Heloise Skydives for Military Families

Syndicated columnist Heloise is a strong supporter of military families. An article appeared in the San Antonio Express News detailing her history and her background with the military.

Known for her sage advice about household tips to newspaper readers across the country, Heloise also is known within military circles for her support of military families and promoting military family readiness. Friday, Heloise was thanked by the Army's Golden Knights parachute team with a tandem jump over San Antonio, her hometown. She went up about 13,000 feet and jumped with Sgt. 1st Class Mike Elliott.

"She's ridden in a tank at Camp Lejeune, flown in a T-38 at Randolph AFB and pulled a respectable 7.8 Gs with the Navy's famed Blue Angels. Now, Heloise has racked up another thrilling escapade."

Her mother, before beginning the original newspaper column about 50 years ago, was organizing a support group for military wives. She also consoled military widows. Her daughter, whose real name is Ponce Cruse Evans, took over the column upon the death of her mother and also continued on with her mother's service to military families and the issue of family readiness.

Heloise, the daughter, is proud of her father, who was a lieutenant colonel and took her to work at the Pentagon on weekends. As a child she lived at Hickam AFB in Hawaii and her father was a pilot during the Cold War. Frequently he would go on TDY - temporary duty. She relates her personal stories today to gatherings of military families. She tells stories of being brave, of putting on a brave front so that her father didn't see her cry or become angry when he was called upon to leave the family and go on duty.

She said she'd jump again, but only with the Golden Knights. "I'm not a thrill-seeker, " She said. "These guys are the best of the best at what they do."

So is she.