ICQ & Potpourri Mail - 2002

October 23, 2002:
From: Darrell Casteel

Hello George. I received your letter several weeks ago, but just now getting around to answering it. I tried to access your web page, but had no luck. What did I do wrong when I tried to access your web page? I am fairly new at this computer business. I just loaded the web address on the address bar of my internet explorer and hit search, but got no results.

George, if I remember correctly, I hitched a ride with you to Indianapolis or close by, during a Christmas holiday. We went through the mountains at night and the fog was so thick you had the door open following the white line. It was a wonder we weren't killed. One of the other guys name was Don, and I sold him my 1954 ford convertible.

Darrell Casteel

[ED COMMENT: What follows is not in the slightest way an exaggeration. Darrell's comment, "It was a wonder we weren't all killed." is not in reference to the white line incident but to a wreck we had later. There were four of us, Cas & Don Wieser, and another troop whose name I don't remember (he didn't ride back with the rest of us).

"We were approaching the south end of the West Virginia turnpike in my 1953 Olds 98 in December of 1959. Night, lots of fog, turning to light rain, just enough to leave the highway wet and slippery. We passed into a tight two lane area with some oncoming vehicles...a couple cars and a semi. The cars threw up a mist on the windshield...so I turned on the wipers and steered right of the oncoming semi's lights, unable to see anything else. The semi washed us down with mud. I think I counted three passes of the blades before I saw the yellow curve sign directly in front of me...90 degree right arrow...we were running around 60...I turned the wheel hard right...and we went into full revolution. No point to trying to correct that as the road was right, so I waited for the ditch. We turned. A hubcap came off. Everything was black. Then everything was light. Bright light. Then black again. Turning, turning. Another hubcap came off and somehow caught under a wheel. Now we had some noise as the hubcap ground across the asphalt. She was slowing at least. Then the ass-end went up in the air and the car stopped for a moment, then rolled forward to level. The engine had been killed in the rotation, so I shut off the lights, got out and wiped the windshield. The other guys got out and walked to the rear of the car and stood there.

Here's what had happened. On this 90 degree bend, they had just built a filling station and truck parking area. The entire corner had been filled in, leveled and paved. We spun into the gas station, and went between the building and the pumps and then out the other side. The attendant said he thought we had about 18 inches on either side of the car. There was not another vehicle parked there. What stopped us was a guide-wire for a light pole set at the extreme far end of the fill...the back bumper hitting it dead center so that the car didn't tip left or right. The guys looked over the edge of the precipice by the light pole, one of those half mile down things, made a few minor comments, and walked to the filling station while I cleaned the windows. I hit the starter and the Olds took off. I pulled up to the pumps for gas, retrieved the two hubcaps, paid the man and said, "Let's go." My passengers loaded up with cokes and cookies and away we went. During the entire spinning sequence, not one man had uttered one syllable.

I have no idea what the odds are here but its somewhere approaching infinity. On the way back I was to meet the boys in Cincinnati, when I got there Don and Cas were waiting, the fourth guy having told Don he was going to take the bus. Cas said, "I don't know why. Since we didn't get killed in West Virginia and came out of that without a scratch, I'd say this car is the safest place on the planet."]

Arrived: Wed, Oct 23, 2002
Michael G. Hoehne

Have to say I was suprised to get your letter, I haven't thought too much of the Air Force since I left them in 1959, but your letter stirred up a lot of memories from the cobwebs...names have been popping into my head, but the faces are mostly in the 20 year old range.

Lets see...when I left S-J, I went back to Wisconsin and met a girl while I was in Madison and decided to try the University, mostly as an excuse to stay there. Five years later I left with a BS in EE and no girl. Went to work with Hughes Aircraft and was a tech rep at Perrin AFB for about a year, not a very good one. I met several of the people who had been at S-J. While waiting in LA for another assignment I got into the satellite communications business and have been in it ever since.

