TAC Tanker Tales

Volume 8 Issue 3 March 2008

Mount Up Partners- We‘re Heading to Texas!!! Tactical Tankers Assn., Ltd 231 King Street Lancaster, OH 43130 At this point in the registrations, we have received a total of 130 participants planning on coming to San Antonio and as you might guess we had to add another Officers 2006-2008 riverboat to our first three contracted. We are delighted, but the 4th boat is fast filling President: up so hop to it if you want a seat. Rufe Mewborn 727-220-1806 [email protected] The hotel, Holiday Riverwalk (1-210-224-2500) has been keeping us posted Vice President: on the reservations and we have passed our expectations of 70 rooms per night. Our Nate Hill 740-653-3835 special rate of $99 ++ will be honored until April 18, as long as they have the rooms. [email protected] John Bessette, our Historian who spoke on our TAC Tanker history at Wright Secretary: Jim Boyington 509-922-4377 Patterson Reunion, has graciously consented to have another ”briefing‘ in May at the [email protected] hotel-probably the Hospitality Room. We have scheduled him for Monday afternoon Treasurer: from 3-4:30pm. It will listed in our Yellow Book agenda. Y‘all come!! Bo Ault 804-747-3841 I apologize for the confusion about our Tours 3 & 5. The descriptions were [email protected] Historian: correct but the titles were misleading. #3 was Ole San Antone (not Antoine-per Bes- John Bessette 703-569-1875 sette) and will be the missions and the Marketplace by Daisy Tours (not Dixie!) [email protected] Dhrr….. Tour #5 is the Spirit of Texas, wild west etc-the —More of Ole San Antone was Legal Counsel: for LaVilita which is the very ole village in early SA with shops and quaintness to en- Joe Fur ukawa 310-217-0606 [email protected] joy. Chaplai n: If you have not sent in your Registrations to us (231 King Street, Lancaster Rev. Geo Burrows 231-347-5393 OH 43130) or called the hotel for a room (tel. No. above), please do so ASAP. We [email protected] have lots to do that last month to get ready. Thanks, Natalie Quarter master: Gordon Jacobson 785-969-7075 Editor: Natalie Hill 740-653-3835 '@RS 'NQV@QC SN 0BSNADQ bgÖbj @MC SGD 4DBNMC ckki [email protected] 5"$ 5@MJDQ 3DTMHNM HM 8@RGHMFSNM %$

Board of Directors Chair: Bill Wolford 802-660-9934 As we have mentioned in an earlier issue, plans and contracts Tom Blake 870-588-4414 have been prepared for our gathering in the Washington DC area this fall. Ted Buck 618-244-2739 Our hotel, the Holiday Inn Tysons Corner has changed its name to a Robert Cleckler 334-365-2108 John Hanna 210-658-0819 Crowne Plaza, but we still have our rate of $94+tax and there have been T.O. Williams 540-951-1234 45 rooms blocked for our group. Heritage Tours, Ltd. has been hired to do our tours with Carole and John Bessette being our guides. The agenda will be as follows: Thursday 10/16-(5:45-10 pm)-Washington By Night Union Station (dinner on own there), FDR , Lincoln, Viet Nam and Korean Memorials. Friday 10/17-(8:30 am to 4:45 pm)-Capital Highlights To Air Force Memorial for a special ceremony, Arlington Cemetery for JFK Gravesite, Changing of Guards, National Mall, Smithsonian Muse- ums, lunch on own. Saturday 10/18–(9:15 am to 2:30 pm) Kennedy Center/Georgetown or the National Air & Space Museum‘s Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center The first tour was geared to the ladies and the latter for the men, but YOU choose where you want to go. Our Banquet will be at the hotel that evening. Sunday 10/19 -(9 am-2:30 pm) Mount Vernon (if checking out luggage may be kept in the Hospitality Room or you may stay another night). That‘s it in a nutshell–Registration forms will go out in the June issue . Page 1 President’s Corner New Life Members by Rufe Mewborn Roger J. Donaldson, Colleyville TX-622nd, 431 Al B. Zambrano, Boerne TX–427th I hope that your travel arrangements have been completed and that you are anticipating a great reunion Welcome New Members with the TAC Tankers in San Antonio. Natalie and Nate Keith E. Bellman, Bremen IN–429th have put together another great program. It will be diffi- Donald L. Berge, Casa Grande AZ–421st cult to surpass the Branson activities, but it will be close. Tom L. Bridges, Portland TX–431st (renewal)

