Michigan Air Guard Historical Association

Website: www.selfridgeairmuseum.org Email: [email protected] (Newsletter editor)

Email: [email protected]

October-December 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Note from the Editor 2 Letter from the Director 2 Taps 3 - 6 , 97, pilot dies…. 7 - 10 127th Wing Happenings 11 - 12 110th Attack Wing Happenings 13 This Day in History 14 - 19 Museum Happenings 20 - 24 From the Archives 25 - 26 RV Storage Area 27 New Hangar Project 27 Memorial Wall Brick Program 28 Michigan Activity Pass 29 MAGHA Membership Application 30

Note from the Editor: MAGHA members, please remember if you move, change your email, or anything else that is important regarding changes in your information in ‘our’ membership list, it is important to notify the Museum by email (preferred method at email above: [email protected]), phone, or letter. If you have information to share for the newsletter, photos and articles, or information on other members, please email the editor at above posted email. Please read the Letter from the Director that follows. It contains important information regarding the mailing of newsletters starting in 2021. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Hoping for a Better 2021! Lori Nye Newsletter Editor & Library-Archives Team Chief

Letter from the Director

As noted in the Michigan Air National Guard Bulletin and News Gazette (MANGBANG) July- September 2020 newsletter, the MANGBANG newsletters will be emailed starting with our first newsletter in 2021. In reviewing museum revenues and expenditures, we have ascertained that MAGHA is currently spending over $2,300 in mailing the quarterly newsletters. These costs include postage, printing, envelopes and handling. The newsletter itself is put together most admirably by our dedicated librarian and newsletter editor, Lori Nye, who donates her time and effort into making the newsletter both informative and entertaining. As with so many facets of life, we find that we cannot financially justify the continued printing and mailing of the quarterly newsletter. With that in mind the MANGBANG will no longer be mailed in 2021, unless we receive from you an additional $10 annually to cover these costs. We will email a copy to every member who has an email address on file with MAGHA, who can then either print themselves a copy or electronically file it away on their own personal computer. You can also view the newsletters on our webpage https://selfridgeairmuseum.org under the Museum support tab and then Museum membership (newsletters are located at the center of this page). The direct link to this page is:

https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/michigan-air-guard-historical-association/

For those of you who do not have a computer or wish to continue receiving a ‘hard copy’ of the MANGBANG, we are going to have to assess that member with an additional $10 per year to cover the costs of printing, envelopes and postage. We hope that you understand the necessity for taking this action and that you will continue to support the Michigan Air Guard Historical Association and the Selfridge Military Air Museum. Please email [email protected] to update our files with how you wish to receive the newsletter and provide current email addresses. If you have already renewed your membership into 2021 and wish to continue a ‘hard copy’, please remit the $10 fee. Starting in February, letters with payment portion will be mailed to those currently on our membership list that receive the mailed version of the newsletter.

WAYNE FETTY Executive Director 586-239-6768 E-Mail: [email protected]

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TAPS

NAME MI ANG SERVICE DATE OF DEATH SMSgt Alan J. Glant ???? – 2002 8 December 2020 MSgt James ‘Jim’ Jacobson ???? – 2003 24 October 2020 MSgt Barbara ‘Bobbie’ Leslie ???? - ???? 10 December 2020 SMSgt William Francis “Bill” ???? - 2006 20 June 2020 Mullaly, III Lt Col Donald “Digger” ???? -???? 22 October 2020 O’Dell CMSgt Joseph B. Viger 1955-1991 8 December 2020 Kelly Ward ???? - ???? 25 February 2020 SMSgt Robert J. Younts ???? – 2000 22 November 2020

Alan J. Glant Alan John Glant, age 74, passed away on December 8, 2020; born to John and Winifred on February 6th of 1946; beloved partner to Karen; dear father to Thomas (Jennifer), Amy (Steven), and Holly (Jeffrey); cherished grandpa to Sarah (Anthony), Anna, Kayla, Ryan, Madison, Autumn, Ashlyn and Jackson. The family will greet friends at Kaul Funeral Home of Clinton Township on Wednesday, December 16th from 5:00pm until 8:00pm. Fond memories and online condolences may be offered to the family at www.KaulFuneralHome.com In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Alan's honor to Fisher House.

James ‘Jim’ Jacobson It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of James Jacobson (Sterling Heights, Michigan), who passed away on October 24, 2020, at the age of 75, leaving to mourn family and friends. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of James Jacobson to show support.

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He was loved and cherished by many people including : his wife Darlene; and his children, Jodie, Jackie and Kim.

Leslie, Barbara ‘Bobbie’ – No further information is available at this time.

William Francis “Bill” Mullaly, III MULLALY, William F. III "Bill", passed away peacefully at his home on June 22, 2020 at the age of 63 after a long illness. He was a loving husband to Julie for 38 years and a devoted father to their children Nicole Cholette (Steve) and Bill Mullaly (Dena). Proud and loving Pa-Pa of Austin, Averie and Paityn. He is also survived by his brothers Dennis (Kelly) and Michael Mullaly, his mother-in-law Dolores Lee (Maurice), stepmother Barb Mullaly; sister-in-laws Karen Bradley (Dan), Michelle Grassa (Bob) and Susan Badalucco as well as his nieces and nephews Megan Grassa, Melissa Henning (Jacob), Landon Henning, Matthew Grassa and Nicole Mullaly. Predeceased by his loving parents William Jr. and Dolores Mullaly, father and mother-in-law Ed and Pat Limina and brother-in-law Dennis Badalucco. Bill is a graduate of Lawrence Institute of Technology, Class of 1982. He proudly supported his country and served in the Michigan Air National Guard for 31 years. As an Account Manager at Marshall E. Campbell for 28 years, Bill loved his clients and extended family of co-workers who supported him during his illness. Bill adored spending time on the lake up north, boating, wood working, building and flying his remote control airplanes. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Visitation Thursday 3-8pm at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons, Inc., 54880 Van Dyke (at 25 Mile Rd.), Shelby Township. Instate Friday 9:30am until time of 10am Mass at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 872 Capac Rd. (S. of Almont Rd.), Allenton. Memorial contributions to Hospice of Michigan (Macomb County) or the Capuchin Soup Kitchen are appreciated. Please share memories with the family at their "On-Line Guestbook" at WujekCalcaterra.com

Donald “Digger” O’Dell October 22, 2020. Age 86. Beloved husband of Susan. Loving father of Barbara Odell Kalthoff (Chris), Paul Odell, David Odell, Hunter Odell, and the late Carol Odell. Proud grandfather of Ryan (Sarah), Jackie (Aaron), Josh, Anthony, Nikki, and Alyssa. Great-grandfather of Joey, Landon, Austin, Audrey, Alex, Andy, Savannah, and Abigail. Dear brother of the late Chuck Odell. Also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Visitation to take place at the Selfridge Military Air Museum (27333 ‘C’ Street, Harrison Twp, MI 48045)

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Wednesday from 11:00am to 7:00pm. (Visitors will be guided upon entering the base). Military Honors and burial is open to the public and will take place Thursday 2:30pm at Great Lakes National Cemetery, 4200 Belford Rd. Holly, MI. 48442. In lieu of flowers, donations preferred to Team Honor or to Wertz Warriors. Share memories with the family at their "On-Line Guest Book" @ WujekCalcaterra.com.

