David Larsen

I haven't been home in a long time--really it's been too long! I look forward to the reunion and seeing you all. A little recap these past years.....
Went to Jacksonville University and was commissioned a Naval Officer in 1994, went to Navy Flight School and was winged in April 1997. Spent 4 years in San Diego flying Seahawk helicopters (2 Western Pacific/Arabian Gulf deployments on the type ship pictured below), got orders to instruct student pilots in Pensacola and lived there for 2.5 years. In that time I got married and had my son, John, in 2002. I then received orders as a Catapult Officer (Shooter) on the USS George Washington in Norfolk, VA for 2 years. Deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom for 7 months, launching and recovering fixed wing aircraft (Awesome job!). Had my daughter, Katie, in May 2005 and got divorced from "my babies' momma" after receiving orders to Japan to fly helicopters. Went to Atsugi, Japan in October 2005 to be an Officer-in-Charge of a helicopter detachment on the ship pictured below. Met my lovely wife, Danielle (Dee for short), while in Japan and we got married in Waterloo, Canada (she's Canadian) in Nov 2007. Got orders back to the U. S. in April 2008 to be the Training Wing Operations Officer for fixed wing OPS flying the T-34C primary pilot trainer in Pensacola, FL.

It's great to be home and be able to see my kids (who live in Tallahassee, FL) after being in Japan forward deployed for 3 years! Look forward to catching up with you all thru the site and at the reunion.

UPDATE: Well I would have liked to come home to Hanson for the reunion this Thanksgiving but the Navy has other plans.....I just got orders to go to Bagdad, Iraq for 1 year starting October 12th. Don't believe the hype on combat ops ending this past August, we're still there. I won't be a trigger puller (those guys are way tougher than I), but I will be working for the Commander of U.S. Forces Iraq on his staff in Bagdad. I have to play Army for 4 weeks of training in South Carolina before I hit Bagdad in early November (I'm psyched, kevlar and M-16s, what's a Navy pilot to do?). Anyway, let it be known that if I had my way, I would be coming home and catching up with my classmates at our 20th reunion and seeing what 20 years has done to everyone. Good luck, God speed, and hoist a beer (or two) for me, and above all have fun at our renunion.

SPECIAL THANKS to Jen, Chrissy, and the whole crew who will make this reunion one of the best that any WH class has ever seen. They have put a ton of effort in on our class's behalf so make sure you thank them in person. A far cry from when our whole class got kicked out of some assembly so many years back.....ah the memories (I'm a sap)!

Cheers,
Dave Larsen

Last Update: On my way to Iraq via Kuwait on 04 November 10 after 3 weeks of awesome Army trainingat Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Way different than Naval Air for sure!