About Us
Our History
Introduction by Robert A. Morris SSgt USMC (Ret)
The Starship 402 Memorial Taps Scholarship was started after I read in a USA Today article that since 2000, recordings of Taps were being played at military funerals. I consider that unacceptable.
Starship 402 was the callsign of a United States Marine Corps CH-53A Sea Stallion attached to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 777-(REIN), operating from the amphibious assault ship USS Guadalcanal, LPH-7 as a composite squadron.
After completing a mission to shore, delivering 25 Marines and a jeep, the tail gearbox failed and the aircraft crashed in the North Sea, killing all 5 aboard. The Pilot, Capt. William H. "Sonny" Coke, Co-Pilot Capt James B. Huff, Crew Chief SSgt. Gary J. "Butch" Lester, my friend Sgt. Timothy A. "Tim" Creighton, and our chaplain, Navy Cdr. David R. Morrison.
Our Mission
The mission of the Starship 402 Memorial Taps Scholarship is to encourage young musicians to volunteer with Bugles Across America and play Taps at military funerals, and to remember those that gave their lives in peacetime, as well as in war.
For motivational music while viewing this website, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBXbQSu0UOo
USS Guadalcanal LPH 7
The USS Guadalcanal was an amphibious assault ship.
The Mission Patch
Operation Northern Wedding - Bold Guard
The mission patch identifies the squadrons that sent aircraft and their home stations, and the ship we operated from. The five gold stars represent the five men that were killed. This was a peacetime NATO mission.
The Composite Squadron
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 777 - (REIN)
HMH-777 -(REIN) was a composite squadron consisting of 4 CH-53A Sea Stallions from NAS Dallas, 4 AH-1J Cobra gunships from Atlanta, and 4 UH-1N Huey utility helicopters from New Orleans. Each aircraft was identified in it's home squadron by the squadron callsign plus the modex, the number usually on the nose area. The Dallas squadron sent aircraft 400, 401, 402 and 405. LtCol. N. A. Snider assigned the callsigns of Starship, Starshooter, and Starshuttle respectively.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 777
HMH-777 was stationed at Naval Air Station, Dallas, Texas.
The Aircraft
Left to right, the AH-1J Cobra gunship, callsign Starshooter, UH-1N Huey, callsign Starshuttle, and the CH-53A Sea Stallion, callsign Starship
The Crew
Captain William H. "Sonny" Coke
William Harold "Sonny" Coke was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He was the Pilot of Starship 402. He was born on August 27th, 1947 and was from Fort Worth Texas. He was 35.
Captain James B. Huff
James Byron Huff was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He was the Co-Pilot of Starship 402. He was born on January 17th, 1951 and was from Bremerton Washington. He was 32.
Staff Sergeant Gary J. "Butch" Lester
Gary Joe "Butch" Lester was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He was an Aircraft Navigation Systems Technician, and the Crew Chief for Starship 402. He was born on July 18th 1957 and was from Plano Texas. He was 25.
Sergeant Timothy A. "Tim" Creighton
Timothy Allen "Tim" Creighton was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He was a Helicopter Power Plants Mechanic and the First Mechanic for Starship 402. He was born on July 23rd 1959 and was from Brockton Massachusetts. He was 23.
Sgt Timothy A.Creighton, known as Timmy to his family. Husband of Mary (Pennor); father of 8 month old daughter Tarah; was born July 23rd 1959 in Brockton Massachusetts to Reginald and Virginia Creighton. Oldest brother to Patrick and Sean. Tim early enlisted in United States Marine Corps in his senior year of high school at Southeastern Regional Vo - Tech High School, graduating from Commercial Foods in June 1977. He loved to cook especially with his mother and Gram. He also tinkered and repaired small engines, which his father taught him to do thus taking him to helicopter engines.
He completed boot camp at Parris Island and schooling in Memphis Tennesee to become a crew chief on CH 53 Sea Stallions. He was then stationed in USMCAS, Kaneohe, Hawaii. Tim completed a Pacific tour; returning to Brockton MA to marry Mary on December 14th 1979. Mary then joined Tim in Hawaii where they resided for 2 years.
Sgt Creighton re - enlisted for 4 more years taking him and his wife to Dallas Naval Air Station, Texas. They resided in Grand Prairie waiting for the birth of their 1st child due in January. A daughter was born on January 23rd 1982.
Commander David R. Morrison
David Richard Morrison was a Commander in the United States Navy. He was the Chaplain for Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 777. He was born on July 25th 1935 and was from Round Rock, Texas. He was 47.
Thank You For Supporting This Valuable Cause
Presentation Level donors may personally award a scholarship.
A Gold Star Level donation will entitle the donor to a one year memorial on this website for a passed service member.