Colonel Odell was born and reared in Pontiac, Michigan. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in September 1952. He served in enlisted status until April 1954 at which time he entered the Aviation Cadet Pilot Training program, receiving his commission and wings on August 1, 1955. He served as an Instructor Pilot in the Air Force Pilot Training School from 1955 to 1958. Lieutenant, at that time, Odell served a tour in fighters in Europe from 1959 to 1962. Prior to his departure to Southeast Asia, he was assigned to the 94th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Selfridge Air Force Base, Mt. Clemens, Michigan. In December 1966, he received his assignment to F-105 at McConnell AFB, Kansas. Major Odell arrived at the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Air Base, Thailand, in August 1967. Major Digger Odell was shot down on his 17th mission on October 17, 1967. He had been sixteen miles north of Hanoi, North Vietnam. He had been in Vietnam less than three months. The North Vietnamese broke Digger’s neck on his eight day of captivity by hitting him in the back of the neck with a rifle butt. He had a very uncomfortable 5 ½ years as a Prisoner of War. Colonel Odell was listed as Missing In Action for 2 years and 2 months, until a peace group returned from Vietnam with a seven line letter to Digger’s wife, indicating he was alive in Hanoi. His release came on March 14, 1973. For his exemplary conduct while a P.O.W., Lt. Colonel Odell was awarded the Silver Star, the , the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the , and many other decorations.

Memoralized Macomb County War Veteran Donald “Digger” O’Dell Has Died By Nisa Khan, Detroit Free Press

U.S. Air Force veteran Donald "Digger" Odell, who was held as a prisoner of war for nearly six years in North Vietnam after his plane was shot down and whose name is memorialized on a street at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, has died. He was honored by the air base in October 2017, exactly 50 years after his capture. During his incarceration, he faced torture and isolation. Odell was inducted into the Michigan Military and Veteran Hall of Honor last year, when he was 84. "It's an honor that I certainly recognize and I'm personally impressed that I was selected. Do I think I deserve it? No, I was doing my job," Odell said in 2019 to the Macomb Daily. "Those things that happened there were beyond my control. It's an honor for my family as well. They suffered as equally as I did. If I live to be 200 years old, I won't forget. It's very humbling."

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Joseph Bernard Viger

VIGER, Joseph B. age 87, of New Boston, December 08, 2020. Beloved husband of the late Mary Viger, and companion of Patti Thalhamer. Loving father of Joseph T. Viger, Debra M. Viger, Pamela A. (Justin) Dyess, June L. (Joey) Buell, and Edward P. (Nicole) Viger. Dearest grandfather of Lorin, Scott, Mary Jo, Katey, Austin, Jeremy, Jennafer, Joshua, Felicia, and Ryan; great-grandfather of 5. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Viger, his parents Fernande and Arthur Viger, and 10 brothers and sisters. His cremation took place at “The Witness Crematory” located inside of Michigan Memorial Funeral Home.

Kelly Ward – 25 February 2020 - No further information is available.

Robert J. “Bobby” Younts RICHMOND, Ind. - Robert James Younts, age 74, of Richmond, Indiana, died Sunday, November 22, 2020, at Reid Health. Born January 17, 1946, in Richmond, Indiana, to Robert Nelson and Vivian Freeman Younts, Robert lived in this community for most of his life, also residing in Michigan for many years. He proudly served in the Air Force during the and Desert Storm. Robert retired as Senior Master Sergeant from the Selfridge ANGB in Michigan, after working for more than 30 years. He enjoyed fishing, fast cars, and a continuous quest for knowledge. Robert had a heart of gold and selflessly helped others every chance he could. Survivors include his children, Eric (Amy) Younts and Mary (Matt) Geremesz; four grandchildren; siblings, Phil (Nancy) Younts, Sharon (Mike) Burtch, and Ron Younts; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Carol Nuss. Due to the current COVID-19 situation, we regret to inform you that the graveside service for Robert James Younts will be private among immediate family, with Chaplain Rick Alvey officiating. Burial will be in Sims Cemetery in Brookville, Indiana, with military honors provided by the Franklin County Honor Guard. Arrangements are being handled by Doan and Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com.

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Chuck Yeager, 97, pilot, dies; his prowess broke the sound barrier, opened the skies

Chuck Yeager and "Glamorous Glennis," the speed machine he piloted through the sound barrier in 1947.

Chuck Yeager, who piloted the Bell X-1 experimental rocket plane past the sound barrier and thrust America into the dawn of the space age, died Monday. He was 97. His death on the 79th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, was announced via his official Twitter account, which according to The New York Times, cited his wife, Victoria. General Yeager’s 14- minute sprint over the Mojave Desert on 14 October 1947 is considered the most important airplane flight since Orville Wright swept over the sands of Kitty Hawk for 40 yards on 17 December 1903. There were, however, few accolades for the 24-year- old captain. No ticker tape parades, no handshakes from the president. The flight occurred in the early dark days of the Cold War and was filed away as top secret. The public would not know of the feat for months. Then Captain Yeager instead celebrated with a few slaps on the back and a round of martinis at the Happy Bottom Riding Club near Muroc Air Base. For the unassuming aviator from the backwoods of West Virginia – his first radio transmission after passing the elusive Mach 1 and breaking the sound barrier was “Ah, we have problems. This ol’ Mach meter is plumb off the scale” – that was plenty of praise. Born in Hamlin, W.V., Charles E. Yeager developed an acute sense of machines, their parts, and how they worked in unison from his father, a gas-well driller. Enlisting in the Army Air Corps just before the , General Yeager initially served as a warrant officer maintaining aircraft. By 1943, he was in flight school; by the next spring, a P-51 Mustang pilot, escorting bombers out of England. On his ninth mission, he was shot down and eluded capture only with the help of a French farmer and the Resistance. When he was ordered stateside to recover, he successfully petitioned Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower to allow him to instead return to the skies over Europe. Blessed with 20-10 eyesight – his fellow pilots swore he could see forever – General Yeager became a top fighter pilot, shooting down in one day the five planes needed for designation as an “ace”; one day a month later, he downed four more.

