I would like to thank his mother, Johnalou Rudolph, for providing the following information .

Johnalou welcomes contact from any classmate.

Greg began flying lessons in December 1966 and earned his commercial pilot rating in August 1967, instructor pilot rating in 1968, and instrument rating in 1969. He logged over 300 hours as instructor pilot while in college and over 400 hours in other jobs such as sailplane towing, charter, aerial photography, jump pilot for CSU Sport Parachute Club, and piloting a research plane for the Atmospheric Science Department of the University

Greg's first assignment took him to Southeast Asia where he was stationed at Clark AFB in the Philippines. On February 21, 1973 he received the Air Medal with 8 leaf clusters. On May 14, 1973 he received the Distinguished Flying cross.

He was then assigned to George AFB. On April 25, 1978 he received the Air Force Commendation Medal.

(This photo was taken on Dec. 1978 in Australia. Greg is posing with a gun from a Mirage and ammo draped over his flightsuit/G-suit.)

(Click photo for larger image)

Greg had served in the USAF 12 years at the time of his death on November 28, 1981.

Citation to Accompany the Award of
THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
To
GREGORY W. RUDOLPH

Captain Gregory W. Rudolph distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-4D Aircraft Commander over Southeast Asia on 17 June 1972.

On that date, Captain Rudolph was directed to strike a heavily defended surface-to-air missile storage area in the vicinity of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. While braving difficult weather conditions and intense hostile ground fire, Captain Rudolph made multiple passes against his target and was credited with the destruction of twenty-five surface-to-air missiles and severe damage to ten others.

The professional competence, aerial skill and devotion to duty displayed by Captain Rudolph reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

CEDAR CITY -- Four people were killed Saturday night when the light plane they were flying in crashed into a hillside north of here.

The victims, all members of the same Las Vegas, Nev., family, were identified Tuesday morning by Iron county Sheriff Ira Schoppmann after other family members had been notified of the accident. They were identified as Gregory William Rudolph, 34; his wife Kristin E., 33; a daughter, Lisa, 11; and a son, Scott, 9.

The twin-engine Beechcraft, missing since its attempted approach to the Cedar City Airport at 6:40 p.m. Saturday, was located at 10 a.m. Sunday at about the 6,000-foot level of the foothills of the Summit Mountains, just northwest of Enoch and about a mile from Interstate 15.

According to Schoppmann, the pilot apparently misjudged his first run and was circling for a second pass; however, he circled wide in the bad weather and the plane struck the Cedar tree-covered hillside.

The plane was destroyed, but did not burn. Debris was strewn an estimated 1,000 feet. Much of the damage was caused, said Schoppmann, because the plane first struck a 12-inch diameter tree. The plane then flipped over, landing upside-down and probably killing the occupants instantly. The plane was spotted by members of the Cedar City Search and Rescue Squad which had participated extensively in the search both Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The search Saturday was mainly centered in the fields of Enoch because of a report by Don Smith of Dancing Breeze Ranch northwest of the town that the plane had flown over at a very low altitude.

However, a later report of a sighting by Jeff Ashdown of the Homestead Subdivision moved the search Sunday morning to the foothills, said Schoppmann.

A definite cause of the accident is pending an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Weather conditions:

Visibility 1 mile; heavy snow - had been snowing earlier in day - picked up towards evening. Ceiling 1,000 feet at time of accident. Was dark at time of attempted landing and accident. Occurred at 6:40 p.m.

Attempted landing and circled for 2nd approach -- instead of circling back - flew straight east.

NTSB investigating crash - FAA and insurance company trying to piece engine back together today (12/3/81)

Plane was on a non-stop filed flight plan from Lander (Wyoming) to Las Vegas (Nevada). Air controller in Cedar City indicated was probably using more fuel than estimated and deviated off flight plan to refuel in Cedar City.

Emergency locator beacon was either not connected to radio or antenna knocked off - signal (faint) was however heard. Crash occurred 5 miles north of Cedar City.

Johnalou Rudolph lost her oldest son, daughter-in-law, and 2 grand children on November 28, 1981 in a tragic plane crash. Seven years later while attending a Native American literature class at Cook College and Theological School in Tempe, Arizona, she became aware that some tribes of American Indians do not cry for several days after losing a loved one -- out of respect for that person. In trying to understand this type of reaction, she posed this question to herself as she did her final class project.

Gregory Rudolph

Air Force Major Gregory William Rudolph, 34, of Las Vegas, Nev., and formerly of Fort Collins died Nov. 28, 1981, in the crash of a private plane in Utah that also claimed the lives of his wife and two children.

Mr. Rudolph was born Aug. 8, 1947, in Fort Collins.

He married Kristin Ellen Johnson March 17, 1968, in Timnath.

He graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1965 and from Colorado State University with a degree in physical science in 1969. He was in the ROTC program at CSU and received his commission upon graduation. He earned a master's of business administration at the University of California.

While a jet pilot trainee, Mr. Rudolph received the Orville Wright Award as the outstanding pilot in his class. He was stationed in the Philippines for two years, Thailand and Vietnam, Korea and at George Air Force Base, Calif., as an instructor/pilot of F-4 aircraft. He was an exchange officer with the Royal Australian Air Force for 2 1/2 years. His last assignment was as a weapons instructor at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas.

Kristin Rudolph

Kristin Ellen Rudolph, 33, of Las Vegas, Nev., and formerly of Fort Collins died Nov. 28, 1981, in the crash of a private plane in Utah that also claimed the lives of her husband and two children.

Mrs. Rudolph was born Oct. 4, 1948, in Fort Collins.

She married Gregory William Rudolph March 17, 1968, in Timnath.

She graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1966. She graduated from the City University of New York with a degree in counseling. She was studying for a master's degree in vocational and women's crisis counseling at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

She worked as a battered women's crisis counselor at the Women's Crisis Center of Las Vegas.

Lisa Rudolph born July 15, 1970, in Fort Collins.

Scott Rudolph was born Oct. 10, 1972, at Clark Air Base, the Philippines.

The Rudolph family was buried at Roselawn Cemetery in Fort Collins, Colorado on December 5, 1981.