From the father in law of Lcdr Scott Zellem. Gary Hunt
Eulogy for Scott Zellem
NAS, North Island Memorial
I asked for the opportunity to speak today. I did not want to, I had to. Scott is going to be remembered and praised by those of you who knew him in the aspects of his life that I am not knowledgeable enough to comment upon. However, I felt it important for everyone to hear how someone who viewed Scott expressly in his day to day life outside of the Navy thought of the man.
From all the articles that have come out about Scott since his death, I have had an awakening, of sorts. I have come to realize that for me Scott Zellem was not the hometown All-American kid, or the Naval Academy Linebacker Stud, or even the Navy Pilot. I knew Scott Zellem as husband to one of the five most cherished things I have in this world and Father to another one of them. And as chartered with taking care of 2/5’s of all that really, deeply, matters to me in life, I never worried one minute for their safety, or their happiness.
I remember when I met Scott. It was at our home in Westlake Village, California; Jennifer had phoned and told me she had been dating this guy whom she liked very much. All she said was “Dad, his name is Scott, he is a pilot in the Navy and he is a great guy.” She told me that the two of them were going to come up for something or another in the LA area and they would be staying over Saturday evening. They would be coming in late so we planned to have breakfast Sunday before they headed back to San Diego.
Sunday morning comes along and walking in with Jennifer is this tall good looking guy with a big smile on his face. We shake hands, and then we talk for a while. I can tell early on that he is a great communicator, he also has this real big, great, wonderful smile. When they leave Lynn says “well he seems like a nice, smart, charming guy and he is so handsome”. I say “yeah, a little too charming, too nice, too smart, and too good looking”. Anyway, on that Sunday morning………a lifetime ago, I am not fooled one bit by Scott Zellem, I know what these Naval aviators are all about, I saw that movie Top Gun! What I had no idea, but determined later, was that with Scott Zellem….what you saw is what you got. And this nice, smart, caring, and charming guy who smiled almost all the time, consistently displayed those attributes every time I was with him.
Anyone who knows me well knows that from time to time I will get an idea or a wild hair and come hell or high water I am going to do it. And while I know it is not a good quality to have, I am not even really interested (or at least not very interested) in what others may think of the idea. And no one knows this more than my lovely wife of 31 years, Lynn. And I can tell you that Lynn is not going to like this idea one bit, but in very short order I am going to go and get a tattoo. The reason is because I want a visible and constant reminder of Scott. And I have decided the tattoo is going on my upper arm and is going to say: Blue Wolf 704. No fancy drawing, not a bunch of colors just Blue Wolf 704.
You see, when my kids were growing up, one of the things I did almost every night was read them a book. As they got older I would tell them a story or we would just talk about something they were interested in. And, it was wonderful quality time between a father and a child. And when Tanner came along, I looked forward with great anticipation to the evenings when Scott would say “Tanner, kiss Grand Dude goodnight” and then the two of them would go and share their own great moments together.
Then on Tuesday, August the 10th, life threw all of us this wicked curve ball. And because of this bit of fate, I suspect that I am now going to be doing the same with my Grandson that I did with his mom so many years ago. And when Tanner is a little bigger and we have grown from books to talking about life, every now and again I am going take his little hand and he is going to touch that tattoo on my arm and I am going to say, “My Man, tonight Grand Dude is going to tell you the story of Blue Wolf 704.”
I will tell him that one night his Dad and three other brave men got into an airplane named Blue Wolf 704. The rest of us were all safe and asleep in our beds when they flew off an aircraft carrier called the John C. Stennis, a great ship. You see buddy, Blue Wolf 704 was part of the US Navy and the US Navy’s job is to make the world safe. Safe enough so you and I and a whole lot of other people have the freedom to say what they want and freedom to print what they want and the freedom to do (pretty much) what they want. And to your Dad and the other guys on Blue Wolf 704, even if they did not like what the other people were saying, or printing or doing they would go and fly anyway because they cared about freedom and they had promised and sworn to protect freedom. I know this because your Dad told me and he was an honest man. He cared so much about your Mom and you and Granny and Grand Dude and a lot of other people he had never even met that he was willing to do something very dangerous to make certain that all of us would be free and safe.
I remember one time your Dad telling me he got up for work real early and went to kiss you and your Mom goodbye and you two guys were all snuggled up together under the covers. He leaned down to kiss the two of you goodbye and he just stood there for a long time and your Dad told me “ I use to love my job because I loved to fly but for the first time, ever, I know why I do what I do”. It was because he loved you guys so much that he would do anything to protect you and your Mom even if it was scary and dangerous.
So Blue Wolf 704 left that night but they did not come back. And the Navy sent ships and planes and helicopters and people to go find Blue Wolf 704 because they cared for these men and wanted to make certain they were safe. And they were safe, just not safe like you and I know. They were safe with God and they are still safe with God.
And when we found out that Blue Wolf 704 was never coming home, everybody was sad because these were good men and they had families like you and your mom who loved them and were waiting for them to come home so they could all be happy together. And everybody cried for a long time because we would miss them. Granny and Aunt Millie and Uncle Brian cried and Uncle Rip and Aunt Kelly and Grandma Sally cried and all your cousins cried. And Catbox and Kelsey, and Socks and Wrap and Snapper and Chum cried. And even people who do not have special names like your Dad and the other pilots cried. Even your Uncle Ed who is as big and strong as a house and was a big-time football stud like your Dad cried.
And me? Well, you and your Mom were staying with Granny and me when we found out Blue Wolf 704 would never come back and for the next five days I stayed home and did not go to work. And all day long while Granny and your mom talked and made plans you and I would walk around together. We’d go look my tractor and my motorcycle and Uncle Brian’s big truck with the loud horn and I would put you in the backpack and take you for long hikes and every now and then I would have to sit down and cry because I loved your very much Dad and I was sad too. But then you would get a worried look on your face so I would stop because I did not want you to be nervous or scared about the future because your future and your mom’s future was going to be okay.
You see, your Dad was a very smart guy, he married your Mom and entrusted her with the most important thing is his life, you, because he knew she was just like him and she could take care of you if anything happened to him. Your Dad also knew there were two wonderful families that would protect and take care of you and your Mom no matter what sacrifice they had to make. Your Dad also knew he had great friends that also loved and cared for you and your Mom and they were going to help. And he knew that every night in places that none of us ever even think about there are other planes like Blue Wolf 704 that are flying around to make certain that you and me and all the people we love and people that these pilots do not even know are safe and free.
Now let’s hold hands and bow our heads and pray: God Bless Blue Wolf 704, God Bless the United States Navy and God Bless America.
Good night, my man. Sleep well.
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