Col Patrick C Tierney was under palliative care for the last 15 days in a hospital in Canada; he passed away on 12 December 2013. He will long be remembered by his friends/students with love and affection. May God Almighty bless his soul. Col Patrick C Tierney was a great soldier, aviator and teacher who led from the front. He was Senior Under Officer in PMA and passed out among the top cadets of his course in early fifties. He joined Pakistan Artillery later as a young officer, joined Army aviation passing out with top honors.
Col Patrick C Tierney had joined Army Aviation at an early stage and was a veteran of both 1965 and 1971 wars. As a senior flight commander in East Pakistan in December 1971 he planned the escape of Army Aviation personnel and aircrafts from Dacca to Burma. It was the leadership and guidance of the Aviators that all helicopters of the Eastern Command, with almost 150 personal made it safely to Burma.
Col Pat as he was known to all in the Army Aviation was outspoken and expressed himself freely. He was a no-nonsense man who always protected his under command officers and men. He was Flying Instructor on all Aviation Acs both Fixed Wing and Choppers. He was our CFI when I was one of the Flying Instructors. He was very professional and had a down to earth approach in all matters. At times after having given a check out to a fixed wing student, he would just walk over to check out a student on the helicopter course. He would never compromise on the high standards set by him and of course no SAFARISH would be acceptable – he could be very blunt on such matters. No wonders his friends called him SAAB with love, respect and affection. A senior aviator who would come for his annual compulsory flying would insist on logging solo even if he had flown dual with an instructor. After about 30 minutes of dual the general asked Pat that he would log solo; Col Pat (then Major) told him very bluntly (his ex CO) ‘Sir, just a moment you want to log solo , I shall book you for solo, fly solo, this half hour will be logged as dual’. There are many other stories of his wit. Once he was coming to Lahore from Dhamial base in Rawalpindi and called Finals for Lahore airport. There was a PIA Boeing 707 flown by Abdullah Beg, a very senior PIA captain who was asked to hold till the L-19 landed. After a few minutes Abdullah beg told the ATC, “Where the hell is this small mosquito, I am burning fuel.” Before Lahore could respond came a prompt reply from then Captain Pat, “Lahore tower, does the PIA captain think I am burning water? I am also burning expensive fuel!” A big laughter was heard both from the cockpit and the tower.
Few people know that he changed the policy for promotions in the Army Aviation. Army Aviation officers had to be posted back to their respective units/ arms to earn the last ACR for promotion to the rank of Lt Col. Everyone considered this to be unfair both the Officer and the CO of the unit to which the officer was posted for one ACR. Col Pat, then a Major, refused to be posted back to his parent arm ARTY, writing to the MS branch that it would be unfair to the CO of Arty to grade him after he had spent almost 16 years in the Army Aviation away from ARTY. If he was to be considered fit for promotion he should be assessed for Aviation and refused to go to an Arty Regt for ACR only. Col Pat’s point was accepted by the COAS Gen Tikka Khan who knew Pat well and changed the rule for aviation officers to be considered fit for aviation only. Col Pat was promoted and all the other Aviation officers also benefited. It is most unfortunate that Col Pat decided to leave Pakistan, a country he loved from the core of his heart.
Col Pat will be long remembered and missed by students and friends alike with love and affection.
MAY GOD ALMIGHTY BLESS HIS SOUL.
