More detail on this person: Samuel Alva Banks
learned that flying military aircraft was no
picnic in 1956 when his radio failed in adverse
weather, forcing him to parachute to safety in
Dachau, Germany.
A decade later, as an Army helicopter pilot in
Vietnam, Lt. Col. Banks was awarded multiple
decorations for combat duty, including the
Soldier's Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross
and the Legion of Merit.
Col. Banks would go on to win awards as an
insurance executive before retiring in July as a
vice president of the San Diego branch of the
Insurance Company of the West.
He was 65 when he died of cancer last Sunday at
San Diego Hospice.
Assigned to Vietnam in the spring of 1966, Col.
Banks became the aircraft commander for Brig.
Gen. James F. Hollingsworth.
He was awarded the prestigious Soldier's Medal for
saving a life, and later was nominated by his
commanding officer for Army Aviator of the Year,
family members said.
In February 1969, Col. Banks was assigned to
Thailand, where he helped build and staff primary
schools in rural areas. He also served on an
emergency team during floods, delivering food and
other supplies.
For his efforts, Col. Banks received an
International Red Cross award and aviator wings
from the Royal Thai Army.
His last assignment before retiring from active
duty in January 1973 was as deputy senior adviser
for the 63rd Army Reserve Command in Phoenix.
Col. Banks, a native of Nevada, Mo., began his
Army career in January 1953 and received his wings
in April 1955.
He was assigned to the 287th Field Artillery
Battalion in Germany in 1956, when the adverse
weather forced him to parachute from his aircraft.
In the early 1960s, as a helicopter pilot in Chun
Chon, South Korea, Col. Banks evacuated a family
of four from a flood and saved a drowning man.
His interest in aviation stemmed from his early
days as an employee of Northrop Aircraft in Los
Angeles, where he grew up.
Col. Banks graduated from Fremont High School in
Los Angeles, which inducted him into its Hall of
Fame in May 1996, and attended the University of
Southern California.
He moved from Arizona to San Diego in 1984 to
become vice president for corporate marketing with
the Insurance Company of the West. He was
honored by colleagues in the industry in 1987 and
1998 with Outstanding Insurance Professional
Awards.
In 1992, the Independent Insurance Agents &
Brokers Association of San Diego named him
Outstanding Associate.
Col. Banks moved in 1990 from his Fashion Hills
condominium to Scripps Ranch, where he was a
member of North Star Community Church.
He is survived by his wife, Carolle; three
daughters, Lynn Bassett of Tempe, Ariz., Valerie
Van Dam of Tucson, Ariz., and Mary Banks of San
Diego; a son, Sam A. Banks Jr. of Hilliard, Ohio;
his mother, Lowa Banks of Escondido; and three
grandchildren.
Services were Thursday at First Baptist Church of
Pacific Beach. Donations are suggested to San
Diego Hospice or the American Cancer Society.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025
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