Borrego Days Desert Festival have written the sad news about the passing of a long term resident of Borrego Springs.

Frank Himmerich died, August 23 at 84 years of age. Our hearts are very heavy. Frank was a sweet, gentle always dependable volunteer in the Chamber/CVB Welcome Center, at Sundowners and Borrego Days. We loved Frank. Everyone loved Frank.

This was his 3rd year as a Chamber volunteer and he was unanimously voted as 2016 Volunteer of the Year. His recognition was to have been celebrated with much deserved fanfare at the Miss Borrego Springs Pageant on October 15 and at the Borrego Days Desert Festival Parade on October 22. Posthumously he will still be recognized, for his family and many friends, at both events.

His memorial in Borrego Springs will be later this month. There after his remains will be taken to Arlington National Cemetary where he will join his wife and love of his life that passed before him in 1993. Please read the Liga International post shared below.

As a member of his community, Frank:

-Was on the Board of Directors of the Borrego Senior Center.

-Could be found many weekdays, when not at the Chamber or off on missions for flying doctors, helping Viki Cole in the office at the Borrego Valley Airport.

-On Sundays Frank would be at the church he helped found, the Borrego Lutheran Church, if not greeting you or taking the offering...right up front giving the serman.

-Over his many years volunteering for Young Eagles, he took 4,000 youth up in the air introducing them to his love of flying.

-About a year ago the U.S. Coast Guard in ceremony recognized him for 40 years of service to their mission as a volunteer.

What many may not know about this quiet unassuming man that has been giving of his time and money so unselfishly and quetly for the past 40 years is before that...

From 1949 to 1972 he served his country fighting the cold war in radio and electronics communications and transmissions achieving the rank of LCDR USN. To check out the acronyms and posts of duty that he could share, tells a story of a publicly unsung American hero that played a very important rule in the free world's fight against communism.

In his own words:

"Himmerich, Frank A., LCDR USN Retired, 1949-1972

I enlisted in the regular Navy in June 1949 after serving as a ALAN in the Naval Air Reserve as a radio operator in PBY aircraft. I requested and got ET school. After ET school I was assigned to the USS Manchester (CL-83). When the ship was in the Korean war zone we had a SECGRU Detachment aboard. I worked with them fairly closely since they were operating the

equipment I was assigned to maintain when they were not aboard. It was then I was talked into requesting duty with the Security Group. After the ship came back to Long Beach I received orders for NAVRADSTA Cheltenham for school. After about 3 months I was sent to Naples for duty with Comm Unit 32. In 18 months I served in the USS C.R.Ware (DD-865), USS Steinaker (DD 863) and the Naval Mission Turkey for duty at the unit north of Istanbul.

After those beginnings more tours included:

NAVSECSTA ( Change rate from ET1 to CT1) Recife, Brazil 1954-1957 (Made CTC and also Selected for WO)

NAVSECSTA - TAD to Submarines USS Tusk and USS Sirago

SECGRUHQ 1958-1960

Officers Electronic School, Great Lakes 1960 (Selected ENS and LTJG)

Electronic Maint Officer, Sec Gru Div NavRadSta Adak 1961- 1962 (Selected LT)

Electronic Maint Officer, USS Oxford (AG-159) Later AGTR-1 1962-1964

SecGruHq 1964-1967 (Selected LCDR )

CinCUSNavEur, London 1967-1970

NavElexSysCom HQ 1970-1972

Retired 1972 as a LCDR"

http://www.navycthistory.com > himmerich_frank

Liga International, The Flying Doctors of Mercy

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that yesterday at 518 pm PST, our long time Liga pilot and volunteer Frank Himmerich passed away. Last Saturday Frank suffered a sudden heart attack and was med flighted to Palomar hospital. Unfortunately he was not able to wake up.

Frank has volunteered with Liga since 2002, attending more than 87 Liga missions. He not only volunteered as a Liga pilot but also worked triage and was Cheryl’s assistant doing whatever the “boss” told him to do: sort, organize, clean up, work at the hangar, etc…. He would bend over backwards to help anyone and everyone. Frank also volunteered with the Flying Sam’s and for Young Eagles, EAA (an organization for the young that promotes the adventure of flying. I will always remember Frank for his generosity and for his smile. He will be deeply missed.

Our hearts go out to his son Mike, to Frank’s two sisters, and to their families. If you would like to reach out to them, Mike’s contact information is: Borrego.it@att.net 703.282.1007.

Sincerely,

Winnie Parish

Liga president