Family member of CWO3 Danny Randolph speaks on the man behind the uniform
CWO 3 Randolph was one of the two pilots who lost his life in the Harvest helicopter crash.
HARVEST, Ala. (WAFF) - Chief Warrant Officer 3 Danny Randolph and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Wadham were in the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed on Highway 53 in Harvest Wednesday.
Randolph had 13 years of service under his belt while Wadham had 15 years of service. Those who knew them say they were excellent pilots and even better men.
Mark Hammock, Randolph’s cousin, felt it was important for people to know about the man behind the uniform. He said Randolph had just completed 7 weeks of advanced training at Fort Rucker on the Black Hawk Helicopter.
He completed the training with flying colors and did his final check ride on Monday and was on his way back home from graduation Wednesday when tragedy struck.
Randolph, who’s from Gallatin, Tennessee, entered the Army as an air traffic controller and served in Afghanistan. Hammock said he dreamed of becoming a pilot and made it happen.
He says he will take solace in knowing Randolph did everything he could to save even more lives Wednesday.
”I will spend the rest of my days understanding that instead of using that last bit of effort to land more safely, he used that last bit of effort to clear that neighborhood so that he wouldn’t cause a catastrophic accident. There is no doubt in my mind, that’s not something I’m stretching for or reaching for because of my grief. It’s my truth because I knew Danny and that is something he would absolutely do,” Hammock said.
Hammock says on Wednesday, Danny told his wife he would see her in a couple of hours to pick up their daughter.
He says Danny was born to be a dad and leaves behind a wife and 4 children.
They were the most important people in his life. Hammock set up a GoFundMe that will go towards Randolph’s four children’s college fund. Click here to donate.
Daniel Wadham’s ex-wife Rose Henige and his daughter Lilly Wadham also spoke about the pilot in their life that’s gone too soon.
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