Oscar Maxey HALL, 64, Springdale Oscar Maxey "Max" HALL was born July 25, 1936 in Little Rock, AR, the son of Oscar B. and Maxine MAXEY HALL of Ola, Arkansas. Max was a 35 year resident of the area and a member of the Elmdale Baptist Church. He attended Little Rock High School, Columbia Military Academy and the University of Arkansas where he earned both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Civil Engineering. He was a Registered Professional Engineer in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri and a Registered Land Surveyor in Arkansas. Following graduation from the UofA, Max served in the U.S. Army and the Arkansas National Guard. As a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, Max submitted that his school s nickname "Razorbacks" be the call sign for his helicopter platoon of the 120th Aviation Company. The Razorback emblem and call sign became part of the history and heritage of Vietnam for the next ten years. While serving with the "Razorbacks," he completed 540 combat hours and 812 combat missions, his ships were hit by ground fire 25 times and he never lost a crew member. Max earned 22 air medals. He earned the Vietnam Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal with 15 Oak Leaf Clusters. Max served in the Persian Gulf War as a Chief Warrant Officer with the 374th Army Reserve Medical Detachment of Little Rock. At 54, he was the oldest helicopter pilot trainer to fly in the Persian Gulf War. He was awarded the Air Medal with a "V" device for valor and was nominated for the Distinguished Flying Cross. He also earned the Army Commendation Medal for Sacrifice, Devotion to Duty, and Love of Country. His highest rank was Major. His total combat time for both conflicts was more than a 1000 hours. Max worked for the Highway Department with various Consulting Engineering firms in Arkansas and Tennessee. In 1971, Max founded Engineering Services, Inc. The firm grew from small surveying projects to large and more complex engineering and surveying projects. In 1982, Engineering Services was awarded the "Engineering in Excellence Award" for the State of Arkansas. Max was a member of various societies related to his discipline including the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Arkansas Consulting Council, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Arkansas Association of Registered Land Surveyors and the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineers. Max was instrumental in the development of the Springdale Municipal Airport, serving on its very first Airport Commission as past Secretary/Treasurer. Max served as a member and director of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, Springdale Rotary Club, Past President of the Springdale Pilots Club, Past President of the Northwest Chapter of Arkansas Land Surveyors, Past President and Director of the Arkansas Assoc. of Registered Land Surveyors, board member of Washington Regional Medical Center, member of the Arkansas Cattleman s Assoc., Chairman of the Washington County Surveyor's Technical Advisory Committee, member of the Springdale Realtors Assoc. and a 32-Degree Mason. He was awarded Surveyor of the Year in Arkansas in 1979, and in 1983 he was the recipient of a National Public Service Award presented by AOPA. Survivors include his wife Margie Lyn HALL of the home, to whom he was married on Sept. 25, 1959; two daughters and sons-in-law, Dr. Robin and Tom LUNDSTRUM of Springdale and Toni and Kevin CROWDER of Fredericksburg, VA; his mother Maxine HIRSCH of Albuquerque, NM; his brother John W. HALL of Brackettville, TX; one sister Martha Janice EPPERSON of Albuquerque, NM; two aunts Hazel JOHNSON of Arlington, TX and Kathryn NICHOLS of Albuquerque, NM; three grandchildren Mary Grace and Thomas David LUNDSTRUM both of Springdale and Aubrey Maxine CROWDER of Fredericksburg, VA. Max died at home Friday, September 15, from multiple myloma bone cancer from Agent Orange exposure while serving in Vietnam. He will be missed by his family and many friends. Funeral services were held Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. at Elmdale Baptist Church in Springdale where viewing will take place with Reverends Terrel Gordon and Tom Shaw officiating. Burial was in the Elm Springs Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Sisco Funeral Chapel of Springdale. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to "Remembering the Razorbacks Exhibit" The Ozark Military Museum, P. O. Box 1766, Springdale, AR, 72765 or "The Margie Lyn Hall Nursing Scholarship" Community Care Foundation, P. O. Box 207, Springdale, AR 72765. Visitation was held Tues. Sept. 19, between the hours of 12 and 8 p.m. (Dawn Gray Mt. Echo Staff)

Mt Echo Newspaper on Monday, September 25, 2000