IndySquadron.com

Our friend, competitor, wingman, former champion and fellow Dawn Patrol player, Jason Meador, passed away on Saturday morning, September 6, 2008 near Camp Atterbury, Indiana. An avid fisherman, Jason's boat overturned while fishing on a lake and he was unable to make it to shore.

Most of the readers of this column knew Jason to some extent; many of us had known him closely for nearly twenty years. Superlatives are unnecessary. Words are pathetically weak at times like this anyway. Every one of us knew that Jason was friendly to a fault, kind, generous, and was always enjoyable company. We don't have to try and make up complimentary things to say about him... we have the luxury of simply telling the truth. Everyone always looked forward to Jason's presence. For those who harken back to the early days of the Indy Squadron, he was family.

Jason coined the phrase "above sea level" every time he would announce his altitude. He loved chips and salsa. He never took the game so seriously that he forgot to enjoy it. He took the Indy Squadron title in 1993 and every person at the table was glad to see him win it. He was always quick with a verbal jab, but you always knew it was in good fun.

Your editor-in-chief was fortunate to know Jason very well and count him as a dear friend for twenty-five years. I hope it is not overly presumptuous to make an attempt at speaking on his behalf. If Jason were to tell us how he would like to be remembered by his old pals at the Indy Squadron, I believe he would offer something like this...

Jason would thank each of you for the great times that you shared with him. He would ask that you remember not his pilots or his championship, but that he was a good and faithful wingman who brought humor and enjoyment to any table at which he sat. He would place value on the relationships that the squadron brought into his life rather than his achievements in the game. Jason loved our small gang and everyone in it, as evidenced by the fact that even after being absent from the game for nearly a decade, he still kept his pilot roster and game kit. He had already committed to playing with us on our 20th anniversary game this coming December, and was looking forward to seeing each of you again. That is not speculation for the sake of writing a warm-hearted article... Jason told me this just weeks ago.

I heard Jason reminisce about his most active days at the Indy Squadron on many occasions. He remembered them as great times, always laughing about how we would drive back from Dory's house in Brownsburg on Saturday nights at 2 or 3 am, listening to Stryper or Michael W. Smith's "Eye 2 Eye." He loved to hear Clark say "Pa-ching" when he scored a big hit. He ate lime tostada chips and was teased mercilessly for it. He would fly an Albatros at every opportunity and relished the role as an underdog. He helped decorate Dory's famed Dawn Patrol Basement and thoroughly enjoyed his time among us.

Dory was at my house when the news of Jason's death arrived, and she suggested that we name one of Indy's events in memory of our former champion. I would appreciate everyone's input.

The Indy Squadron has lost one of its earliest members, one of its finest players, and one of its dearest friends.

In retrospect, Dawn Patrol allowed me to spend more time with Jason than I otherwise would have had... much more time. For that I will always be thankful.

We will miss him terribly.