WILLIAM HART

Aug. 11, 1946 – March 18, 2020

God chose to call his son home on March 18, 2020. William Scott Hart was born at home in New Franklin, Ohio, on August 11, 1946. He served in the United States Army as a crew chief on a Huey helicopter in the Vietnam War, returning home in March 1969.

For 30 years, Bill was a professional truck driver, settling in Las Cruces in 2001. During the past 12 years, his passion was Beagle and Bassett Hound rescue and, at one time, he shared his home with 15 Beagles and Bassets, making his last delivery of a Beagle to Deming the Monday before his passing.

In 2019, a friend told Bill about the Honor Flight of Southern New Mexico and El Paso, and his friend encouraged Bill to apply. In October 2019, Bill took flight with fellow servicemen to Washington, D.C. That experience changed his life. In an interview on the trip, Bill shared that his new Honor Flight friend walked with him, arm-in-arm, down the steps to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. There he found his lifelong friend’s name. They had enlisted together, and his friend was killed two weeks after Bill returned from war. In the interview, talking about Vietnam, returning home after and the Honor Flight experience, Bill said, “It was like we did this deep inhale 50 some years ago. Took a deep breath, held it, gritted our teeth, and 50 years later we can exhale and let it all out.”

He is survived by his wife, Judy Hart, his lifelong best friend Craig Campbell, one sister and was preceded in death by his parents and a sister.

Due to COVID-19, Bill’s Military Honors memorial service will be postponed to a later date. To make a donation in Bill’s name, visit www.honorflightnm.org.