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Contact Info
Home Town Austin, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona
Last Address Niceville, Florida
Date of Passing May 21, 1986
Location of Interment United States Air Force Academy Cemetery (VLM) - Colorado Springs, Colorado
Wall/Plot Coordinates Section 006, Row A, Site 030
Then Major Brims was killed in an HH-53H accident during exercise Elated Cyclone in the Nevada test range on May 21, 1986. He was engaged in testing the limits of the 53H helicopter and crew. The aircraft impacted the ridgeline at night during formation approach at Exercise "Elated Cyclone" near Nellis AFB, Nevada. Sources: http://www.jollygreen.org, http://www.thepavecave.com and http://www.veteranstributes.org.
His Air Force Cross Citation:
"The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Richard C. Brims, First Lieutenant, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as an HH-53 Helicopter Aircraft Commander of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand. SEVENTH Air Force, in action on 15 May 1975, at Koh Tang Island, Cambodia. On that date, while engaged in the recovery of the S.S. MAYAGUEZ and crew, Lieutenant Brims successfully landed United States Marines on Koh Tang Island despite overwhelming ground fire. Prior to leaving the island, Lieutenant Brims held his position against heavy ground fire and managed to extract five seriously wounded Marines. He then twice flew his aircraft into intense ground fire, successfully removing remaining groups of United States Marines. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Lieutenant Brims reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force."
Description May 1986 found the Pave Lows back on the road, this time in the Southwestern U.S. for an exercise named ELATED CYCLONE. The deployment, which began on 13 May, was conducted under bare base field conditions. The scenario was designed to test the limits of the aircraft and crews. Sadly, the exercise terminated following the death of Major Richard C. Brims in an HH-53H accident on 21 May.