We send a special —THANK YOU“ to this cou- ple. Their dedicated support of the Association continues to keep the dreams alive and the memories fresh of our days in TAC Tankers. Rita and I will not be able to at- tend, but promise to be at the reunion in October and send our wishes that you have a great time in Texas.

Our KB-50 is still guarding the gate at Mac Dill AFB. Efforts to move it to Dover AFB are still alive and we should hear soon of the Air Forces‘ decision to place several KC-135E models in storage. When this happens, we will exert pressure on the Air Mobility Command (AMC) to carry out their promise and move this gallant bird to the AMC Museum (at Dover). Mac Dill wants the KC-135E to replace it on their display.

Lt Gen Talbott, USAF, retired, celebrated his 88th birthday on January 28. He was our guest speaker at the reunion in Hampton in 2002. He led the F-100s that flew from London to Jamestown to celebrate the 350th Anniversary of Jamestown. The TAC Tankers refueled his flight over Iceland and Goose Bay and he still recalls with pride the outstanding support we provided. To celebrate his birthday, I presented a video of this mission and the high lights of his military career./ The presentation was before a distinguished group of gentlemen at a luncheon in Williamsburg. The new World War II Memorial to be seen in Washington DC in October 2008

Here are some — other distinguished gentlemen.“ The Northern Sub-Chapter - Our Humme‘s Merrymen , who still have their meetings and social lunch- eons in the Williamsburg-Hampton area. Left to Right: Harvey Margulies, Zee Siekirski, Don Hiemstra, Rufe Mewborn, Jim Underhill, Gary Myers, George Rose (in chair) and Carel Humme. All these TAC Tankers are LIFE members.

Page 2 Letters Received From New Members The Board Chairman‘s Corner By Bill Wolford Tom L Bridges of Portland TX (February 2008) This is a tardy renewal. I retired in 2000 as local Shalom Y‘all. First of all I want to thank both Nate District Attorney. My wife, Mary, and I own a local real and Natalie for all they do for us and I know we all appreci- estate agency; she is the broker and manager. I am part- ate the important info they send from time to time. time practicing law as the local city court prosecutor. I also have another part-time business providing legal training for Since March is determined to come in like the pro- prosecutors and peace officers. verbial lion, I‘m sure we‘re all looking forward to the reunion in San Antonio. We could certainly use a little of that ”balmy Donald L. Berge of Casa Grande AZ (February 2008) air.‘ It‘s getting so it takes longer to dress to go out with our Retired from USAF in September 1972. Currently black lab, Sadie, than it does to do our four walks a day spending seven months at the Arizona address and five with her. Even she is ready to come back in as soon as months in Illinois. possible.

Al B. Zambrano of Boerne TX (February 2008) It‘s tax season and my office is as busy as ever. If Retired as a colonel from the Texas Air Guard in we can just keep the equipment all working, we‘ll be fine. It 1988, for a total of 28 active years. Flew the F-102s, KC- starts getting a little tired like the rest of us about now. 97, and T-33s. Retired from Continental Airlines January 2001 as So far we‘ve had a relatively healthy winter and a maintenance test pilot in the DC-10 and 727. Also was a pray the same for you all. Please keep our daughter, Fran, check airman and in the advance team to open services to in your prayers as she is scheduled to go back to Iraq in Latin America (Mexico, Central and South America). A May. We have mixed emotions about the month because very interesting and enjoyable job. we are really looking forward to the reunion.

