SSGT David A. Wyatt USMC

Allen Wyatt, Father

David decided he wanted to join the Marine Corps while he was living in Montana and could have joined from there but he wanted to go to Parris Island for boot camp as he said that San Diego was just for Hollywood Marines. One of his favorite movies about Marines was “Full Metal Jacket” which was filmed at Parris Island using some older barracks near the rifle range. After boot, David commented that the Corps required the makers of “FMJ” to make it look a lot easier than it really was to go through boot as otherwise no one would ever volunteer to be a Marine.

David Wyatt took his Boy Scout Oath, Law and Motto to heart and always worked to be a good Scout. While David was working on the staff at Boy Scout Camp Orr in the summer of 1994 a freak accident occurred. A tree’s roots had apparently been loosened by the river and it fell, pinning a young scout under it an under water. David saw what had happened and sprang into action. He rushed to the fallen tree and using his shoulder, raised the tree just enough to free the scout. The scout was not harmed other that some scraps and bruises. Other staff members were right behind David and might have also affected the rescue. When asked about this later, David replied that he was just doing his job and that was why he happened to be at that particular spot. This incident actually occurred on the Buffalo Scenic river in a section under the control of the Park Service who later investigated what had happened to cause the tree to fall.

Later that same summer, a Scout was injured in a fall some distance from the camp. It was customary at the time for Scout units to hike up a steep trail and place their flag or banner at a particular overlook at the peak of the trail. The Scout had fallen near the top and suffered a bad contusion to his head as well as some injured fingers. Word was sent down the hill to camp that assistance was needed. The camp dispatched EMTs with a stretcher to get the Scout. Hearing what had happened and knowing it was going to take some time for the EMTs to get up the hill, David ran all the way (about 5 miles) up the steep hill in near 100-degree heat to let those with the Scout know that help was on the way. He also kept his cool, helping to calm not only injured Scout but also the adult leaders with him. After the EMTs got the scout back to camp he was taken to the hospital ER room where he received several stitches for his wound and splints for his broken fingers. The Scout returned to camp later that night and completed his week wearing his badge of honor.

Younger David

David and his siblings attended a Catholic operated elementary school in Altus Arkansas. Their teachers were some very kindly but strict Sisters from a local order. While David was in the first grade, his father received a call from Sister Annette at the school that he needed to come right then and pick up David as there had been problems that morning? When he arrived, the Sister had David in tow at the door and was waving a “Playboy” magazine. According to the Sister, David had found this at home and brought it to school where it had caused quite the disruption. David was taken home for the day by his badly shamed father (tail between the legs).

Now for the rest of the story. It turned out that the magazine had been taken to the school and shown to classmates by David’s slightly older sister Elizabeth. Always the hero David, had stepped in and taken the blame and the heat from the Sister teachers, probably knowing that they assume it was him anyway.

Elizabeth, Sister

David was fearless of the outdoors. He would spend hours when we were growing up exploring the woods, creek, and area around our parent's house in Ozark. He was particularly fond of snakes, and would not hesitate to pick up a copperhead or garden snake and taunt us with it much to my sister's and my chagrin. We would built forts, pulled pranks, and ratted each other out! We would fight like cats and dogs - we were 13 months apart. Going between our mom and dad's house every week really bonded us. We often were alone in the evenings while our mother went to grad school, and I remember one time, we got in the biggest fight over peanut butter. He hated spreading it and would always rip the bread, so when I refused, and a fight ensued. I do still believe he always had issues with peanut butter!

One experience with snakes comes to mind, my brothers (Jeremiah, Thomas, and David) had been playing outside and of course found a snake and were taunting me with it, so I went running into the house, locked every door, and hid underneath my bed. They were locked out in the hot 100 degree Arkansas summer heat for hours until our parents returned home.

When we were both in our high school, college, and then family/career years (military for him), he became one of my best friends. I remember having just given birth to my first child, and my former husband was deployed to Iraq, David was finally stationed in my same town (Camp Lejeune). I was so excited to be able to spend time with him! He mowed my grass (nearly an acre with a push mower), and he watched my baby to let his wife and I go out for girls night. To see him as the caring father/military man really left me with the sense that he had become an incredible human being. He really stepped up and helped me during a very difficult time. When we sadly had to PCS away, I gave him that dinky push mower, and he used it all the way into his years in Chattanooga. He was such a loving, helpful, good natured, dry humored, down to earth man. I miss him dearly.