Went to Italy for six years on a site, met my wife and we have two kids (ha kids, they are 30 and 33 years old now). Spent most of my time until retirement with Comsat, with a few years working on ground stations for an African broadcast satellite. Now I am working on old airplanes, 50 years or more, and have never been busier.

Mike

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Arrived: Thu, Oct 10, 2002
William Seay

Denny Lisac sent me your email address. I was at SJAFB in the 482nd with Denny until the bitter end. I had happened to have been sent to SEA on TDY in April '65 and got back in Aug and was given orders to report to Otis AFB to the 60th FIS. I remember going over to Cape Cod via bus on Labor Day 65. I worked in the JMSA on AIM 26's pretty much the entire time I was with the 482nd from May 64 until being sent to SEA in April 65. When I got back it was all done for.

Bill Seay

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Arrived: Mon, Oct 7, 2002
Dennis Lisac

Received your letter. Assigned to 482nd FIS --- June '64 thru Oct '65. Unit was disbanded Oct '65. Loaded out last of Aim 26's onto trucks for shipment to ??? Will be able to e-mail you copies of orders at a later date. Scanner needs brogan maintenance or changed out on a TCTO.

I went digging into my archives and found a really neat picture. T/Sgt Vlahas had a cookout for our missile shop. It's a group photo of everyone that was there. I think Opyr took it with his time delay camera so he could be in the picture. There's 25 guys and I think I can name about eleven...T/Sgt Vlahas, C/Msgt Harris, A/1C Pitman, A/2C Opyr, S/Sgt Moore, LtCol Halliwell, T/Sgt Price, A/2C Seay, A/2C Lisac, A/2C Beal, & CWO W4 Hall. I also have a newspaper article dated 13 Aug 65 with headline "482nd FIS to be Disbanded in October."

William Seay was at SJAFB. We are still in contact. He is already on the '63 to '65 roster along with Earl R. Beal, Eugene Renwick, and Theodore Opyr. We all went thru tech school together at Lowry AFB and were all assigned to 482nd upon graduation as 31131W's (Falcon Missile Mechanics). I can probably run down Opyr. His wife lives in Raleigh, NC, and his last known where-abouts was Michigan.

Dennis

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Arrived: Sept 30, 2002
Richard J. Abrams, CMSgt Ret., 200 Audubon Way, Warner Robins, GA 31088-5227

George - Enclosed are a couple old sets of orders. Hope they will help you. I retired after 30 years here at Robins. Then spent 12 years at depot on C-141s. I also spent three other tours in the 4th FMS, also did 2 tours in Nam and 2 in Thailand. The only people I ever met were Charlie Frye and Harvey Ball, both at Tan Son Nhut in '67.

I'm pretty sure these are deceased; Virgil Clemons, Joe Edens, Frank Moreadith, Robert Leary, Lawrence Holland, Charles Barrickman, and Marion Robbins.

Ole Abe

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Sun, 29 Sep 2002 18:38:51 -0700 (PDT)
from Vickie Peavy, for M/Sgt Ret Clyde D. Harmon

Hi Mr. Willick,

I am sending this email for my dad Clyde D. Harmon. He was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in 1961, I think.

When he left there he was stationed in Goose Bay (his only remote assignment), from there he went to Otis AFB, Mass., then to Stewart AFB, NY, next to Truax Field, WI, and finally to Tyndall AFB in Panama City for 9 years and then retiring here (Panama City). He then went into auto parts and retired from Auto Zone. He and Mom were married 51 years in March, he has 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Last year Dad had a massive stroke in Nov. He is partly paralized on his right side and his speech isn't that good at times, but his mind is still very sharp. He was 100% disable vet for about a year before the stroke. He has had a lot of medical problems in the past 5 years, but more so now.

He asked me to email you and maybe you can put some of this info on your web page. He remembers some of the names and was tickled to get the letter. When he can he wants to come up to my house and see the web site. I have logged into it and read him some of the things on it. Hope to hear from you.

ADDENDUM: DEC 28, 2002. Vickie writes that Clyde died on December 16, 2002.

