GMC (EOD) Joseph T. Hendricks 19 March 1961 - 11 July 1995
When I first me Joey he was part of a returning group of EOD Assistants and SCUBA divers that were arriving to be part of the 1st EOD Dive School Class. Prior to this point - EOD candidates went through Second Class Diver Curriculum. It was a unique experience because we were all there to become Navy EOD Divers. Joey and a cadre of other EOD Assistants - who had already been through SCUBA class sat in the back of the audience as the instructors reviewed what was ahead for all of us - I sat in the middle with a few other sailors from the Fleet - no prior experience with EOD. Joey was quite, reserve as the other EOD Assistants were more gregarious and engaging with the instructors. As we went through school, Joe often used his calming and reserved nature to bring us together as a team. As we progressed through school Joe completed class before myself and we would meet again at Phase II training in Indian Head, MD. Often, We would share liberty with a group of friends that might enjoyed a pizza, conversation and a few adult beverages. Joey would be our first shipmate that was killed in action (KIA). I had returned to Phase II EOD training as an instructor when we got the word Joe had died in a horrible diving accident off the coast of Saudi Arabia. Many of us attended his funeral at the chapel in Arlington, VA. For the past twenty-eight years, my family have taken many sojourns on Veteran’s Day to honor Joey and our other shipmates that call Arlington their final rest. Joe we have the watch, RIP.
The below a summary of Joe’s Navy career from https://veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.php?recordID=2113
Joseph Hendricks was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on in 1984, and completed basic training at NTC Great Lakes, Il. Joe completed Basic Electricity and Electronics School at NTC Great Lakes and Gunners Mate A School at Great Lakes in 1985. He completed Basic Scuba Course at Panama City, Fl., 1985 before training as a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Assistant Course at Indian Head, Md. in 1986. His EOD assignments included Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group ONE (EODG-1) Subic Bay in the Philippines from 1986 - 1988, Naval Special Warfare Center at NAB Coronado, Ca., 1988. In 1988-1990 he served at Navy Reserve with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit NINE (EODMU-9) at Mare Island, Ca. Joe And I attended EOD Diver Training Phase I at Panama City and EOD Assistant training at Eglin AFB, Fl., in 1990. Joe Petty graduates both training segments and transition to Indian Head, Md. to complete the Navy EOD Basic Course in 1991. He served with EODMU-8 at Sigonella, Italy, from December 1990 to October 1993, and then with EODMU-5 in Bahrain from October 1993 where he tragically died until in a diving accident off the coast of Saudi Arabia on July 11, 1995. Joe was buried at Arlington National Cemetery and is memorialized at EOD Memorial, FL.
(Provided by LCDR (Ret.) Ron Zitzman) Joey and I were stationed at Sigonella together, MU 8. He was on a different detachment but he was the best we had. He was the very first EODMU EIGHT Sailor of the Year, he was always the most meticulous and professional Tech in the command. He use to come over for dinner and eat about 15 tacos. Jackie loved cooking for the guys and she thought a lot of Joey. RIP Brother - Z
Joe is memorialized at the EOD Memorial in FL(Top Left Picture) and interred at Arlington in VA(Bottom right and middle left picture). Copy of our dive school class 90-1-B provided by Rich Gray(Bottom left picture - Joey second from the right bottom). Top right is our Area 8 picture of our graduating EOD Phase II Class (Bad Boys of EOD - Joey third from left second row). Middle right (picture provided by Scotty Treible) of Joey conducting demo on the Drasi Range in Sicily, Italy.
We did not have any pictures of Joey operationally - I did find a few of EODMU NINE DET THIRTY-THREE, Jubail, Saudi Arabia 1991 that would be representative of the Area of Operations (AOR).
Please consider honoring Joey with a pledge or donation to Challenge - Run2022Miles4EODWF. Joey is one of several shipmates that crossed the bar too soon. Unfortunately, 22 Veterans give up and take their own life every day. Intervention, awareness of the signs that can be observed and support is the key to changing this and honoring those that crossed the bar too soon by making a difference. COVID has decimated our support bridge. Let not another shipmate and warrior pass without trying to change this horrific trend.
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Ordnance Technical Director and Explosive Safety Officer at Military Sealift Command
4 年RIP GMC (EOD) Joseph Hendricks. Your service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.