After the war, General Yeager found himself in the same place he was at the beginning of his service; on a maintenance team. It proved to be the

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opportunity of his lifetime. He worked on aircraft at Wright Field in Ohio, and after any plane was tuned up or repaired, he made sure he was the pilot to test it. That way, he got to fly almost every fighter on the flight line. His flying ability caught the attention of Colonel Albert Boyd, who was trying to build a cadre of top pilots for what became the military’s first test-pilot division. Boyd would soon get to test the mettle of these recruits. Across the continent, at Muroc Air Base in , Bell Aircraft was testing its X-1 with civilian test pilots, who then were considered superior to military “fly boys”. Bell engineers were confident the plane could break the sound barrier (Mach 1 is 742 miles per hour at sea level; slightly less as altitude increases), but funding problems threatened to ground the tests. The cost of hiring civilian pilots was too high for the postwar US government. The Army Air Corps, soon to be christened the Air Force, assumed responsibility for the tests. The next task for Boyd was choosing the X-1 pilot. Some superior told Boyd the pilot should be a West Pointer, others said he had to have an engineering degree. But Boyd and his assistant, Colonel Fred Ascani, kept coming back to a junior officer. “Though (Yeager) lacked a college education, Boyd considered him the best instinctive pilot he had ever seen,” Air Force historian James Young wrote in the book, The Quest of Mach One. Ascani was more expansive: “Yeager flies an airplane as if he is welded to it – as if he is an integral part of it. His ‘feel’ for any strange airplane is instinctive, intuitive and as natural as if had flown it for 100 or more hours….” No one, earthbound or ethereal, will ever be a clone of Yeager. Never, ever.” As the flight team traveled to Muroc, the only doubts about the young pilot seemed to be whether his superiors could rein in his sense of adventure. “He was a little hard to tame,” said Jack Russell, crew chief on the X-1 program. “I’d flown with him before and we were never right side up.” On his first test of the X-1, a glide test, the rocket plane and General Yeager were released from the dark belly of a B-29 into the blinding sunlight at 18,000 feet. General Yeager immediately piloted the plane into a series of unchoreographed rolls. The danger of the mission, however, was always apparent. A few months earlier, Britain’s top test pilot, Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr., died as his plane disintegrated as it passed .9 Mach. The first X-1 pilot, Jack Woolams, died in a practice flight on another plane. “Fatalities occurred at a rate that would be considered absolutely unacceptable today,” Walter Boyne, former director of the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, said. As planes approached the sound barrier, mysterious forces would freeze controls or shred the fuselage. The culprit, theorists in aerodynamics said, was a phenomenon called “compressibility”. As a plane flies well below the speed of sound, the fuselage pushes the air around it. As a plane approaches the speed of sound, the air moving around the aircraft starts accelerating. When it collides with the slower air, shock waves are created, building up on the wing and violently shaking the plane. To counter this, the X-1 was designed in the shape of a .50-caliber bullet, which breaks the sound barrier without losing stability. It was fueled by 600 gallons of ethyl alcohol and liquid oxygen, as volatile a mixture as ever used before. “He was sitting on top of a bomb,” said Bob Hoover, the X-1 backup pilot who would become one of the world’s leading acrobatic pilots.

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There was an escape hatch – directly in front of the plane’s razor-thin wings, which would have sliced General Yeager in half if he had tried to bail out. General Yeager’s only protection was a leather football helmet, which he adapted for the purposed with his penknife. He dubbed the craft Glamour Glennis after his wife, as he had done with his combat fighters. After three glide test flights, the team was ready for a powered test. After flipping on one of the plane’s four engine chambers, General Yeager later recalled, “the impact nearly knocks you back into last week…. We are no longer an airplane: We’re a skyrocket. You’re not flying. You’re holding on to a tiger’s tail.” After three glide and eight powered test flights, General Yeager thought he and the X-1 were ready to break the barrier. But on the morning of Oct 14, he had to overcome two significant obstacles, one mechanical, one physical. Project engineer, Jackie Ridley solved both. As the X-1 had approached the sound barrier during the previous test flight, a shock wave rendered the tail’s elevator useless. Without this stabilizing device, General Yeager could not control altitude well enough to increase speed. Ridley correctly surmised that the X-1’s revolutionary moveable horizontal tail itself could instead be moved by the pilot in one-quarter degree adjustments, having a similar effect as the elevator. Other project engineers disagreed. “Chuck was aware, as I was, that the four Ph.D’s on the ground thought we were going to kill Chuck and lose the airplane,” Robert Cardenas, the pilot of the B-29, recalled of that morning. “I said, ‘Chuck, if Ridley’s right, you’re going to be a hero. But if he’s wrong, you’re going to be dead.’” The physical problem was more embarrassing. Two days before, General Yeager had broken two ribs when his horse tossed him while riding with his wife. He secretly had a private doctor wrap his torso for the flight. After confessing to Ridley, he realized it would be too painful to close the X-1’s hatch with his right hand and the cockpit was too confining to reach across and close it with his left. The mission was salvaged by a broom stick, which Ridley fashioned into a lever that could close the hatch. After being dropped from the bomber, General Yeager fired all four chambers in succession, then shut off two of them. When, as expected, the plane started buffeting as it passed .90 Mach, he tested adjustments of the tail. Satisfied, General Yeager leveled the plane and fired a third cylinder. The buffeting stopped, the mythical sonic wall had been shattered. On the way down, General Yeager did victory rolls. “I was thunderstruck,” he wrote in Yeager, an autobiography. “After all the anxiety, breaking the sound barrier turned out to be a perfectly paved speedway…. Grandma could be sitting up there sipping lemonade.” Over the next decade, General Yeager cemented his reputation as the greatest test pilot, both for repeatedly setting speed and altitude records and for coolly maneuvering through catastrophic failures. His stature soared on 12 December 1953. Moments after setting the speed record again – at Mach 2.44 (1,650 miles per hour) – his X-1A started an out-of- control spinning and tumbling plunge of about 10 miles in a little more than a minute. The violence of the descent slammed his head against the fuselage, cracking the glass canopy, and generated G-forces of plus 8 (more than twice what space shuttle astronauts felt during ascent.) Yet General Yeager was able to regain control at 20,000 feet. Rival test pilot Scott Crossfield called it “the fasted and wildest airplane in history.” In 1961, General Yeager was named commander of the new Aerospace Research Pilot School, designed to transform military test pilots into astronauts. Because a college degree was

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required to be part of the astronaut corps, General Yeager never made it himself. Glennis Yeager died in 1990. They had four children: Donald, Michael, Sharon and Susan. General Yeager stayed active, mainly by hiking, including climbing 14,494-foot Mount Whitney every year for many years. He broke the sound barrier again in an Air Force plane at age 74 in 1997 as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of his X-1 flight. He married Victoria Scott D’Angelo in 2003. For much of his life, General Yeager was a footnote in history. That had changed in 1979, when Tom Wolfe’s epic book, The Right Stuff was released. In his account of the early days of America’s space program, Wolfe cast the young Yeager as the cowboy of the modern age, a strong, virile, independent sort who let his actions do his talking. “Tom got a little emotional,” General Yeager said. Few however, would downplay the flight that shattered both the sound barrier and the myths surrounding it. “This was undoubtedly the most significant event in the history of aerospace that took place between the Wright brothers and the landing on the moon,” said Richard P. Hallion, a leading Air Force historian. “It started a revolution in high-speed flight. And that revolution opened up the world as we know it today: a world of international global air transportation and international, global military air power.” The flight’s pilot put it more plainly: “Break Mach 1, don’t bust your ass, and don’t screw it up. That was it.” (Michael Bailey, Boston Globe, 8 December 2020)