Some places you will see during the 2008 Washington DC trip- Chaplain’s Corner Friday : The Air Force By George Burrows Memorial where we will have a TAC Tanker wreath laying I’m spending the Win- ceremony. ter in Florida. I’ve been doing that for some Saturday : The visit to years now. Every time I see the weather re- the National Air and port; I look to the North and shake my head. Space Museum at the Udvar Hazy Center The snow, low temps, bad wind, freezing rain near Dulles Airport. –what a hardship for my family and friends back ho9me. I’m concerned and I pray for them. I realize that many of you are in the same boat as I. One of Marilyn’s sisters re- mains in that terrible winter; fighting life against cancer. If she didn’t have that can- cer she would be here with us. Every time we call her she tries to make us feel good about being down South. Her husband, one of my best friends, is fading away with Alz- heimer's. He doesn’t know how bad she is. We are so Blessed. GOD loves us all. I pray for you and them and me every day. Amen! Pastor George

Page 3 Rezoning Action for a TAC Tanker TAC Tankers Memories By Dan Weber In 1960 my crew and I from the 429 th Air Refuel- (The following article appeared in the Dover Post news- ing Squadron along with several other crews were sitting paper last month.) TDY at Lajes Air Base in the Azores. This was an on-going TDY assignment to refuel fighter bombers criss-crossing the LOCAL NEWS: Highway properties in Woodside rezoned Atlantic. We normally flew several times a week, as I re- Three‘s a charm for Charles Hropvich and his quest to call, during our three week tour. rezone his highway-front property in Woodside. —It‘s been a long One time we had about 6 F-100s land at Lajes AB hard battle, but I‘m happy now,“ said Hropvich, who attended the on a west bound crossing and I suppose they landed because January 29 Levy Court meeting armed with a heavy folder of of weather further west. We had a few drinks with them in the Club that evening and then turned in early for our refuel- past rezoning rejections. ing mission in the morning. Levy Court unanimously approved rezoning for both The next morning we were airborne early and Hropv ich and his neighbor George Mazock from agricultural resi- heading west to top off these F-100 fellows a few hundred dential to general business. Together, the properties offer ap- miles west of Lajes as they continued on towards Bermuda. prox imately two acres of highway frontage and are under con- Soon they caught up with us and I prepared to refuel num- tract w ith a medical supply company from Maryland. bers three and four. Number three plugged right in and The relatively quick rezoning decision by commission- immediately took on fuel. However, number four could not ers–whose comments w ere minimal on the matter–w as a w el- receive fuel. He backed off and hit the drogue again and come change for Hropvich. again but with no success. Tw ice before in the late 1990s, Hropvich said, he had a The lead ship then told him to prepare to return to Lajes and number four said he would but first wanted to try buy er interested in his property and requested a zoning change. the left drogue and then go to the spare tanker. This, too, He said he believes complaints over the proposed rezoning from was unsuccessful and he was now past — Bingo“ fuel. The a neighbor helped sw ay the Levy Court‘s v ote against the lead ship then sternly told him to make an immediate 180 change and the buyers conse- degree turn and head for Lajes which number four then did. quently backed out. He asked me to make a — May Day“ call for him concerning his low fuel state which I did via the high frequency radio. This time around, more His return flight was uneventful until he flamed out than a couple of people stood up on final approach to the runway. He slammed into the in support of the rezoning w ith ground heavily and there was a fire in the nose area with the only one against it. portion forward of the pilot‘s instrument panel being con- sumed in flames. The pilot evacuated the aircraft safely and by the time we tanker crews arrived the F-100 was off the —Woodside is in transition turning into a commercial runway and on a flatbed truck and airfield operations were area,“ said Paul Davis, a resident along S. Dupont Highw ay. —If normal once again. he has plans on selling it, it‘ll be an improvement to the area.“ I enquired as to his status and was told that he was being kept overnight in the base hospital for observation. Kenneth Suitor, owner of the medical supply company That afternoon I bought a carton of cigarettes and went up to proposed for the site, said his business should be an asset to the the hospital to visit with him. He was glad to see me and area. —We would become an integral part of the community and started telling me about the big sale the Base Exchange had the least intrusive as possible,“ he said. had the previous day on long playing records (33 and a third RPM) and how much money he had spent buying dozens of them. Finally he asked me if some one had rescued all those records that he had stowed in the nose of the aircraft. Oh, boy. I thought long and hard and then finally and gently told him that he was lucky to survive as the front of the aircraft was non-existent. I then gently added that all the LP records were gone. It was very quiet for a few min- utes and then he just thanked me for the information. Finally he agreed with me that he was, in fact, very lucky that he had no injuries and would be able to con- tinue on home in a day or so. I then took my leave and was happy that it all turned out as well as it did, but it was very difficult to break that news to him especially with the large amount of money that he had