Hello Shaun,
I hope you are doing well. I took some time today to go through the website you put together for Christian. The first time I just glanced, anticipating it would be difficult to get through. But what an awesome memorial you created! It was beautiful, the tribute letter was inspiring and the music was perfect. It was incredibly uplifting, moving and showcased to perfection what his life was all about and how he touched everyone he knew. Shaun, that you gave everyone a place to express how they felt, and allowed them to grieve, during your time of grief, is a true expression of your love for your brother, and I hope it will give you the comfort you need.
As I read the messages, so many great memories of him came flooding back. One in particular came back and made me laugh through tears, and prompted me to write...when we had that hair-brained scheme to open a paintball field. Remember that one? We were both fired up to quit our jobs and be millionaires..and Christian could get me fired up like no one else I knew! What was I thinking? Must have been the endorphins and pain from playing paintball for 12 hours straight (might be a slight exaggeration). Then came the Shaun, cold water reality check..So why would you need a plan or insurance, or financing for paintballing? Thanks for that, right then I realized who the logical one in the family was LOL.
Through the years of phone calls and emails a handful of topics we always seemed to cover come to mind :
Politics (he republican, me independent/leaning to the left) so you can understand the length of our conversations, and the bantering that went on.
Yankees and his dislike of them
Our lives
But more importantly his love and concern for you (Owen, as he fondly and lovingly referred to you, and I grew to know you as.. I can explain if you ever want to know) and of course your mom, who he adored.
I hardly know you Shaun (yet feel like I do through countless conversations) and I would be remiss in not letting you know how much Christian loved, admired and respected you. He talked often of what you meant in his life. I absolutely loved his "Owen" stories as I like to refer to them. Some were hysterically funny, some shocking (I always reminded him there were 3 sides to every story), but always entertaining and definitely animated, as you know he could make them. He was very open about the challenges you both faced growing up and how it affected him. Having you as a brother to look up to helped to create the awesome man that he became. I hope he expressed that to you, because as a sibling myself, we often take for granted our relationships and don't let them know how much we love and are inspired by them. As you expressed, I will try and live my life to the fullest with passion, love, fun, inspiration, honor, loyalty and pride. A tall order, I know, but the least I can do to learn from, honor, and make sense of why his journey ended so soon. I will miss him the rest of my life.
Please know that I extend to you or your mom, what I did with Christian...that if he ever needed anything I would always be there just a phone call or email away. If you or your mom ever wanted to visit San Diego again, my home and heart is open to you. I hope we stay in touch and maybe some day we will play a round of paintball, decked out in camouflage or flight suit, light up a cig, and cool off with a can of Mountain dew for him!
All my thoughts and prayers,
Yvette Gauna
My Brother's Helo Goes Down - My brother, LT Christian Hescock is dead.
Sept. 24, 2007, 10:26PM
Navy helicopter crash in Guam kills 1. Three other crew members injured.
Associated Press
HAGATNA, Guam — A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed late Monday during a training mission in Guam, killing one of four people on board, the Navy said.The helicopter from the Sea Combat 25 squadron crashed into the Fena Reservoir on Navy property near Naval Magazine in Santa Rita.
Three members of the crew were rescued and transported to the island territory's Navy hospital. Lt. Donnell Evans, a Navy spokesman, said one crew member had a broken arm while the other two were treated for minor injuries.
The body of the fourth crew member was recovered from the water, Guam Fire Department spokesman Angel Llagas said. The names of the crew members were not released.
The helicopter squadron in Guam is the Navy's only one of its type. Its mission includes resupplying ships and providing 24-hour search and rescue and evacuation services for the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Navy identifies crew member who died in Guam helicopter crash
By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition,
The Navy has identified the crewmember killed in Monday night’s helicopter crash on U.S. Naval Base Guam.
Lt. Christian Hescock, 34, died about two hours after the MH-60 Seahawk crashed into Fena Reservoir at about 10:30 p.m., during a training mission, said Lt. Donnell Evans, a Naval Base Guam spokesman.
Hescock, whose position was not released, was pronounced dead en route to the hospital.
Evans said the remaining three crewmembers, all men, were hurt in the crash, including a 27-year-old who suffered a dislocated shoulder. The other two, identified only as being ages 27 and 20, sustained minor injuries.
All were treated at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam. Evans could not confirm Tuesday whether any of the servicemembers had been released.
The helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, stationed at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.
Evans said Tuesday he had no more details on the cause of the crash.
“Right now, we’re still in the recovery and investigative phases,” he said. “The majority of the aircraft is submerged. … Once we’re able to recover the aircraft, we can start the investigation.”
Evans said a memorial service for Hescock may be held in the coming days.
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