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127th Wing, Selfridge ANG Base

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Thomas E. Selfridge, for whom Selfridge ANGB was named, may have been an officer in the U.S. Army, but he hailed from a prominent Navy family. His grandfather and uncle, Thomas O. Selfridge Sr. and Jr., were the first living father-son to both hold the rank of admiral in the U.S. Navy. During World War II, a Porter- class named for both of the admirals, USS Selfridge, DDD-357, was on duty in the Pacific Ocean. USS Selfridge was tied up at the pier on Dec. 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, . Within 5 minutes of the attack starting, USS Selfridge began to return fire. Within three hours, she put to sea, utilizing a crew of Sailors from numerous ships. Selfridge and several other ships spent a tense week forming a picket around the Hawaiian Islands, preparing to repel the anticipated invasion force. Selfridge spent the entire war on duty in the Pacific, most notably playing a critical role providing fire support to U.S. Marines during the Battle of Gaudalcanal. At the Battle of Vella Lavella, August – October 1943, Selfridge was part of a task force of U.S. ships that was engaged by a significantly larger Japanese force. The Selfridge suffered extensive damage and 13 of her Sailors were killed in the battle and another 60 were injured. The Selfridge was quickly repaired and remained on duty for the remainder of the war. Back in Michigan, the Soldiers at Selfridge Field quickly moved to a war-time footing, with a contingent of Selfridge soldiers immediately sent to help provide security at the U.S. – Canada border crossings in Detroit. (An emergency mission that Selfridge troops would again perform briefly after Sept. 11, 2001.) Photo is of USS Selfridge, c. 1942. (Courtesy of the 127th Wing Facebook page)

2020 Outstanding Airman and Civilian Award Ceremony

Brigadier General Rolf Mammen, Chief Master Sargent Rick Gordon, and Public Affairs staff honored the nominees and winners for the 2020 Outstanding Airman and Civilian Award Ceremony for their superior leadership, job performance and overall achievement in a ‘virtual’ award ceremony. Congratulations to all nominees and winners!

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KC-135 Stratotankers span the ramp at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. Based at Selfridge since 1992, the tankers enable aircrews to provide aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft across the globe. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Terry Atwell) (Courtesy of 127th Wing Facebook)

Available at Google Play Store & Apple App Store

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110th Wing, Battle Creek, Michigan

2020 Outstanding Airmen of the Year

110th Wing conducted their 2020 Outstanding Airmen of the Year Awards Ceremony, 5 December virtually. Introduction by Chief Master Sargent Jenny Balabuch and announcement of nominees and winners was conducted by Technical Sargent Jason Knight.

110th Wing, Battle Creek – continues to support the South Michigan Food Bank. The Michigan National Guard is #AlwaysReadyAlwaysThere. “I never realized how much the National Guard did until now, and we’ve been able to have a good relationship with them,” said Summer Sunnock, the advancement director for the South Michigan Food Bank. “Having that awareness of how they are constantly doing something to better communities, helping people who are in need.”

App is available for iPhone, iPad, and in the Google Play Store.

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This Day in History… October 1 1961 During the Cold War only the 156th Signal Battalion was federalized on 1 October 1961 at its home stations in response to the Cuban missile crisis. This marked the Michigan National Guard's last call to federal duty for service outside the state for almost 30 years

October 2 2008 The Michigan ANG's 127th Wing at Selfridge ANG Base formally relinquished its Air Sovereignty Alert (ASA) mission to the Ohio ANG's 180th Fighter Wing at Toledo.

October 5 1813 A combined British and Native American army is decisively defeated by an American army under the command of General William Henry Harrison, a former general of Indiana militia and future president of the U.S. After the British component of the force was broken by mounted Kentucky militiamen, they went on a killing spree amongst the Indians under the war leader Tecumseh. Tecumseh, a Shawnee, built an Indian confederation combining several tribes as allies of the British. When members of these tribes captured Kentucky militiamen first at the River Raisin, Michigan Territory, in January 1813 and again at the siege of Fort Meigs, Ohio in May 1813, they tortured and killed many of them. The Kentuckians thus took their revenge by killing a large number of warriors, including Tecumseh, leading to the dissolution of the Indian confederacy.

October 11 2003 Ground is broken for a new $15.8 million, 106425-square foot complex to consolidate National Guard operations in the Lansing area. The new facility, on North Martin Luther King Boulevard, near Grand River Avenue, houses the Joint Forces Headquarters for the combined Michigan Army and Air National Guard as well as several Army National Guard units.

October 12 1968 By special order of Michigan adjutant general Clarence Schnipke, Air National Guard Sgt. Mickey Lolich was exempted from "KP duty" for the remainder of his military career due to Lolich's outstanding performance in his civilian job - as a starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. The order from Schnipke came in the celebration aftermath of Lolich helping the Tigers to win the 1968 World Series. During the summer of 1967, Lolich missed about two weeks of the baseball season when his unit was mobilized to help quell the riots in Detroit that summer.

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October 21 1861 A Union assault across the Potomac River north of Washington, DC, at a site named Harrison's Landing or better known to history as "Ball's Bluff" was repulsed with heavy losses. While Confederate losses were rather light, the Union forces suffered 223 men killed and more 700 captured, with several hundred more wounded. Among the dead was Colonel, and U.S. Senator from Oregon, Edward D. Baker. Born in England, he came to America as a child and spent his early life in Illinois, where he met and befriended Abraham Lincoln. While in Illinois, Baker was elected to the House of Representatives in 1844. He resigned his seat in 1846 to command the 4th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the Mexican War, commanding the Siege of Veracruz and the Battle of Cerro Gordo. After the war, he moved to California, then Oregon, taking a seat in the U.S. Senate as one of Oregon's first two new Senators. After the Civil War started in April 1861, Baker raised a regiment in New York, but soon after took a commission as the commander of the 71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry while still seated in the Senate. During the Battle of Ball's Bluff, Baker's regiment found itself backed up against the river by Colonel William Barksdale's Mississippi Brigade (13th, 17th, and 18th Mississippi regiments). Killed instantly by a shot in the head, he was the only seated member of Congress to die in combat during the Civil War. Several other interesting notes stem from this battle. Due to Baker's death and the high losses suffered in this operation, questions were raised in Congress about the Army's leadership. As a result, the "Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War" was established to oversee the handling of the war effort. Barksdale's Brigade would meet some of the very same units it fought at Ball's Bluff again at Antietam and Fredericksburg in 1862. These units included the 7th Michigan and the 19th and 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry regiments.

