To the members and friends of the Dustoff Association:

My mother, Jessie Morris, the widow of Major Charles Kelly passed away today in Augusta Ga.

I cannot express to you, the faithful members of the Dustoff Association what it has meant to her over the years to know that the memory of her husband and his actions have lived far past him. Having just come back from the Dustoff reunion with pictures and video and many words of remembrance, a couple of weeks ago, she was very excited to hear and see these things. Her pain at the loss of her husband in 1964 was gradually replaced by a pride that grew as she realized more fully the extent of his contribution to the mission of mercy. This knowledge seemed to even grow greater in just the last few years as she was able to attend one of the Dustoff Association Reunions, and to correspond by e mail with many, who served with my father or knew of him. Her ill health had prevented her from attending any more (although she was so excited at my tales of this last trip, she said that maybe she would be able to go next year).

She was also very excited about the Shadow of the Blade Project and although she did not live to see the finished version, I was able to make video of the part I was able to play in that and also was able to video the film that was shown at the Dustoff Reunion. She was so happy to see the Vietnam Veteran and the Dustoff Association finally protrayed in a manner appropriate to their level of contribution. The idea of a book being written and the fact that an author was there to do preliminary work excited her even more. I can say that in the last years of her life, even though she was in ill health, she was very, very happy. She often spoke of those that served with my father with pride and love in here voice.

I also have to tell you that she probably had not turned her television off at all for the last few days as she watched a war unfold. I know it was hard for her to watch, but I don’t think you could have pulled her away with a tank. She grieved for those we lost and was proud of they way we were waging this war. We think she died of a massive heart attack-perhaps this war unfolding was simply too much stress for her to bear.

Just a couple of weeks ago, she and I were talking and she said that one of the things my father worried about was getting his men killed. She said she was glad that he was the first one to be killed, that he would have had such a hard time had it been one of his men who had been killed before him. She said that she was glad that none of them followed him into death. I pointed out that even though of that first rotation of crew members, none were killed that I know of, the following year, some were killed and at the end of that war, the total was two hundred and fifty killed in action on missions of mercy. She was very quiet for a minute, thinking back to that long time ago. She said again that things were the way they were supposed to be. He had been killed first because he could not have been able to bear being responsible for the deaths of men under his command and had he lived would have suffered for the fact that so many men died following his example.

Thank you all for continuing the tradition, for taking up where he left off, for continuing that thread of excellence and sacrifice in peactime, in war, in battle or in the simple recording of events and the telling of tales. My mother shared in the work that my father did just as any wife of any soldier does. Her sacrifice to her country was as great as his, and her pain lasted much longer. Her work is now done on this earth, her journey is now complete, she is whole and well and with her loved ones that have gone on before. She has placed her faith in Jesus Christ, just as my father did and because of that and that alone she is alive and well. A few weeks ago, I had the privelege of doing a radio show and sharing a recording of my sister reading a from her diary and a poem that she wrote upon hearing the news of my fathers death. We recorded that for the Shadow of the Blade Project. I will include the text of that recording at the end of this and if anyone wants to hear the recording I will make it available to you.

One more thing as I close…. I was on the way to Doctors hospital and managed to beat the ambulance there by about five minutes. As I was standing outside the door of the emergency room, I glanced over at the Air Med helicopter sitting on the pad about 50 yards from me. I thought about the things we do in life and how they have effects that reverberate long after we have left this earth. As we were leaving the hospital a couple of hours later to make arrangements, the helicopter had just taken off on a mission of mercy I assume and flew over the horizon into the distance. I felt comforted and realized that my mother was now in the hands of the God, the author of mercy and the Savior of all who come to Him.

Charles Kelly Jr. and family

The following are excerpts from the diary of my sister, Carol Kelly Dorn upon hearing the death of our father. She was age 12 when she wrote this. My mother transcribed this and almost all of the diaries and letters from my father. We hope to make more of them available soon.

