Dick Henke
Dick, 21, grew up in Denver, Colorado, graduating from South High. Tall and lean, he excelled in the high hurdles, though he was never able to beat his rival from Denver East High, Jerome Biffle, who went on to win the Olympics. Dick was drafted into military service after high school. He soon made sergeant, enlisted to change his draft status to regular army, and was sent to Korea.
Dick met Johnny in the service when Johnny was assigned as his drill sergeant. The two hit it off immediately. Both were born daredevils, ready to try anything. Dick’s brother, Bob, said whenever one started something the other was right there with him. Like Johnny, Dick was crazy about skiing, so much so that he skied on glaciers even when the regular season was over, even when the snow cover gave way to gravel. Once he shattered his knee skiing off a cliff in the mountains. He and Johnny both loved breaking trail in the high Rockies. But Dick’s greatest love was flying. He started flying a biplane in the 1940’s, and became one of the first pilots to fly radio controlled airplanes. When Dick returned from the war, it was no surprise that he majored in airline management at Denver University.
Dick, 21, grew up in Denver, Colorado, graduating from South High. Tall and lean, he excelled in the high hurdles, though he was never able to beat his rival from Denver East High, Jerome Biffle, who went on to win the Olympics. Dick was drafted into military service after high school. He soon made sergeant, enlisted to change his draft status to regular army, and was sent to Korea.
Dick met Johnny in the service when Johnny was assigned as his drill sergeant. The two hit it off immediately. Both were born daredevils, ready to try anything. Dick’s brother, Bob, said whenever one started something the other was right there with him. Like Johnny, Dick was crazy about skiing, so much so that he skied on glaciers even when the regular season was over, even when the snow cover gave way to gravel. Once he shattered his knee skiing off a cliff in the mountains. He and Johnny both loved breaking trail in the high Rockies. But Dick’s greatest love was flying. He started flying a biplane in the 1940’s, and became one of the first pilots to fly radio controlled airplanes. When Dick returned from the war, it was no surprise that he majored in airline management at Denver University.