October 25 2004 The Michigan National Guard begins a $1.5 million overhaul and renovation of the 21,000 square foot Pontiac Readiness Center, also known as the Pontiac Armory. This is the first major alteration to the building since its original construction in 1973. The readiness center is home to the 1775th Military Police Company.

October 26 2010

Members of the Michigan Army National Guard Funeral Honors Team provide guard detail for the casket of former Michigan Gov. Steven T. Mason at the State Capitol Building for one day of public viewing. Governor Mason's was exhumed from Detroit's Capitol Park while the burial location underwent renovation. Mason lay in state at the State Capitol Building for one day and was then transported back to Capitol Park for a re-internment memorial service. In 1830, at age 19, Mason was appointed the Secretary of Michigan Territory and Superintendent of Indian

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Affairs by President Andrew Jackson. In 1834 he became acting Territorial Governor and in 1835, at age 24, he was elected the state's first governor though Michigan did not officially establish statehood until 1837. Mason led the state until 1840 and, according to Michigan History magazine and other sources, was the youngest state governor in American history.

November 2 2008 The 172d Fighter Squadron, 110th Fighter Wing, at Battle Creek ANGB flew their last A-10 Thunderbolt II sortie. Pictured is A-10 Thunderbolt II as it sits at the Selfridge Military Air Museum.

November 13 1708 The first indication of an effort to organize a militia is the reference of a proposal made by Antoine de LaMothe, sieur de Cadillac, the founder of Detroit. His proposal, dated November 13, 1708, called for forming four companies of "savages" to act as a militia for the colony. People opposed this idea because they were afraid that if the "savages" became educated in the ways of warfare, they would become formidable.

December 3 2003 More than 200 soldiers from 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery, Michigan Army National Guard, depart for the first leg of a deployment that ultimately takes them to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a U.S. naval base. Soldiers from field artillery batteries in Lansing, Port Huron, Alma, and Albion will head to Fort Dix, NJ, where they will spend four to six weeks on mission-specific training and in-processing. Once in Cuba, the unit will serve for six months providing security at the base.

December 6 2008 Officials unveiled Battle Creek decals on a newly assigned C-21. It was a bridge aircraft designed to maintain a flying mission at that installation until the planned C-27 (the Joint Cargo Aircraft) was assigned to the Michigan ANG unit, the 110th Fighter Wing, which was losing its A-10s. The Air Force later cancelled plans for the C-27.

December 7 1941 This day is “a date which will live in infamy,” according to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was referring, of course, to the shock attack by on the American Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

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Apart from the resulting substantial damage and heavy loss of life, Roosevelt was particularly incensed because the early morning attack happened without a declaration of war and without explicit warning. Nevertheless, military analysts consider the raid to have been one of the best-planned and best-prepared operations of the Second World War, involving as it did the secret passage of an entire fleet – including six aircraft carriers, two battleships and three cruisers – over 3,700 miles across the North Pacific. In the late 1930s, America firmly supported China as the main plank of its foreign policy in the Pacific. Any aggression against that country by a territory-expanding Japan would bring the Japanese into conflict with the United States. Beginning in the summer of 1940, as tensions between the two countries mounted, America began to restrict the export to Japan of materials useful in war. By July 1941 the Japanese had entered into an alliance with Hitler’s and Mussolino’s Italy and had occupied all of Indochina. America responded by cutting all commercial and financial relations with Japan, freezing its assets and banning shipments to the country of oil and other vital war materials. At the same time, American aid to China was stepped up. Militarists in Tokyo bitterly resented all this and the government of Prime Minister Tōjō Hideki decided on war. At the heart of their plans was an attack on the American Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor – an operation that had been planned with great care by Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, the commander in chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet. It was reasoned that by destroying the American fleet, nothing could then stop a Japanese conquest of all of Southeast Asia and the Indonesian archipelago. So on November 16, 1941 Japan’s task force began to assemble at the Kuril Islands in the North Pacific Ocean, 5,600 km from Hawaii. From there, using six aircraft carriers, the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor was launched in two waves, half an hour apart. The Japanese used 353 planes including fighters, level and dive bombers and torpedo bombers. In the raid which lasted two hours and 20 minutes, 19 US Navy ships, including eight battleships, were destroyed or damaged. A total of 188 US aircraft were blown up; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. By contrast, the Japanese lost only 29 aircraft and five midget submarines. About 130 of their men were killed. Judged on its long-term repercussions, however, the attack can only be regarded as a failure. Because of the shallow water all but one ship – USS Arizona – were later raised. Six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. And the next day, President Roosevelt told Congress: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941– a date that will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. “No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people will, through their righteous might, win through to absolute victory. . . With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounded determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God. “I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”

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The President’s request was granted as Japan formally declared war against the United States. On December 11, war was also formally declared between America and the Axis powers of Germany and Italy. In London, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was bowled over by the news. He later wrote: “To have the United States at our side was to me the greatest joy. Now I knew the US was in the war, up to the neck and in it to the death. So we had won after all! Hitler's fate was sealed. Mussolini's fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder.” Reflecting on the attack, Admiral Yamamoto has often been quoted as saying: “I feel all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with terrible resolve.” The sombre and perceptive quote was said at the end of the 1970 film, Tora! Tora! Tora! and repeated in the 2001 movie, Pearl Harbor. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that Yamamoto ever said those words and it is yet to be verified that the now famous quote is anything more than a line from a script.

December 8 1941 The United States enters World War II!

December 8 2008

The Michigan National Guard Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Grand Ledge takes possession of new Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The UH-60M is an upgrade from the combat- proven UH-60 model. The "Mike" model features improved payload, new digital cockpit displays, a strengthened fuselage, more lift than the UH-60A model, and more powerful engines. The Mike models also feature lower maintenance costs than the current fleet.

December 12 1862 Union engineers of the Volunteer Engineer Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Daniel Woodbury, composed primarily of the 15th and 60th New York Engineer regiments; finally succeed in getting two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River. For more than a day they had failed in accomplishing this goal due to heavy Confederate fire coming from the town of Fredericksburg. Most of this fire came from Brigadier General William Barksdale's Mississippi Brigade (13th, 17th, 18th, 21st Mississippi regiments), who used houses along the shore as cover. While Union artillery pounded the town, destroying many homes and other structures in the process, the rebel fire on the bridge continued. It was only after 7th Michigan and other elements of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division of the Army of the Potomac staged an assault river crossing in the face of enemy fire that the Confederates were compelled to fall back through the town. Soon the bridges were finished and the Union army moved across only to fight one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war on the 13th.

