On Monday, 22 May 2023, family, friends, coworkers, and classmates of Erkki Aspelin's USAFA Class of 1963 gathered at the US Air Force Academy Cemetery for his Memorial Service. The turnout was larger than for most of our services at the cemetery.
Erkki was born in Finland and his family arrived in San Francisco, via Ellis Island, in 1946.
At the Academy, he was on the soccer team all four years. I`ve included a picture of probably the freshman team since I recognize several classmates and several players in the picture look pretty kiddish. Erik, as we knew him at USAFA, is in the 3rd row. Hank Hoffman, on the right end of the 4th row attended Monday`s service and probably shared a few tales about USAF soccer in our era. As a cross-country skier, Erkki captained the 1963 USAFA ski team.
Erkki flew 125 combat missions in F-4 Phantoms and successfully got one back to base after being hit by a surface-to-air missile. He had a career in the aerospace industry after serving in the Air Force.
Mark talks of Erkki taking on many outdoor challenges of physical endurance, and taking his wife, Pat, and sons, Erik and Mark along on several. At 68, one of his mountain-climbing achievements was Africa’s tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet).
Jimmie Butler `63