AFA National Report [email protected] By Frances McKenney, Assistant Managing Editor Tuskegee Airmen On Stage When the Metro Rhode Island Chap- ter and Newport Blue & Gold Chapter (R.I.) organized a tribute in March to the Tuskegee Airmen, the guest list grew to the point where the reception had to be moved to a large auditorium AFRC photo by Philip R. Davis at Quonset State Arpt., R.I. Tuskegee Airmen are African-Amer- ican World War II pilots who took their primary flight training at Tuskegee AAF, Ala. They numbered just under a thou- sand, and their combat record includes 111 aircraft destroyed in the air, 150 destroyed on the ground. Other Tuskegee Airmen were navi- gators, bombardiers, maintenance and support staff, and instructors—all per- sonnel involved in training the airmen. The Rhode Island reception hon- ored seven Tuskegee Airmen from the New England area: Victor Butler, George S. Lima, and Herman Wells, who are natives of the state, and Jack At Robins AFB, Ga., in February, AFA Board Chairman Joe Sutter (right) makes a point Bryant, Charles W. Diggs, Harvey F. during a meeting with Maj. Gen. Allan Poulin, the AFRC vice commander, and Col. Ther- Sanford, and Willie Saunders, all from on Davis and CMSgt. Dave Henry. Poulin explained issues facing Reservists. Sutter the Boston area. also met with Maj. Gen. Polly Peyer, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center commander. Robert J. Wilkinson, state president, reported that the guest list of more Evening in Fort Worth Renaissance Worthington. The eve- than 150 covered a range from USAF- Although the black-tie formal in Texas ning got under way with the posting related groups to Navy personnel from is called “Evening in Fort Worth,” for the of the colors by University of North Newport to students from a Providence Fort Worth Chapter’s guest speaker, Texas AFROTC cadets. Airmen from charter school. the annual event actually started dur- the 136th and 301st performed the The audience watched videos on ing the day. invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, and a the history of black aviators, then the Before everyone donned dress blues POW-MIA ceremony. AFA’s President- seven veterans took to the stage and and formal attire for the March banquet, CEO Michael M. Dunn then introduced held a question and answer session. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz spent that Lorenz to the audience. They received several standing ovations. afternoon at NAS-JRB Fort Worth. The general spoke on leadership, to The nonprofit Black Air Founda- Lorenz, commander of Air Education the gathering of more than 160 guests, tion, from Providence, co-sponsored and Training Command, received mis- representing all services and the de- the reception, which had its origins in sion briefings on two of the major USAF fense industry. Metro Rhode Island Chapter member units on the Navy-hosted base: Col. Chapter member M. N. Heth was Fred Frostic’s idea of spotlighting the John J. Mooney III, vice commander of named a Charlotte Loos Fellow by the Air Force’s “living history” resources. 10th Air Force, presented information AFA Texas and Aerospace Education Metro Rhode Island Chapter members on the AFRC numbered air force, and Foundation of Texas organizations. CMSgt. Lori Ashness, Lori Casucci, Ste- Col. Kevin C. Pottinger, then commander Other awards that evening went to SrA. ven Winsor, and Mark Sheehan helped of the 301st Fighter Wing, briefed the Dan Slater of the 136th AW, named as organize the tribute. Chapter President general on his unit, which had deployed the chapter’s Air National Guardsman of Dean A. Plowman hosted the evening. more than 100 members to Southwest the Year 2008, and MSgt. Mary Staffield, The chapter is sponsoring four “Vi- Asia a few weeks earlier. from the 301st FW, named the chapter’s sions of Exploration” classrooms, as A windshield tour of the base, en- Reservist of the Year 2008. a thank you to the Tuskegee Airmen. compassing 1,805 acres, took Lorenz Sponsored by AFA and USA Today past the ANG’s 136th Airlift Wing, as More Chapter News newspaper, the Visions program brings well as Navy and Marine flying units. The Col. H. M. “Bud” West Chap- newspapers into classrooms to encour- The formal banquet, hosted by Chap- ter (Fla.) selected a project on vortex age an interest in studying science, ter President Timothy J. Malone and generators to receive its first science fair technology, engineering, math, and chapter council members, took place award at the Capital Regional Science aerospace topics. at a downtown Fort Worth hotel, the and Engineering Fair in Tallahassee 146 AIR FORCE Magazine / May 2009 in February. Chapter President Gary that are the hallmark of STARBASE. 