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December 13 1862 The Army of the Potomac suffers terrible losses as it makes numerous attacks against entrenched Confederates under the command of General Robert E. Lee. The federal army, under the command of General Ambrose Burnside, numbers over 90,000 men. Before the disastrous assaults on this day, Union forces had made a river crossing under heavy rifle fire from four regiments of Brigadier General William Barksdale's Mississippi Brigade (13th, 17th, 18th, 21st Mississippi regiments) while northern engineers, consisting primarily of two New York engineers regiments, constructed pontoon bridges over the Rappahannock River. On this date General Lee had his men well positioned on a high ridge known as "Marye's Heights." Burnside launched wave after wave of Union regiments piecemeal against the strong rebel defenses, all to no avail. By the end of the battle more than 12,600 Union soldiers are casualties while the southern loses were only 5,300. Pre-war militia (Guard) units exist in both armies. Among the most famous are the 69th New York, part of the famed "Irish Brigade," plus the Wisconsin and Michigan troops in the "Iron Brigade" On the southern side there are the five Guard regiments comprising the "Stonewall Brigade" from Virginia along with three batteries of the "Washington Artillery" from New Orleans. Descendent units of these and other Guard units who faced each other on this field remain in the Guard today.

December 17 2013 A time capsule is buried at outside the chapel at Camp Grayling in northern Michigan. The burial of the time capsule is the final event in a year-long series of events held at the camp to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the military training center. The time capsule is to be opened in 2113.

December 20 1943 The 107th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, formerly the 107th Observation Squadron, Michigan Air National Guard, commenced combat operations over from the United Kingdom with its F-6A's in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe.

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Museum Happenings

Gift Shop/Museum Host Team:

This team is taking a well-earned break after the 2020 season, though shortened by a couple of months, it was still a fairly busy season. Looking for some great Christmas ideas, stop by the Museum on a Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and see either Pam or Lori. Pam, our fairly new Admin. Volunteer, can be found most Tuesdays in the outer office inside the back entrance to the Museum building. Lori can generally be found in Building 1008, Library- Archives (door faces the Air Park). Or, you can visit the Museum’s website at: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org. We are looking for “new” faces to help fill out our Host Team for 2021. If you have some free hours and wish to help us out, check out the Museum’s website at: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Museum-Volunteer-Packet- Application.pdf, and fill out the Volunteer Application and mail it or bring it to the Museum. Address is: 27333 C Street, Bldg 1011, Selfridge ANG Base, MI 48045. We try to have our hosts dedicate at least 8 days throughout the season, but if that is not something that can be done, sign up for only what you can do. Please consider volunteering for our 2021 Season, which (hopefully) begins 3 April 2021 through 31 October 2021.

Restoration Team:

Our Restoration team continues its work on our Goodyear Aircraft Corporation, FG-1D Corsair WWII fighter, which required extensive restoration work. The historic aircraft was originally stationed at nearby Grosse Ile Naval Air Station. The Corsair restoration project will also have its own dedicated display hangar on the museum grounds and is expected to be completed as early as 2022 (hopefully).

Air Park Team:

Our Air Park Team will manage to keep themselves occupied with other projects over the Winter months when it will not be possible to work on maintenance/restoration issues with the

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Museum Happenings (cont.) aircraft and other vehicles in the Museum’s air park. Cleaning and painting the C-130 was the primary project for 2020 so that at least the left side, nose, and tail was finished in time for Lt Col Nigro’s Memorial Service. Both sides of the fuselage, belly, underside of the wings and tail along with engine nacelles were completed before the season ended and the weather became too cold to work outdoors. Starting in the Spring of 2021, the Air Park Team will start working on washing/painting the vertical tail, top of the fuselage and wings and add the stencils that still need to be applied. One of the Air Park team members who helps out on the displays in the museum during the winter months is Jim Ashford, pictured below with a brief bio. Jim started out volunteering and working on the 107th Observation Squadron display of the air base at Membry Field, England, though he only became an official member of the Museum Volunteer Team in July 2020. Ed Cuneo, Air Park Team Chief assisted BG Rolf Mammen in laying a wreath at the grave of Lt Col Louis J. and Susan Nigro as part of the Wreaths Across America program.

Jim was born in 1952 in Highland Park and spent part of his youth in Nankin Township/Westland, graduating from Bentley High School in Livonia in 1970. Six months later he joined the USAF, working for 20 years as a long-range air defense radar operator. He spent time serving in Okinawa, West Germany, , California, New , New York, and Louisiana retiring from the Air Force in 1991 when he returned home to Michigan. Following his return home, he worked for an automotive stamping plant and then went to work for TSA in 2002 as a Transportation Security Officer, working at Detroit/Metro Airport. He finally retired for good in 2017 and became an active volunteer at the Selfridge Military Air Museum in the Summer of 2020. His main hobby is building scale plastic models and he belongs to two clubs in the Metro Detroit area: IPMS Warren and IPMS Livonia, chapters of the International Plastic Modelers Society/USA. He also enjoys reading, air combat and sci-fi subjects mainly.

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

Go-Fund-Me

The Selfridge Military Air Museum has launched a “Go-Fund-Me” initiative to raise funds for improvements to the Museum’s infrastructure. We are hoping that we will be able to build a “new” home for the USMC FG-1D Corsair that is currently being restored by our restoration team and the T-6 ‘Texan’. Please help if you can!! For more information, watch the video by clicking on the link below or copying and pasting the link into your URL bar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCoHEr0GNy4. If you’re interested in helping us out with this project, you can make a donation by clicking on this link or by copying/pasting the link into your URL bar: https://www.gofundme.com/f/7tqvzq-maghaselfridge-military-air-museum?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-159966432152- 8c49a1875e334fda&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B1137-update-supporters-v5b

Kroger Community Rewards Program

HELP Support the

Selfridge Military Air Museum!

Kroger Community Rewards Program:

This program will link purchases made with your Kroger’s Plus Card to the Selfridge Military Air Museum so that a portion of the sale is donated back to the Selfridge Military Air Museum. Directions for signing up with this program can be found on the Museum’s website: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/museum-fund-raising/

Amazon Smile

For information about the Amazon Smile Program that the museum is enrolled in, check out the website: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/museum-fund-raising/

Michigan Air Guard Historical Association History Books

The Michigan Air Guard Historical Association created a four-volume set of history books covering the periods 1926-2010.

Volume 1 covers the period from 1926 to 1976 Volume 2 covers the period from 1976 to 1986 Volume 3 covers the period from 1986 to 1996 Volume 4 covers the period from 1996 to 2010

Visit the Selfridge Military Air Museum’s website for ordering information at: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org or stop by the Museum on an ‘open’ weekend and purchase them in the Gift Shop.

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liMuseum Happenings (cont.)

