Zachary Thomas Dickinson was born on July 26, 1985, at a U.S. military base in Kaiserslautern, Germany. He moved to the U.S. at the age of 4 and lived in several places before attending high school in West Virginia. From an early age, he always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude. Zach joined the Army at the age of 17 and quickly moved up the ranks in aviation. He was also a proud graduate of West Virginia University, where he graduated with honors with a bachelor's degree in History in 2011.
Zach enlisted in the West Virginia Army National Guard as an E-1 in March 2003. He attended basic training at Fort Eustis, VA. Shortly after enlisting, he was accepted to Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in 2005. He started flight school after that and graduated as a UH-60 Blackhawk Pilot; he was just 20 years old!
As a newly pinned Army Aviator going by the call sign MYSTC 54, Zach began his career as a Warrant Officer in the 146th Air Ambulance Company in Parkersburg, flying UH-60 Blackhawks. Two years later, he went on to contribute his talents to the 104th AVN BN in Wheeling, WV. Then, in 2008, he developed his passion for airplanes at the Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Qualification course. From 2015 to 2020, he worked at the Fixed Wing Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (FWAATS), where he taught every program of instruction in the C-12 that FWAATS offers, from the Aircraft Qualification Course to the Instrument Flight Examiners Course. He knew it all like the back of his hand and was one of the youngest, yet sharpest, Instructor Pilots at FWAATS.
His tireless efforts and dedication to duty ensured multiple mission successes across the entire Fixed Wing Army Aviation community. During his military career, he deployed twice, once to Afghanistan in 2010 and once to the Horn of Africa in 2013. Zach finished his military career with 17 years, two months and 17 days. Throughout his military career, he acquired 16 military service awards and badges. In January 2019, Zach achieved his lifelong dream of being hired at American Airlines as a 737 First Officer, based out of Washington D.C. Needless to say, he loved flying and was naturally gifted in the profession.
Zach was an optimist who always saw the silver lining in every cloud. Each and every life that he had crossed paths with became a little better because he played a role in it. He was always a few steps ahead in any given situation and had everything figured out. He was not just a gifted aviator, but he also had a knack for learning languages and playing the piano. In just a few short classes that he and his wife took together when they first started dating, he was able to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata with both hands, to the amazement of the instructor.
Similarly, when they took a trip to Japan, he started speaking fluent Japanese with the locals after just a few sessions of learning the language himself. He was intellectually driven, a perfectionist, and had a love of learning and a passion for life. He excelled at every goal he set for himself but never rested on any of his laurels. Ever so humble, he won’t even talk about it, always moving forward, planning, and excelling at every goal he set out for himself.
In addition to his adventures and successes he had worked hard for in his career and personal life, he enjoyed reading science fiction books as well as astronauts’ biographies. On his honeymoon, Zach and his wife visited all the orbiters parked across the country. One of the best memories his wife recalls is when Zach drove his wife and son to Washington, DC to participate in the once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing and to see the beautiful sight of the Saturn V rocket projected on the Washington Monument. Life with Zach was a life filled with adventures. Zach was also an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed camping and was an experienced world traveler who saw much of the world thanks to his deployments in the Army and travels with his wife and son.
Zach achieved an incredible amount of success throughout his life and held many titles – soldier, aviator, son, friend, brother, husband, and most importantly, a father. Though he attained enormous success in his military and civilian career, Zach was most proud to be a father to his son. He found beauty in life through his family and friends, and explored life with them by his side as much as possible.
Zach left this planet on May 26th, 2020. His departure is a loss to this world, a loss to humanity, and to everyone who knew and loved him. He was a hardworking man who lived an honorable life and loved his family, friends, and country. He was determined, talented, and professional, yet he was one of the funniest people. No words can describe how much he is missed. His friendship, love, and amazing personality will never be forgotten.
Zach was awarded a posthumous Meritorious Service Medal award for his exceptional service to the United States and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery, where he received full military honors. He is now aboard a spacecraft on the way to the Moon as a destination – a fitting spaceflight tribute to the amazing human being he was during his time here on Earth.
