1st Lt. Valmore W. Bourque liked his job. It was a tough job; according to his superiors and those with whom he worked, he did it well! Lt. Bourque's duty as pilot of a C-123 differed in one major way from the duties of hundreds of other Air Force officers. He was flying combat missions in a combat zone.

In June 1955 Valmore Bourque had been the first cadet to enroll in the Air Force Academy. Saturday, Oct. 24, Lt. Bourque became the first Air Force Academy graduate to be killed in action.

The danger of combat was one her husband accepted as part of his job, according to Lt. Bourque's widow, Linda. "He was a career Air Force officer," Mrs. Bourque said, "ready to do what came his way. We discussed the possibility of his death, but we felt combat experience was a valuable part of the training of a career officer. The risks were part of the job."

The Academy meant a great deal to her husband, Mrs. Bourque added. He felt it gave him the best possible education for the career he wished to follow. The value of that training was stressed in the words of a Viet Nam based officer who reported, "Lt. Bourque's Academy training was reflected in the manner in which he did his job. He made a favorable impression on all those who worked with him."

Mrs. Bourque feels the words of aletter, written to her by a relative, best reflect her feeling (and she is sure her husband's feeling) on his loss. "He had chosen to fly for his country," the letter said, "and he was doing well what he wanted most to do in his life."

Lt. Bourque's dedication to duty is reflected in the manner with which he fulfilled the duties of a combat support pilot. He was the first Lieutenant in his squadron to be upped to aircraft commander. On a mission just prior to his death, he was named the mission commander--a position not usually entrusted to an officer of his rank. Utilizing his French language capability, Lt. Bourque developed a communication system which enabled U.S. Personnel and French speaking Vietnamese to clearly exchange information even under the most difficult conditions.

Services [were] held at the Chapel of Our Savior in the Broadmoor with interment at the Academy Cemetery. Full military honors [were] given.