spent. I heard later that he was seen at the Base Ex- Scenes from a Lajes AB Club party 1958-59: Relaxing are Back: change a couple of days later buying a few more records, Reed. Smock, ? and Pollock. Seated: Bill, Williams, Granger, but I would guess not as many. Running and Gardner (we think, but not in order ??) Page 4 eral other airfields in an exercise in February Historian’s Corner By John Bessette 1960. Here is the story, as taken from his recollections, th the 4505 Wing History, and newspaper accounts: The 420 th and Wheelus Air Base The January 2008 issue of Air Force Magazine had an Operation Quickspan was directed as a goodwill mission article about the Air Force‘s use of Wheelus Air Base, to the nations of the Central Treaty Organization Libya, in the earlier years of the . But he erred (CENTO), then celebrating its fifth anniversary. Five KB- fundamentally when he described SAC as having de- 50 aircrews, maintenance crews, and aircraft from the ployed KB-50 tankers (among other aircraft) there. I thus 427 th AREFS were chosen. Colonel Hollis B. Tara, 4505 th wrote a letter to the magazine correcting this impression. Wing Director of Operations, led the formation. Other After I sent a copy to Walt Larimer (420 th ), he pointed out aircraft commanders were Maj Ray S. Everhart, Capt that the 420 th had used Wheelus a lot more than I had Robert F. Sorensen, Capt Emory E. Morgan, and 1 st Lt stated. So I sent a revised letter to the magazine, asking Fredric A. Fullington. Other aircraft involved were twelve it to use the new version. Needless to say, the editors F-100s, four RF-101s, and nine C-130s. went with the earlier, wrong, one. Sorry, Walt. Here be- low is the correct story: The KB-50s departed 6 February for Lajes, Azores. After an overnight stop, the tankers proceeded to Wheelus AB, —Walter Boyne's succinct article on Wheelus AB, Libya Libya, from where they offered air refueling to the ("The Years of Wheelus," January, p. 62 ) certainly Quickspan receiver force en route to Incirlik AB, Turkey. summed up the importance of the base and its controver- The tankers followed the receivers to Incirlik after the re- sial history in a fine manner. However, I wish to point out fueling. From Incirlik three KB-50s proceeded to Mehra- a minor discrepancy. Where he mentions SAC's use of bad AB, , thence to Mauripur AB, Pakistan. Static the base, he states that SAC deployed tankers there, in- displays and aerial demonstrations were provided at Me- cluding KB-50s. SAC never had the KB-50 in its inven- hrabad, Mauripur, and Incirlik. tory; it was used only by Tactical Air Command (TAC), US Air Forces Europe (USAFE), and Pacific Air Forces In the redeployment phase the five tankers proceeded to (PACAF). In Europe the only KB-50 outfit was USAFE's Wheelus, from where they refueled the receiver force de- 420th Air Refueling Squadron. parting Incirlik. The tankers went on to Lajes on 27 and 28 February. From there they flew on to Kindley AFB, —Checking with the 420th unit histories and the members Bermuda, again refueling the receiver force en route. of our association, I note that the 420th fre- The last Quickspan tanker and crew returned to Langley quently stationed a KB-50 at Wheelus for a week at a AFB on 2 March. During both deployment and redeploy- time, providing refueling for the many fighter and light ment the tankers normally TDY at Kindley (429 th ) and La- bomber deployments from Europe to use the extensive jes (427 th ) provided enhanced refueling support. ranges in the area around Wheelus. Similar deploy- ments, and the KB-50s to support them, occurred to Mo- Ernie was a copilot on one of the KB-50s which remained ron AB, , and Nouasseur AB, at Incirlik while the three others ventured to Iran and Paki- stan. His crew was not idle; they did local and in-country —One interesting Wheelus mission involved the hunt in flyovers and static displays in Turkey at Adana, Istanbul, 1960 for the aircrew remains from the B-24D "Lady Be Eskisehir, Etimesgut, and Esenboga. Good" which had crashed in the southeastern Libyan de- sert on 5 April 1943. The aircraft crash site had been The 4505 th Wing History, Materiel section, notes that found only in 1958, with no evidence of the crew each KB-50 was flown an average of eighty hours, and nearby. Sporadic efforts to find crew remains ensued the operational ready rate was maintained at 95%, with over the next several years, and eventually all were found no aircraft aborts. Truly an outstanding operation by both and identified. The KB-50's contribution to this effort air and ground crew. Mission accomplished once again. came in April 1960. USAFE directed that its 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing send four RF-101s to Wheelus, The 421 st History Struggle Continues from where they would map the "Sand Sea" area around You may recall that I have been trying to find all the offi- the crash site to aid in the search. Two 420th KB-50s air- cial histories of our units that I can, from the Air Force refueled the six RF-101 recon missions flown that month, repositories here in Washington DC and down at Maxwell enabling them to provide photography to the ground AFB, Alabama. The 421 st has been the hardest nut to search parties. Mission accomplished.“ crack. It had many changes of subordination, and its his- tories are mingled in with those of its many superiors. I The 427 th and Operation Quickspan am still struggling, needing ten more of a total of 24. I Ernie Boehler read the Wheelus article in Air Force , and it have found two more recently, from 1955 and 1956, when inspired him to contact me about his participation in Op- the 421 st at Yokota, Japan, (continued on page 6) eration Quickspan, which used Wheelus as well as sev-

