Capt. Bobby Frank Galbreath
Bobby Frank Galbreath was born in Amarillo on December 1, 1930. His father, Frank, worked for the Amarillo Globe-News. His mother, Mary, was a homemaker, and Bobby Frank was their only child. Bobby graduated from Amarillo High School and went on to attend West Texas State University, as it was then known. Bobby was a talented musician and began playing the accordion on the radio at age five. But Bobby’s passion was flying. Many remember him as an instructor with the Amarillo Flying Service at Tradewind Airport. And one of his ‘claims to fame’ is as the aviation consultant to the 1964 film, “Flight of the Phoenix” starring Jimmy Stewart. After joining the Marine Corps, Captain Frank and his wife, Dorothy, and their children were stationed in Yuma, Arizona. It was there that Capt. Frank was often called on for search-and-rescue operations, the very thing that he was known for during his two tours of duty in Vietnam.
On February 16, 1968, Captain Galbreath was the wingman pilot of a Marine Observation Squadron Six (VMO-6) UH-1E Helicopter in an emergency extraction of an eight-man recon team in North Vietnamese territory. He immediately began attacking enemy positions, allowing for five Marines to be recovered. However, three other helicopters were seriously damaged, leaving three Marines on the ground. Captain Galbreath volunteered to evacuate the remaining men, fully aware of the extreme danger to himself and his crew. According to reports, Captain Galbreath’s Huey was under intense fire, some of which found its mark. Even so, he skillfully maneuvered his aircraft through the hostile fire into the landing zone, allowing the stranded men to embark. During his ascent from the hazardous zone, the helicopter was struck by a burst of enemy fire and crashed. There were no survivors.
Captain Galbreath’s skills and courage did not go unnoticed. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the United States Naval Service’s second-highest military honor, which is awarded to sailors and marines who distinguished themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. A street at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma is named in his honor. He was recognized and honored at WTAMU in 2013, and his name was added to the Amarillo High School Hall of Honor on November 12, 2009. But it is a quote from fellow Vietnam veteran, John Newberry, that may say it best, “The Marine recruiters say we need a few good men; maybe that should be said, ‘we need a few good Bobbys.’”
Captain Bobby Frank Galbreath requested that he be buried in the Veterans section at Llano Cemetery, under the traffic pattern of Tradewind Airport.
