Commander Luther Hook

Luther Harold Hook, III, 44, died Friday, May 22, 2009, due to injuries sustained in a plane crash. Harold was the Executive Officer at Naval Air Station in Fallon, Nevada.
Memorial Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 2009, at Havana First Baptist Church. His family will receive friends at the Butler-West Home in Havana after the service.
Harold was born August 5, 1964, in Havana, FL. He was a 1986 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He had an extensive career in the US Navy which took him to Fallon, Nevada
Commander Luther "Meat" Hook, III, learned to fly the FA-18 Hornet in Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) in Lemoore, CA. His first squadron tour was with the "Stingers" (VFA-113) where he received his callsign "Meat". He served as the squadron Landing Signals Officer (LSO) and deployed on the USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64) and the USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62), including Operation DESERT SHIELD.
He returned to the "Rough Raiders" (VFA-125) as an LSO and instructor pilot. He deployed with the VFA-151 "Vigilantes" onboard the USS CONSTELLATION, making a cruise to the Persian Gulf for Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, and again on his following tour as CAG LSO for CARRIER AIR WING ELEVEN (CVW-11) aboard USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63) and USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62). He remained a part of CVW-11, joining the VFA-22 "Redcocks" as a Lieutenant Commander for his Department Head tour in January 1998. Deploying onboard USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) he got his first taste of combat during deployment to the Western Pacific/Indian Oceans and Persian Gulf in support of Operations DESERT FOX and SOUTHERN WATCH.
After a tour as the Operations Officer for Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, he attended the USAF Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL, receiving his Masters Degree in Strategic Studies.
CDR Hook served as the Combat Direction Center Officer of the USS KITTY HAWK, forward deployed from Yokosuka, Japan. In 2005, he reported to NAS Fallon, serving first as Operations Officer, and since June of 2008, as Executive Officer for the Air Station. Over his career as a Naval Aviator, he amassed over 2700 hours flying F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. He earned the Air Medal (with Combat "V"), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, as well as various other campaign and expeditionary medals.
He was preceded in death by his father Luther Hook, grandfather Cecil Butler and grandparents Luther and Mildred Hook.
Harold is survived by his wife Wende, daughters Jocelyn, Brenda Lynn, Ali and Camryn and his grandson Jared; His mother and step-father Betty and Mal West; Grandmother Frances Butler; sister and brother-in-law Katie and Richard Gainey; three nieces Sophie, Mary Frances and Victoria , uncle and aunt Joe and Jane Conyers.
Three of his daughters died in the crash: Kaitlyn Elizabeth Hook, 15;
Rachel Katherine Hook, 12; and Mackenzie Elena Hook, 9.
Kaithlyn was born October 15, 1993; Rachel was born July 18, 1996; and Mackenzie was born June 12, 1999 in Lemoore, California and died Friday May 22, 2009, in Fallon, Nevada in the plane crash with their father Harold Hook. They are survived by their mother and step-father, Brenda and Pat; sisters Jocelyn, Brenda Lynn, Ali and Camryn and nephew Jared.
Memorial Contributions may be made to: The Hook Children Education Memorial Fund, Colonial Bank 200 South Main Street Fallon, Nevada 89406