Page 5 (continued from page 5) was subordinated to the 49 th neer; TSgt Everett C. Snead, Jr., refueling operator; and Fighter-Bomber Group (which had F-84Es and Gs at the SSgt Lawrie H. Harmon, refueling operator œ all had over time). Highlights from the history Jan-Jun 1955 include 2000 KB-50 hours. two long-range deployments, when their KB-29s refueled F-84s on a nonstop flight Yokota-Australia (a record 8840 Another perspective on that last flight came in late De- miles œ Operation Handclasp II). Soon after was a similar cember 2007 via email from Al Robles, who had been a deployment to Thailand from Clark AB Philippines œ Op- young first-term airman in the Biggs tower as an air traffic eration Royal Elephant. The 421 st had several C-119 controller on that fateful day. Here are his exact words: cargo aircraft in its inventory, and they were busy sup- porting the 49 th FBG deployments there and elsewhere in —That old bird sure looked beautiful on her last flight as theater. she made a max performance takeoff; it was impressive! I remember it still; it made a very fast pass over the field The Jan-Jun 56 history features more F-84 deployments and I was talking to the pilot as she flew over and buzzed with KB-29 refueling; the numbers of receivers and tank- the tower! I knew then as I know now that I was a part of ers on deployments to Australia, New Zealand, and Thai- history by having been her last controller at her home land increased over the previous exercises. I‘ll write base as she departed for the last time from Biggs.“ about all these deployments another time.