PRINTS FOR SALE IN GIFT SHOP and by SPECIAL ORDER

With our eyes on a future home for our beloved FG-1D Corsair that is currently undergoing restoration by our team volunteers, we have available in the Gift Shop or through mail order using the order form from our website prints or Giclee canvas of ‘Corsair Over Grosse Ile’ for sale. The Museum is still in need of funding for the advancement of the proposed “new” hangar to house our beloved FG-1D Corsair and T-6 “Texan”. These prints and canvases would make a great addition to your military art collection in your ‘man cave’ or ‘she- shed’. Remember! If you have a ‘current’ membership with our parent organization, Michigan Air Guard Historical Association, you can receive a 25% discount in the Museum’s Gift Shop.

Corsair over Grosse Ile

Our FG-1D Corsair, when it finally makes it out of Restoration, will be painted in the markings of USMC Squadron VMF 251, who flew the Goodyear-produced FG-1D Corsair from Grosse Ile Naval Air Station from 1946 through 1950. In 1950, the unit was activated for the . Before deploying to Korea, VMF-251 converted to the Douglas A-1D Skyraider.

‘Miller Time’: Lt. Col. Don Miller’s flight to the Smithsonian F-4C ‘William Tell Final’

Prints of the Corsair over Grosse Ile are available in the Museum’s Gift Shop. Prints on Canvas of these aircraft are available as special order. Please see the Museum’s website at: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org. The Museum Gift Shop has coffee mugs to match or visit ‘the Shop’ on our website!

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liMuseum Happenings (cont.)

Library Research Team, Archives & Uniform Shop:

The Library-Archives Team, minus the Team Chief and Joe Mazzara, is taking a brief hiatus because of Covid. Hopefully, they will be back after the holidays in January 2021. Our newest volunteer, Dawn Dobbelaer, who is working on the re-cataloging of the library’s book collection will be starting college in January. She’ll still be volunteering, though her hours will be somewhat reduced to her college schedule. Lori is continuing to relabel and photograph the museum’s artifacts (those currently on display, those recently removed from display, and those in cold storage. Hopefully one day soon, the Artifact Inventory will be organized with photos and everything will be labeled properly. Lori has also taken over the artifact lists of uniforms in the Uniform Storage area of Building 1008 with the retirement of Jerry Dressig. Joe Mazzara is continuing research, writing and organizing our information in our Aircraft Accident Files for the archives, a slow process! Joe is currently working on this project from home

Grounds Team:

The Grounds Team volunteers continue to work their magic and keep the Museum Air Park and grounds looking nice, though they’ll be taking a break for the winter months, except to maybe keep the snow from the driveways and sidewalks in the museum complex, a task that was always adequately handled by Bob Hudson, previous Assistant Director, before his retirement.

Maintenance & Operations:

Our Maintenance & Acting Operations Team Chief, Gerry Ridener, is still taking it easy for a while due to some health concerns. Hopefully, all will be well with him soon and he’ll be able to return in the very near future. Until then, Roger Krings who retired as Assistant Director several years ago, and serves on the Museum Board of Directors, has stepped in to try to fill Gerry’s shoes. Gerry did make a few appearances @ the museum, but is back on leave for a little while longer.

Other teams available to volunteer with for the Museum are the: Weekend Host Team (Docents), IT, Maintenance, Air Park, and Visual Information. So, looking for something to do in your spare time, consider filling out a ‘Volunteer Application’ from the Museum’s website (http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org) and start your career as a Tuesday/Friday volunteer or a weekend docent. Come on, join our team!! Please sign up today!

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From the Archives By Joseph N. Mazzara

CHARLES LINDBERGH AND THE PARSON PILOT

In 1917, Canada would celebrate its 50th year of confederation on a low key due to the Great War still smoldering oversees. Ten years later, with the war behind them, Canadians were ready for a party. Canada celebrated its 60th year with a three-day Diamond Jubilee beginning on July 1, 1927. Dignitaries filled grandstands and the halls of Parliament, while parades, floats and other festivities entertained the huge crowds. Most of the VIPs were home grown, including Freeman Freeman-Thomas (not a typo, that’s his name) the Viscount of Willingdon and Canadian Prime Minister W. L. Mackenzie King. Perhaps the biggest draw of all, however, was the appearance of American Col. Charles Lindbergh, who had only weeks earlier completed his famous transatlantic flight. Lindbergh was to fly his Spirit of St. Louis Ryan aircraft over the streets of Ottawa accompanied by a squadron of Curtiss P-1 pursuit planes flown by army pilots from Selfridge Field in Michigan.

Lindbergh and the squadron of twelve P-1s took off from Selfridge early on the morning of July 2, the second day of the Jubilee. They arrived over the skies of Ottawa at about one o’clock in the afternoon – an hour later than expected because no one had informed the fliers that Canada was on daylight savings time. After flying around the capital a few times, Lindbergh landed to sign autographs while the Selfridge fliers wowed the crowd of thousands from above.

The twelve Selfridge planes were arrayed in small V-patterns with four groups of three planes in each formation. The leader of the fourth formation was Lt. J. Thad Johnson, commander of the 27th Squadron at Selfridge Field. He was a seasoned flier who, before joining the United States army, had been a Presbyterian minister in Dallas, Texas. Known thereafter as the Parson Pilot, he was well-liked and respected by his men. Six years earlier, he had gained his fifteen minutes of fame after he bailed out of his stricken plane at 3,000 feet over the Alleghany mountains in New York, and parachuted safely to the ground. It was one of the earliest demonstrations of the effectiveness of a parachute in Curtiss P-1B Hawk a real emergency.

Behind Lt. Johnson in the formation was Lt. H. A. Woodring. As the pilots completed their demonstration, and were about to head for the landing area, a horrible mistake occurred.

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Lt. Woodring was following closely behind Lt. Johnson when Johnson’s plane dipped down and to the left as though preparing to land. Seeing this, Lt. Woodring advanced to fill the void when Lt. Johnson’s plane suddenly rose back up again. Woodring’s plane hit the back of Johnson’s craft, shredding the elevator and sending Johnson into a nosedive at about 100 feet. Lt. Johnson managed to jump out of his plane but with such little time and distance the chute never opened. Lt. Johnson hit the ground with such force that he left an “eighteen-inch” deep crater in the ground and died instantly.

The crowd of thousands was horrified. Lindbergh, who was supposed to be whisked away to Parliament Hill for various ceremonies, first came to the scene and paid his respects to the fallen airman. Later reports described Lindbergh’s face as “ashen” and his address to Parliament was shortened.

Canada grieved deeply for the American Parson Pilot, and honored him greatly. The flag at Parliament was lowered to half-staff and bells tolled throughout the city of Ottawa. Lt. Johnson was given a full military funeral, his body lying in state in Parliament, guarded by men of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Tens of thousands watched solemnly as his body was drawn slowly through the streets on a British gun carriage displaying the stars and stripes. The cortege stopped in front of the Chateau Laurier hotel where seven of the Selfridge airmen swooped down from the sky and soared back up again Lt. Johnson’s funeral cortege in Ottawa in tribute to their lost friend and commander.