1942 to 1967. McCracken, a retired B. Sharpe and Vice President John E. Science and Technology Academies lieutenant colonel who came from Schmidt Jr. made the award presenta- Reinforcing Basic Aviation and Space an Indiana farm family, completed an tion to Dean Gonzalez at North Florida Exploration (STARBASE) is a science aviation cadet program as a member of Christian High School in Tallahassee. and math course for fifth-graders that Class 44-E. He was an instructor pilot Gonzalez developed and built wind takes place over five-day periods on and in the 1950s was among the first tunnels and measurement equipment, military installations. Davis-Monthan’s sent to Germany to rebuild that country’s controlling the test environment and program began in 2006, through the air force, reported Chapter Secretary collecting data to test his hypothesis 355th Fighter Wing. Tucson Chapter’s John B. Pavone. In his civilian career, on vortex generators, devices that help Karen Halstead, the communications McCracken worked for what is today maintain correct airflow over control VP, noted that STARBASE at Davis- ArvinMeritor, an automotive supplier. surfaces. The chapter awarded him $50 Monthan serves more than 700 students and a commemorative plaque. a year, helped out by the chapter’s Sylvia A. French, 1938-2009 The Northern Shenandoah Val- sponsorship. Sylvia A. French, former chief of field ley Chapter (Va.) hosted a reception Goal! Several Genesee Valley services at AFA, died March 6 after an and dinner for an airman who had Chapter (N.Y.) members attended an illness. She had worked for the asso- received a Purple Heart after being ice hockey game pitting the Air Force ciation from 1984 until her retirement wounded in Afghanistan. MSgt. David Academy against Rochester Institute in 2003. Webber, a mental health NCOIC from of Technology on Feb. 28. The chapter Ms. French was well-known to AFA McConnell AFB, Kan., was at Forward hosted an after-game reception on cam- members because of her work, coordi- Operating Base Orgun-E last Dec. 24, pus. Guests included 30 Falcon hockey nating the administration of chapters, when a truck he was standing behind players and 40 other guests, including states, and regions, as well as the AFA took a direct mortar hit. Before he was academy-parent groups from Roches- National Convention. She had retired wounded, he had been correspond- ter, Syracuse, and Buffalo. Among the to Ruther Glen, Va. ing with a cadet at Randolph-Macon chapter members at the game were Academy in Front Royal, Va., through Kenneth P. Beaman, Joseph DiPaolo, Lindsey A. Farley, 1962-2008 a project called anysoldier.com.Chapter Robert Fink, Kent W. Hemphill, Joe Pow, Lindsey A. Farley, an accountant Membership VP Stephanie D. Portillo, and Sanford E. Way. at AFA for more than 20 years, died who teaches Spanish at RMA, coordi- Columbus-Bakalar Chapter mem- Dec. 29, 2008. A certified public ac- nates the school’s participation in the ber Robert L. McCracken spoke at the countant, he began working at the as- program. The chapter pays postage group’s meeting in Columbus, Ind., in sociation in the finance department in and incidental program expenses. At March, about his World War II experi- 1986, two years after graduating from the chapter reception, Webber said ences and a USAF career that spanned Virginia Tech. n that the letters—about 3,500 over the past two years—have been important support to the deployed airmen. At its March meeting, Southern Indiana Chapter members got an update on the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division—in particular, the Air Force Reserve Ammunition Team there. The 14-member unit includes the chapter’s March guest speaker, MSgt. Craig Haza, who told the audience that his unit maintains 6,000 short tons of USAF air-to-surface munitions, such as JDAMs, 30 mm ammunition for the A-10, laser guidance sections for smart bombs—“go to war stuff,” as he put it. In Arizona in February, Frank Luke Chapter Membership VP Mads H. Brandt attended the graduation ceremony for Class 08-HBC at Luke Air Force Base, to present the chapter’s “Top Gun” trophy—an AFA mug. First Lt. Brian Beears, assigned to Hill AFB, Utah, was selected for the award from the 13 F-16 pilots graduating from the Initial Qualification Course, nine months of training with Luke’s 62nd Fighter Squadron. Brandt also awarded Beears membership in AFA. The Tucson Chapter sent a STAR- BASE teacher from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to a professional conference in New Orleans in March. Vanessa Friedman attended the National Science Teachers Conference to learn new cur- riculum and about techniques to inter- More photos at http://www.airforce-magazine.com, in “AFA National Report” est students in the hands-on projects AIR FORCE Magazine / May 2009 147 AFA National Report [email protected] Reunions 13th AF Veterans Assn (WWII). Sept. 16-19 in Grand Rapids, MI. Contact: John Reeves, 3460 4 Mile Rd., Grand Rapids, MI 49525 ([email protected]).