military Officers Association of American, Lancaster Chapter, as well as the First Fighter Group Association.