Lt. Johnson’s body was sent by train back to Michigan where he was transferred to the care of U.S. Army officers at Union Station. As the funeral train left the station for Selfridge Field, Col. Lindbergh flew his Spirit of St. Louis over the train, dropping peonies over the scene as a final tribute to this fallen pilot. The next day, Lt. J. Thad Johnson, the Parson Pilot was buried in a cemetery in Fenton, Michigan. To this day, there is a road in Ottawa named Thad Johnson Private.

Joe Mazzara is a weekend docent, Library-Archives volunteer, and researcher at the Selfridge Military Air Museum

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RV STORAGE

If you are interested in renting an RV storage space from the Museum, please email the RVS Coordinator, Lori Nye at [email protected] or call 586-239-6768 and either Lori or Pam will get back to you. To be eligible for RV Storage, one must be a Life Member of the Michigan Air Guard Historical Association (MAGHA) and have a government ID for base access. Please visit our website for the membership form: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/michigan-air-guard-historical-association/. The Museum has 30’ spaces for $275/year and 50’ spaces for $320/year. There is generally a waiting list.

New Hangar Project Selfridge Military Air Museum Conceptual Project Description

The MAGHA Board of Directors has approved $30,000 of funding for Phase I Design and Construction of a new aircraft display hangar on Museum grounds. The hangar will be home to the F4U Corsair currently being restored in the Museum’s Restoration Shop. The Hangar will house up to three WWII aircraft, have 4000 square feet in floor dimension, and be a pre- manufactured steel building in the iconic WWII style of a Quonset Hut.

The ‘New’ Hangar will sit to the west of the existing SPAD Hangar and will house our restored FG-1D ‘Corsair’, T-6 ‘Texan’, and hopefully someday in the future a ‘Spitfire’. The Museum has a Go-Fund-Me page set up for donations to help in funding this project. Please visit the page at the link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/7tqvzq-maghaselfridge-military-air- museum?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-159966432152- 8c49a1875e334fda&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email% 2B1137-update-supporters-v5b

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MEMORIAL WALL

SELFRIDGE MILITARY AIR MUSEUM

The Michigan Air Guard Historical Association (MAGHA) has completed construction of a Memorial Area in the center of the Air Park at the Selfridge Military Air Museum. The memorial is a place to honor all members of the military who gave their lives in the line of duty and in the service of this great nation, to recognize all those who have in the past or who are currently serving their country, and to acknowledge the contributions made by families and companies to the preservation of freedom. Pictures of the Memorial Area and the Memorial Wall are above. The centerpiece is an elevated F-86 Sabre aircraft, an aircraft flown, maintained, and supported by three Michigan Air Guard units in the mid-1950s. Flanking the F-86 is the Memorial Wall topped by engraved Memorial Bricks such as those shown below.

We invite you to become part of this memorial and to recognize a unit, an individual, or a family by purchasing an engraved b rick that will become a permanent part of the Memorial Wall. Cash donations for the Memorial project are also welcome. All memorial brick purchases and donations for this effort are tax-deductible per Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Engraved memorial bricks cost $100.00 per brick for non- members (cost includes a one-year membership in MAGHA), $75.00 per brick for members, and $50.00 per brick when multiple brick orders are made. For example, a one-brick order from a MAGHA member would cost $75.00, a two-brick order would cost $125.00, and a three-brick order $175.00. Information about MAGHA can be obtained by calling 586-239-6768, by visiting our web site at www.selfridgeairmuseum.org, or by writing to us at the address below.

If you would like to participate in this worthwhile project, please complete the order form and indicate your payment method below and mail this form to MAGHA, 27333 C Street, Bldg 1011, Selfridge ANG Base MI 48045. An asterisk (*) will be added after the honoree’s name for veterans.

MEMORIAL BRICK ORDER FORM

Name: Address: Day Time Phone Number:

Please install an engraved memorial brick in the Memorial Wall at the Selfridge Military Air Museum in honor of the following. This individual is a veteran. Please add an sterisk (*) after their name. This individual is not a veteran. Please send me information on joining the Michigan Air Guard Historical Association.

Three lines are possible with a maximum of 12 characters per line and a maximum of 36 characters per brick. Periods, commas, asterisks, and spaces between words counts as characters. You will be sent a receipt with a proposed layout.

O Check # dated enclosed. Checks should be made payable to “MAGHA”.

Please charge my: O VISA CARD O MASTER CARD O AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD O DISCOVER CARD Account# ___ CVV: ______Expiration Date: _____ Signature: ______

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Michigan Activity Pass:

The Selfridge Military Air Museum has joined the Michigan Activity Pass. The pass will be: Buy one Adult, Get One Child (ages 4-12) Free. Check the Michigan Activity Pass website: https://tln.lib.mi.us/map/ for locating the Museum’s available pass for our 2020 Season. If you have not checked-out the ‘Michigan Activity Pass’ website, you really are missing some wonderful opportunities. There are some really great places to visit for free or with reduced prices with the pass.

Editorial Board: Executive Director: Wayne T. Fetty Editor: Lori Nye

Contributing Writers: Joseph Mazzara James Ashford

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MAGHA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

___ NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

____ RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

LEVELS OF MEMBERSHIP:

____ PATRON MEMBERSHIP ($1,000.00)* _____ SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP ($500.00)* _____ LIFE MEMBERSHIP ($250.00)* _____ REGULAR MEMBERSHIP ($25.00)* ____ DONATION ONLY

RANK & NAME ______

UNIT OF AFFILIATION (ONLY ONE PLEASE) ______

MEMBER OF THE MI ANG/BRANCH OF SERVICE (YEARS ONLY) FROM _____ TO _____

ADDRESS ______

CITY ______STATE ______ZIP CODE ______

E-MAIL ADDRESS ______

HOW WOULD YOU PREFER TO RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER (PLEASE CHECK ONE)

____ By EMAIL ___By US MAIL* ___ Off website (www.selfridgeairmuseum.org)

*US Mail will require an additional payment of $10/year to help us offset the costs of printing & mailing

Complete your payment information below and mail to: MAGHA, 27333 C Street, Bldg 1011, Selfridge ANG Base, MI 48045

Your support of MAGHA is gratefully appreciated and REMEMBER your membership donation is IOO% TAX DEDUCTIBLE

MICHIGAN SOLICITATION LICENSE NUMBER: MICS 26603 O Check #______dated______enclosed. Checks should be made payable to "MAGHA" Please charge my: O VISA CARD O MASTERCARD O AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD O DISCOVER CARD

Account #______Exp. Date: ______CVV: _____

Signature: ______

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