Cmdr. Ronald Findley was part of a highly classified aircraft squadron that secretly detected movement of the North Vietnamese Army.
In 1998, the 500-day mission of Observation Squadron Sixty-Seven, (VO-67), was declassified. Mr. Findley and others received a 2008 presidential citation for their Vietnam War service.
Retired Capt. Karl Cook of Charlottesville, Va., said he'd tried to keep the pilot out of the volunteer unit. Mr. Findley wouldn't hear it.
"He was a freshly-married man and I knew this special work in Vietnam was dangerous," Mr. Cook said. "But he did it and he made it."
On Friday, Cmdr. Ronald Clare Findley of Lake Oconee died at his home from a massive heart attack. He was 75. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Atlanta's Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Metro Embalming & Crematory of Conyers is handling arrangements.
Born in Conneaut, Ohio, Mr. Findley attended Kent State University before he entered the Navy. He graduated from flight school in 1958. He met Brenda Chestnut Findley, his late wife of 46 years, in Hawaii.
He served two tours in Vietnam and spent 20 years in the Navy. Mr. Findley spent time researching and learning about the VO-67 mission after its declassification in the late 1990s.
"He wasn't even able to talk about it until then," said a son, David Thayer Findley of Cumming. "A tremendous amount of history has become available and it is amazing. As he got older, the things he spoke about the most were the camaraderie of the men and their roles in trying to help the United States protect its interests."
Today, the squadron members reunite every two years, said David Steffy, membership-at-large officer for the VO-67 Association.
"The first time we got together there were so many tears," said Mr. Steffy of Manteca, Calif. "There's a real bond, almost to the man."
In 1974, Mr. Findley retired from the military and moved the family from San Francisco to Atlanta for a gentler pace. He worked in commercial real estate, then specialized in security.
"He was 38 at the time, and had loved his military career," said his daughter, Maripat Findley Newington of the Serenbe community. "He wanted to be an expert in something, so he got into the security business."
The pilot worked as an executive for firms that included Aritech and Solfan. Though he spent 20 years in the field, the commander didn't have a security system in his home on the lake.
"Nobody was going to surprise him," said his daughter, noting that her father kept a loaded Glock at his desk and a shotgun in his bedroom.
Mr. Findley loved family board games, charades and water skiing. On many a weekend, the former high school track runner would lead the children on a jog with all reciting the military cadence.
Additional survivors include two other daughters, Diana Findley Conway and Lisa Findley Ramsey, both of Atlanta; a brother, Charles Patrick Findley of Stone Mountain; and nine grandchildren.
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