Lt. Elmer R. Olson
[Major Olson wrote us some 482nd stories but lost them in transmission (haven't we all?) and says he will try again when time permits as he is currently busy helping his brother in Wisconsin and away from computer access. He also says that he'll see us in 2004. GCW]
482nd Reflections
Elmer R. Olson, Major, USAF Ret.
[on the road at Whitley City, KY., May 24, 2003]
I was at Langley AFB expecting to have to wait six months to get checked out in the F-102. On a Wednesday afternoon, I was asked if I would like to go to Seymour as a Supply Officer for three months, while the real one went to SOS, if I could check out in the F-102 immediately. I reported in to the 482nd on Friday. I was too late. They had already appointed someone else. But I got checked out immediately anyway.
That fall (1958) the runway at Seymour was rebuilt so we went to Oceana NAS for Sept-Dec. Most of the married men went home every week-end. One weekend, they ALL did so I ended up as the acting squadron commander. As I recall, we got a couple of calls from the police station but the first sergeant (acting?) advised letting the offenders cool their heels till Monday morning. We flew a lot there and would have been able to go home in mid-December except for a snowstorm which set us back.
I can't leave Oceana without revisiting Ted Lemcke's death. I was his copilot on an SA-16 trip to Andrews to pick up our staff, up there for Armed Forces day. I enjoyed his company. For those unfamiliar with his story, I'll recall it as I remember it. He was 33(?), the base squash champion, didn't smoke, didn't drink, and had had 3 perfect EKG's in the last 3 months (another story, another time). At Oceana, on 5 minute alert, he ran out to his plane, strapped in, started up, signaled chocks out, advanced the power to taxi, and died of a heart problem. Another minute and there would have been an unexplained aircraft accident.
I remember a takeoff at Seymour that let me know that others are always watching. I was going up alone, just to bore holes in the sky, and asked the tower for permission for a max performance takeoff. They said okay so after liftoff, I pulled up to max performance climb to 6,000 feet before I leveled off. It wasn't much of anything but when I got back, the crewchief told me how much he and others had enjoyed it. Up until that time, I wasn't really aware that they ever even watched, much less cared what we did.
To be continued...Elmer R. Olson
Career Assignments
From
To
Base
Unit
9/1/55
10/1/55
Lackland AFB
Orientation
10/1/55
3/1/56
Moore AB
Class 57D
3/1/56
11/16/56
Laredo AFB
Class 57D
12/1/56
6/1/57
Moody AFB
F-94 School
6/1/57
1/1/58
Langley AFB
48th FIS
1/1/58
7/1/59
Seymour Johnson AFB
482nd FIS
7/1/59
6/1/60
Thule AB
327th FIS
6/1/60
8/1/61
Andrews AFB
DCANG
8/1/61
9/1/62
Andrews AFB
121st TFS
9/1/62
11/1/64
McConnell AFB
60thTFS
11/1/64
2/1/67
Bitburg AB
22nd TFS
2/1/67
8/1/68
Spangdahlem AB
8th TFS
8/1/68
8/1/69
Takhli, Thailand
357th TFS
8/1/69
3/1/72
Reese AFB
Base Ops
3/1/72
4/1/74
Webb AFB
Wing Ops
4/1/74
8/1/75
Wiesbaden, Germany
601 TASS
8/1/75
6/1/77
Sembach AB
601 TASS