Mother, Reporter Tell Hero's Story in Book

A new book is sharing the story of an American hero.

“Kimberly’s Flight:” is about Captain Kimberly Hampton, the first woman combat pilot killed in battle. 

Anna Simon, who co-wrote the book with Kimberly’s mother Ann Hampton, recently shared from the book at the Book and Author Fair held at Table Rock State Park.

She told the crowd gathered on the porch at the Table Rock Lodge that the Sunday event was only the second reading she’d done.

“This book really took on a life of its own,” Simon said, of the process of creating the book. “We start contacting people, learning things that her mother didn’t know about her – all good, which is really good.” 

The book tells the story of Kimberly’s life, and also how her parents Dale and Ann have honored their daughter and her sacrifice.  

“They wanted to follow their daughter’s work and honor her,” Simon said. “Ann’s life has taken her to Iraq.”

Kimberly was a high-school standout, Simon said. 

“She was a top student, a top athlete, a tennis player,” she said.

Appointed to West Point after graduation from Easley High School, Kimberly returned to Easley after discovering she didn’t like West Point, Simon said.

“She ended up graduating from Presbyterian College, where she was undefeated in singles tennis,” Simon said. “She was also brigade commander in the ROTC, went into the army and made her career in the army.

“She loved to travel and loved meeting people,” Simon said.

 Simon read several excerpts from the book during the fair, including a portion dealing with Kimberly’s decision to enlist in the army.

“Kimberly struggled over her career decision,” Simon read.

She was torn between being a teacher and tennis coach, have a military career or go into law.

“She agonized over her choices,’” Simon read.

During her junior year of college, Kimberly made her commitment to join the army.

Ann Hampton asked a military friend to talk to Kimberly about her career choice.

“She wanted to be a an aviator and a paratrooper, and (the friend) spent a good part of the two hour lunch trying to talk her out of it,’” Simon read. “It was obvious that she had what it takes to be successful, but because she was a woman, he wasn’t sure she would have the opportunities to advance. Kimberly wasn’t deterred.” 

The friend later said Kimberly was really focused “like a laser beam on what she wanted to do,” the book states.

The colonel gave Kimberly the silver eagle pin he wore.

“‘Look at the thousands of feather on that eagle,” he told her. “Each feather represents thousands and thousands of soldiers.”

He spoke to her of the responsibility she would bear for many American lives as she advanced through the ranks, Simon said.  

“He handed her the pin and told that all he asked was that if she enjoyed a successful Army career, that she one day pass the pin onto another,” Simon read.

In the course of researching the book, Simon interviewed many soldiers who served with Kimberly.  

“She flew helicopters,” Simon said. “She was a commander in the cavalry, and that’s a very male-dominated part of the army. Everyone I spoke to, she had (their) total respect. The men who worked under here had nothing but respect for her. Everyone said she had this command presence without raising her voice. By being the sweet, southern Easley woman that she was, she had so much respect.”  

Kimberly was stationed in Korea in 2001, flying a helicopter along the demilitarized zone on the North Korean/South Korean border and was there during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

In the book, Ann Hampton recalls the events of that terrible day and how she thoughts were immediately with her daughter.

In the confusion that followed the initial attacks, there was no immediate indication who was behind the plot. Ann believed that the attack easily could have been masterminded by communists, putting Kimberly in danger.  

But when she finally spoke with her daughter, Kimberly’s response took her mother aback.

“‘What are you doing at work?’” Kimberly asked her mother. “‘You’re in a high-rise building! Go home!’”

“‘It was all so surreal,’” Ann recalls in the book. “‘She was in Korea and worried about us, here at home where we’d always felt so safe.’”

After her daughter’s death, Hampton began working with Hugs for Healing, traveling to Iraq, bringing medical supplies to hospitals and orphanages.  

An episode of the book recalls the group taking Communion and a “Blessing of the hands” ceremony while in Iraq. The Iraqi women did not take part in the communion or blessing ceremony, but watched with interest.

After the ceremony, the American mothers and the Iraqi women got up individually to speak, say a prayer or blessing, or just say a few words.

Ann recited a prayer she says every morning and then asked a blessing on the land. Another woman read a part of a youth sermon her son had given at the age of 16. One mother sang a song her son had liked when he was little. Another mother sang “Amazing Grace.”

“She told us that she often sang to her son when he was little and that ‘Amazing Grace’ had been his favorite,” Ann recalls in the book. “While in Iraq, he told her that every time he was in a firefight, he hummed ‘Amazing Grace.’”

“She sang a verse and we all joined in,” Ann recalls. “The Iraqi women didn’t know the words, so for the last verse, we all just sang the words, ‘Praise God, Praise God, Praise God,’ all the way through, and the Iraqi women all joined in. That truly was a God moment. As we sang, we were all one.’”

On Friday, August 17, from 11am - 7pm, a blood drive will be held at the Captain Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley, an annual event held in honor of Kimberly. 

“This is part of the way they honor their daughter,” Simon said.   

Other blood drive locations are the BI-LO in Pickens and the Walmart in Easley. All donors will receive a T-shirt. Donors must be at least 16 years old.