STU ROYLE
As with many people returning from
Vietnam, I spent a period of adjustment to the “world”.
I had been stationed in
Hawaii
prior to assignment to
Vietnam
and our household goods were in storage there so it seemed reasonable to return
to the
Islands
to take up residence. I got a job with the USAR as a full time civilian GS9. I
was assigned as the S1 of a USAR Special Forces unit in
Honolulu. I was not happy with the job, as they wanted me to go either to
Fort
Benning
or
Okinawa
to jump school. After a year in “
Nam
” I was not willing to do that. I quit after a month. I really wanted to get
into Law Enforcement but the Honolulu PD had a 3 year residence requirement.
They would count the year I was there in the army and the year in VN but I still
had about 7 months to go and then no guarantee of employment. We had just about
settled on buying a house but with no job and indefinite plans, we decided to
return to the mainland.
I returned to my hometown in RI in Nov
1970 and got on with a medium size Police Department. I stayed there about 10
years and rose to Chief of Detectives and attended the
FBI
National
Academy
in
Quantico
Va.
In 1979. I had an itch that needed to be scratched however. I loved flying in
the back of the LOH 6 and the Huey.
I wanted to be a helicopter pilot. I
made a deal with my wife that I would get another degree but in Law Enforcement
this time and then I would use the GI bill to get my helicopter license. So I
got a second BS in Law Enforcement in 1977 and my helicopter license in 1978.
There was a lot of political interference
with the PD and I got restless again and started looking for a job where I could
use my helicopter license and my law
enforcement both. We moved to
Waco,
Texas, my wife’s hometown, in 1981. I got on with Sheriff’s Office as they had a
helicopter, but had to start all over in my law enforcement career. I was not
able to fly until much later. Over the years I rose through the ranks again and
in 1986 became the Jail Administrator of the Minimum Security facility housing
200 inmates and about 50 staff.
The
Sheriff’s Office obtained 3 OH 58 helicopters and refurbished them for Law
Enforcement. I became a line pilot and finally in 2003 the Chief Pilot.
I logged over 4000 hours in
flight time and finally retired in 2012 with 41 years of
Law Enforcement.
Webmaster
Note: Stu attended the 1st "Historic Reunion" of the 2/9th in 2013 at
Ft. Sill, OK.
Sadly, Stu passed away on August 25, 2015
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