NOTAM 9-2013 (Lundin)

Colonel Herbert V. Lundin, USMC (Ret)
Golden Eagle Emeritus

Dear Golden Eagles.

It is my sad duty to report that Col Herbert V. Lundin, USMC (Ret), age 89, made his Last Take-Off on 22 November 2013 in Atlantic Beach, Florida. He is survived by his Daughter, Valery, his son William, and grandson, Mamo. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on a date to be determined.

Col Lundin was born in 1924. He entered the NAVCAD program in 1942, received his commission and his wings in August 1943, and joined VMF-115 assigned to MCAS Santa Barbara flying the F4U. He deployed with that squadron embarked on USS Bennington (CV-20) to the Western Pacific from January to June 1945. It was during that deployment that he was credited with the destruction in aerial combat of four enemy aircraft.

Following WWII and until 1950 he continued to fly the F4U with VMF-225 and VMF-115 in Hawaii, Santa Barbara, and Cherry Point. During the Korean War, he flew the F9F while assigned to VMF-224 at Cherry Point and with VMF-115 embarked on USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. After an exchange tour flying the F-101 at Bergstrom AFB with the USAF, various staff and school assignments followed until 1966 when he took command of VMFA-312 flying the F4B at MCAS Beaufort. From 1967 to 1968 he served in Chu Lai, South Vietnam first as Operations Officer, MAG-13 and then as CO, VMFA-314. It was during these assignments that he flew 446 combat missions in the F4B for which he was awarded a Legion of Merit with combat “V”. Subsequent to his service in Vietnam other operational and staff assignments occurred until his final tour of duty as Chief of Staff 1st Maw at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. In addition to the Legion of Merit his other decorations include three DFC’ s and forty-four Air Medals.
After his retirement in 1975 Col Lundin became an airline pilot flying with Antilles Airlines in the Virgin Islands for ten years.

Col Herb Lundin was an exceptionally skilled aviator and a legend in Marine Aviation. Yet his deep humility prevented him from ever talking about his exceptional achievements. A close friend and fellow Golden Eagle reported that Herb was “just too modest to brag but he had so much to brag about”. That trait was typical of the “Greatest Generation” whose ranks have been reduced by one more with Col Lundin’s Last Take-Off.

He will be missed.

Fred Lewis-Pilot