I also have obtained a few 1952 histories of Detachment Air Force Picks the New Tanker for the 21 st Century œ 4, 98 th Bomb Wing, the unit which did air refueling in the Will It Help Us Get This KB-50 to Dover? Japan-Korea area during the Korean War, and was the st predecessor to the 421 . I‘ll need to dig further to get the As I write this column on 1 March 2008, I hear that the Air story of those pioneers. Force has finally picked the new tanker, favoring the Northrop Grumman Airbus A330 version over the Boeing The 431 st Delivers the Last KB-50 to the Air Force Mu- 767 version. Assuming that there are no further delays in seum œ an Air Traffic Controller Remembers the plans, the first ones œ to be designated the KC-45 œ Many of you know that the very last KB-50 flight by our will be delivered to the Air Force in 2013. The base com- st units was flown by the 431 , when a special crew com- mander at MacDill, where the KB-50 that Maj Pronier de- manded by Maj Anthony C. Pronier delivered KB-50J 49- livered to the AF Museum in 1965 now resides, has 389 from Biggs AFB, Texas, to the Air Force Museum at agreed that when the Air Force is able to retire some Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, on 17 February 1965. The older KC-135s and MacDill can get a KC-135 replace- crew was selected based on each man having the most ment, the KB-50 can depart for the Air Mobility Command KB-50 hours at his position. Maj Pronier had logged over Museum at Dover AFB, Delaware. The folks there want 1700 hours; his copilot Capt Kermit T. Hale had 2803 to have a KB-50, and will take good care of it once it gets hours. All the other crewmembers œ Capt Charles S. this one. McPhie, navigator; TSgt Donald F. Durant, flight engi-

BOOK REVIEW by Nate Hill For those of you who have not met Don; in his own words; —I escaped from a small Kansas farm town, POWERS TRACE by Don Bill to serve 20 years as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, living a life I dreamed of growing up. After the flying was over, What a privilege to be asked by the Editor to write a review of a book by my oldest friend in TAC Tankers. I completed the MBA degree, and spent an unexciting career as a cost accountant in various manufacturing Don was in Cadet class 55-R, which was my companies. Along the way, small sailboat racing became upper class at Marianna, FL and we were both assigned an obsession and we followed many fleets around to the same barracks. I would like to remind all of you courses throughout the Southeast. This led to two terms that we have seen samples of Don‘s talent in the Tanker as the Commodore of the local sailing and yacht club. I Tales issue of Dec 2006, p.7 and Sep 2007, p.4. now live with my wife in a small town in Georgia.“

I would not presume to upstage Don by writing Don‘s position in the Southern Chapter of TAC a review; I will quote from the cover of his book in his Tankers is Scribe. One of his passions is Cracker Barrel, own words. My comments will be limited to telling you which leads to Country Steak, gravy, eggs and grits on that this is the first of a series of three books according the first Wednesday morning of each month in Warner to Don; I have read the book and found it exceptionally Robins, GA. at the monthly meeting of the Southern exciting. - - can‘t wait for the second book, which is not Chapter. (Continued on page 8) due out till December 2008.