PAGES FROM CAROL'S DIARY (12 years old)

January 3 (the day he left JHM)
This morning Daddy had to go to Viet Nam. Mommy, Babs, Charlie and I went to the airport to see him go. When he left Momma started to cry. we didn't to go school till 10:30. We went to town. I got Babs a birthday present because I had forgotten to get it before her birthday. I got me a sling shot. Then Karen and I got a coke. This afternoon some friends and I played "Ain't No Burgers Out Tonight." Tonight we went to the cafe and ate supper. Then we went home to grandma and watched T.V. I also started making my Barbie doll some clothes.

June 29
I got a letter from Daddy today. I wrote him back. We fed the puppies and then took them under the tree and played with them

June 30
Today Mama and I went to the laundry to wash clothes, then we went to the grocery store, I mailed my letter to Daddy.

July 1, Tuesday, 1964
This morning Mama woke me up and told me that Daddy had been killed. He died as a result of a missile wound to the chest Daddy flew helicopters and was a Major in the army. A lot of visitors came to express their grief. They (brought)food such as chicken, potato chips, salads, tea, cake, and watermelon.

July 2
More visitors came today. They cleaned up the house. I went to sleep with mama tonight She cried. I played with Harriet Hagan this afternoon.

July 3
I went to Harriet's today. We played parchess, Moody, and Monopoly, then we went to see somebody and after that went to town. I saw a card just right for Mama that I got. It went like this:

"There's an open gate at the end of the road
Through which each must go alone,
And there in a light We cannot see
Our Father claims His own;
Beyond the gate your Love one Finds happiness and rest,
And there is comfort in the thought That a Loving God Knows best."

It's the most beautiful I've ever read. Mrs. Hagan let me borrow the money then she said I didn't have to pay her back. Harriet, Karen and I ate some watermelon.

July 8
Babs and I got some beads today that Daddy sent us before he was killed. They are "Begger Man's Beads."

July 15
Today was the funeral. Before it we went for our last look at Daddy. He had on his best army suit with all it's stars and stripes on it. He looked just like I hoped he would with a little smile playing? on his lips. One look at him and I knew he was a peace and rest. I knew he wasn't dead too. Not really dead at all. He will always live in our hearts and souls. His memory lives in our minds, and best still, his soul lives in heaven where hurt and sorrow, harm and sickness can never reach him. For that I am happy. The funeral was a military one. There was a 21 gun salute and 4 helicopters flew by. Bugles also sounded and soldiers were everywhere. This morning my poem was in the Chronicle and Savannah Evening Press. We went swimming with Pat, Jimmy, Lee..

Mrs. Jessie Morris, age 73, of Evans, passed away Monday afternoon, March 24, 2003 at Doctor’s Hospital. A native of Girard, GA, she grew up in Sylvania and had been a resident of the Augusta area since 1964. She had been the Owner and Operator of Barter Books on Peach Orchard Road for the past 20+ years, until 1999. She was a former member of the First Baptist Church of Sylvania, GA, had attended Silvercrest Baptist Church, Augusta, GA and for the past number of years had enjoyed the television ministry of Dr. Timothy Owings of the First Baptist Church of Augusta and Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades. She was active in the Dustoff Medevac Association; an organization conceived after the death of her first husband, U.S. Army, Major Charles L. Kelly, a Rescue Medevac Pilot, who perished serving his country during the Vietnam Conflict.

She is preceded in death by her husbands, U.S Army, Major Charles L. Kelly, who passed away in 1964 and Mr. Travis Morris, who passed away in 1990.

She is survived by: her son, Charles Kelly and his wife Brenda, Martinez, GA; Her daughters, Carol Kelly Dorn and her husband Mike, Evans, GA; Barbara Kelly Howerton and her husband, Bruce, Dahlonega, GA; 2 sisters, Barbara Boozer, Sylvania, GA, Carol Norman, Augusta, GA; 11 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and a niece and nephew.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 am, on Thursday. March 27, 2003 from the Chapel of Elliott Sons Funeral Home, 4255 Columbia Road, Martinez, GAth Reverend Mike Brown officiating. Graveside services and interment will follow at 3:00 pm in Sylvania, GA.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday evening at the funeral home. If so desired, memorial contributions may be made to The DUSTOFF Association, Box 8091, Wainwright Station San Antonio, TX 78208