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Maj. Jeffrey Herneman, 32, of Andover, Minn., was a CV-22 instructor pilot and training officer. (U.S. Air Force)
The parents of an Air Force pilot who died along with seven other crew members aboard a CV-22 Osprey in late November have started a campaign to create a scholarship in his memory, his mother said.
Maj. Jeff Herneman, 32, of Andover, Minn., died along with the other crew members when the Osprey crashed off the coast of Yakushima, an island in southern Japan. The bodies of all but one crew member were recovered. The search for Air Force Maj. Eric “Doc” Spendlove of St. George, Utah, was called off on January 11.
Mr. Hornemann served as a CV-22 instructor pilot and weapons tactics director for the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, west of Tokyo.
At Herneman’s funeral, his cousin Maj. Derek Wibben said, “The world would be a better place if we were a little more like Jeff.” It was livestreamed on YouTube by Grace Lutheran Church in Andover on January 4th.
The GoFundMe campaign was started Monday by Horneman’s parents, Katherine and Tom Horneman. By Thursday, they had raised more than $4,800 toward their $75,000 goal.
“The idea to create this scholarship came to us shortly after we tragically lost him and solidified in the weeks leading up to his funeral,” Catherine Hernemann told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday. said in an email. “As his parents, we know that Jeff still has so much to offer this world and that his time here with us is too short for him to achieve all of his goals. I did.”
She said the parents were inspired by receiving letters from their son’s friends in and out of the military and hearing stories about how much his son had influenced their careers and personal lives. “We thought the best way to honor his passion was to provide scholarships to future aviators and educators.”
Jeff Herneman, 32, is a 2008 graduate of Andover High School, where he competed in track and field, cross country, Nordic skiing and swimming. He graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and served as an Air Force commission through his ROTC, according to his obituary posted on the Thurston-Lindberg Funeral Home website. He began his active duty on March 1, 2015.
“Jeff loved the Air Force and flew his Osprey, his wife, family and friends with no reservations,” his mother said. “He frequently told us that he really enjoyed mentoring new CV-22 pilots and teaching them as an instructor pilot.”
In addition to his parents, he leaves behind his wife, Jess Boozer, his brother, Jared Horneman, and his grandparents, Ray and Aldel Horneman, according to his obituary.
During his career, he received the Distinguished Service Medal, Air Medal with “C” Device, Air Commendation Medal, Aerospace Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Aerospace Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Award, and Combat Readiness Medal with Oak Leaf. He was awarded the Cluster Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with the Bronze Star, and the Global War on Terrorism Medal, according to his obituary.
“Every time I met Jeff, I felt better because he saw the best in everyone and brought out the best in everyone,” his mother said. “We miss him and love him dearly.”
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