Page 6 BITS AND OBITS One of our Gals is Gone, But Not Forgotten (This is a tribute to one of our most dedicated TAC Tanker Upon contacting several of the TAC mem- wives, written by her husband, ”Pappy“ Jim Boyington) bers in the Texas region to see if they were joining us Bobbe (Mary Robert Curran) Boyington, one of a in San Antonio, Nate talked to Pat Grabar and kind wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and learned of the passing of her husband, Mario, a pilot friend passed away on January 12, 2008. Born in Modesto, CA, with the 622nd and the 429th. He died of cancer in she moved to Sacramento in 1955. There she met William July 2007. James Boyington, a 2/Lt. Stationed at Mather AFB. They mar- We received an email from John Fitzurka, ried in March, 1956. son of Capt. Andrew Fitzurka, who informed us that Their initial assignment was to the 421st AREFS at his father had passed away on 11 November 2004 in Yokota AB, Japan. They were among the first to be granted Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii. He was a navigator with concurrent travel. The squadron made them welcome and be- came their family away from home. Bridge was a welcome pas- the 22nd AREFS, 15th AF flying KC-97s in the 1952- time and the friendships formed over the bridge table have en- 53 era (March AFB, CA and the 427th , 4505th and dured to this day. 9th AF flying KB-50Ks 10/59-5/62 at Langley AFB Sons Bill and Tom were born in the hospital at Johnson VA. AB. Son Mike was born in Hawaii, their next assignment. The John goes on to say —As an Air Force brat, family relocated to Texas (1960-1964)-Harlingen and later growing up in SAC/TAC/USAFE was an experience I James Connally, Clark AB in the Philippines (1964), Chanute would never trade: living overseas, moving to a new AFB IL (1966), and Seymour Johnson AFB, NC during Pappy‘s AFB every 3 years, seeing the world in a way remote assignment to Korea (1971). —normal“ civilian kids could probably never experi- While at Seymour AFB, Bobbe served as President of ence or appreciate. I appreciate the sacrifices that the OWC. She remained in Goldsboro, NC during Pappy‘s re- mote assignment to Korea (1971). Upon return to the states, our fathers made, that we might continue to enjoy the Mountain Home AFB, Idaho beckoned. Bobbe, an excellent freedoms passed down from our forefathers: Free- skier, introduced the family to downhill skiing, a sport she had dom thru Vigilance! enjoyed during her high school and college days. —Thanks for being a part of the honoring of Upon retirement in 1973, the family settled in Con- all those who gave so much for us all, that we can necticut. Bobbe worked in a dentist‘s office and was a big help remember their sense of duty to God and Country, during the transition to — retirement wages.“ thanking God for the Blessings we have received Bill and Mike entered the Air Force Academy in 1975 from their efforts, which were not in vain!!! and 1979 respectively. In 1978, Pappy‘s four year‘s experience —God bless you all …..“ as a quality engineer landed employment at the Idaho National John Fitzurka Engineering Laboratory near Idaho Falls, ID. Bobbe was em- ployed as the — VISA“ lady at the Credit Union. Tom found his Stanglhofweg 6, 4020 Linz, Austria niche as a computer programmer, attracted a wife and started a Tel. 011-43-732 658876 family. Grandsons Scott and Andrew arrived in 1980 and 1982. Scott completed a hitch with the USMC, Andy a hitch in the Word from Irv Marler regarding the passing USAF. Both married and have expanded the Boyington clan, of Jack Kennedy Duguid, 427th, age 74 who died 21 each having two children. December 2007, at his home. He was raised and edu- In 1995, after 17 years at the INEL, a second retire- cated in the Chicago area and served in the USAF ment loomed large. Son Michael, wife Janet and four children with involvement in the Korean and Viet Nam wars. had been assigned to Fairchild AFB near Spokane, WA. During After retiring from the military, he was an invest- several visits, we decided to relocate there and be closer to ment broker. Mike‘s family. Whitney presented us with a fifth ”great‘ grand- child on December 6, 2008. Erin and William both attend col- His survied by his wife Judith Kirgan lege. Sean entered the Air force Academy, Class of 2011. Duguid, whom he married in 1978 in Peru, IL. They Son Bill, now a Captain for COMAIR gave us pass had two daughters, Kim and Chris and a son Gordon. privileges on Delta. Our travel budget soured. TTA Reunions became a top priority. Bill‘s girls, Katy and Beth currently at- tend the University of Texas at Arlington and Austin, respec- tively. (Editor: Bobbe and Pappy have attended every TAC Tanker reunion from 2000 up to Branson, when Bobbe was un- able to come due to her illness–-she will be surely missed)

Page 7 TAC Tanker Tales Volume 8 ,Issue3 March 2008 Tactical Tankers Association, Ltd. 231 King Street Lancaster, OH 43130

Phone: 740-653-3835

Email:[email protected] [email protected]

(Continued from page 6) As you can see, Don has me in a trance; with all of his talent but now I will let him tell you about the book. —Powers Trace is a fictional town located among the farms on a two-lane road in the lower left corner of Georgia. The five person police force struggles to protect and serve the people of their small town with limited funds and cast-off equipment handed down from the county sheriff‘s department. Like police in most small towns, they get the job done working long hours for low pay. This is their story.“ The book is available from Barnes and Noble. The publisher is Xlibris Corporation, ISBN 9781425782466. EAN 1425792464 and the cost for the paperback version is $11.50.

Sure’n it’s a fine St. Patrick’s Day, we’re wishing for you!!

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