Richard “Speed” Hammons, a true Coupeville legend.
Ready to tear up the turf as a freshman in 1956.
They called him Speed.
Richard Douglass Hammons sprang into the world quickly, arriving April 19, 1941, one mile east of Lyman, in the car, as his dad punched the gas.
Nurses at Sedro-Woolley’s hospital gave the bright-eyed lil’ whippersnapper the nickname and it hung on, following him through life in Coupeville, where he was part of the CHS Class of 1959.
Speed, a Class President, a three-sport athlete, a National Merit Scholar, a man who went on to command Chinook helicopter companies on two tours in Vietnam, passed away Aug. 26, 2019 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Two years later, in a world upended by a pandemic, he will return home, in memory, as friends and family hold a celebration of his life in Coupeville next weekend.
Siblings Gary and Darlene, and Speed’s friends, will remember a man who carved a path of success in everything he did.
During his days strolling the CHS hallways, Speed lettered in football, basketball, and baseball.
Always on the move, he was class president, student body president, on the honor roll every year, and a National Merit Scholar.
But it goes beyond that, as he nailed the highest SAT score of anyone on Whidbey Island, recording a 1,590 out of a possible 1,600.
After a stint at Skagit Valley College, Speed enlisted in the Army, attending Basic Training at Fort Ord, CA, followed by Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA.
He studied Korean at the Army Language School, served overseas, added flight school at Fort Rucker, AL, then married Susan, the mother of his children, in 1966.
Speed served with great honor across two tours in Vietnam, receiving the Air Medal for heroism in aerial flight and the Bronze Star with “V” for Valor during his first tour in 1967-68.
After a promotion to Major, he went back in country from 1970-1971, earning a second Bronze Star.
During his time in Vietnam, Speed led Chinook helicopter companies, then went on to become an instructor pilot and Senior Army Aviator.
His children Kristie (1971) and Bill (1974) followed their father around the world, as he went from Fort Lewis, WA, to BadKreuznach, Germany, to Fort Meade, MD.
Retiring from the military in 1981, Speed never retired from life.
Still ahead of him was a stint as a stockbroker and opening a marriage and family therapy practice in Seattle — after earning a second Master’s degree.
In his spare time, Speed enjoyed sailing in the Puget Sound, hiking — he climbed Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Mount Fuji (with his daughter) — biking, fishing, dancing, and golf.
After marrying Barbara on the beach in Hawaii in 2009, they settled in South Carolina.
As I go through the history of Coupeville athletic achievements, I discover new things every day.
I was born in ’71 — the same year as Speed’s daughter Kristie, and didn’t make it to Whidbey until ’89 — and up until now, he was a name I had heard, but I didn’t know much else.
Tracking down scoring stats for CHS basketball’s 104-year run on the hardwood, both he and his brother Gary popped up often.
It’s only now, however, after Sandy Roberts — Speed’s friend and classmate — sent me down this path, that I realize just how much this man accomplished.
What an impact he had, in so many worlds.
What a life he lived.
What a legacy he leaves behind.
My Hall o’ Fame here on the blog isn’t quite the same as the farewell ceremony Mr. Hammons received at Arlington National Cemetery.
But it is what I have, and today, I am greatly honored to add Richard “Speed” Hammons to my lil’ digital tribute to those who made Cow Town all it is.
After this, if you look under the Legends tab at the top of the blog, that’s where you’ll find him.
Better yet, though, he will live on in the memories of those who shared his life, and those who are now just learning about him.
All of us salute you, sir.