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September 28, 2002
Kenneth Gwinn

Ref: Key West

Correct on the 6 aircraft that were rotated back and forth to Key West. The enlisted assignments to Key West when I was there was a rotating TDY and usually had more than enough volunteers waiting to go. It seems to me that the TDYs were for about 30 days at a time, but it has been so long ago that I can't remember.

I remember one thing about one of the aircraft that rotated back from the Key. It had some problems there that messed up the radome mount and they were only able to put the radome bolts in on one side. The pilot that flew it back said it was tricky as he could only make right turns to keep it from being ripped off. I think a fuel truck had hit it while the radome was off and bent the frame, but not really positive about that.

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September 25, 2002
Jim Dove
Panama City, FL

Ref a/c # 858:

858 was my bird at the 482nd. Summer of '65 we were disbanning our squadron and most of the birds were going to the Air Guard...I believe SC Guard got a few and most went to the Connecticut Guard.

It was in July, I think, that an F-102 in the test squadron at Tyndall AFB, piloted by Joe Romack (a good friend of mine), was accidently shot down on the range at Tyndall during a live fire exercise, by an F-106, from the squadron at Castle AFB, if I remember correctly. It was a SNAFU on the range, Joe bailed out and wasn't hurt. My bird, 858 was sent to Tyndall to replace the one they lost.

I took my family back to Tyndall when I got an overseas assignment in August 1970, and you can imagine my surprise when I drove into town and saw F-102 #57-0858 on the pedestal at the local college. Story I got was that it was damaged in a ground accident and relegated to display. Later, late 1970's I think, they started a museum by the flight line gate at Tyndall and 858 was moved there, the last F-101's were retired about that time and 858 and several other display a/c around town were replaced by 101s and moved to the flight line gate display. It was a nice display, T-33, F-101, F-102, F-89, F-86D, F-104, Mace, and several Firebee Drones.

I've been back here at Tyndall since '71, and we've been blessed with some very good Wing commanders, but we had one #@*&# general whose name I can't remember, about '97 I think, who decided we didn't have the funds to maintain the air park displays and had them all taken down. They all disappeared in 2 days, and it really pissed off the retired guys around here, we could probably have come up with donations if we had known. I had talked to Sgt Walker, who was base ops NCOIC at the time, and he said that most of them were scrapped, but he thought 858 was going to McChord AFB for display. Sgt Walker retired shortly after that, and I was never able to confirm for sure what happened to 858.

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September 24, 2002
Col. Ralph Hanna,

Thanks for the note. Dan Sherlock sent along your conversations as well. I took a quick look at the site and it looks great. I'm sure between the two of us (Sherlock and I ), we can add several missing links. I have a number of slides from my 482nd career that include pics of our dispersal det. at Loring and maybe Burlington as well. Also a number of Homestead and Key West pics. The challenge is to get time to open the trunk and find them; but I will. Thanks to Jim Dove for the connection. Indeed, Roger Foote was also a contemporary at Goldsboro.

The esprit of the ADC interceptor squadrons was unmatched in my Air Force time and it's interesting to see it surface again after they were put out of business. This is the address for an F106 squadron I was in and they have really done a number with their site. If you haven't seen it, may offer an idea or two.
http://www.f-106deltadart.com/index1.htm

Thanks again for the note and I will get some things to you. You are doing great and putting a smile on a lot of old looking but young feeling Air Force alumni folk.

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From Mar 15, 1965 orders:

I have got to post this. Major Carl M. Engstrom and Capt. Peter D. O'Neill (mentioned in Robert O'Grady's letter below) were sent TDY to Stewart AFB, NY, for ten days beginning April 10th. The paragraph takes up about half a page, and nestled neatly down in all that verbage is this little line:

"Utilization of existing messing facilities at TDY station
would adversely affect the performance of the mission."

I'd like to have seen their per diem bill for this little culinary daliance. GCW

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Tue, 24 Sept 2002 13:43:50 EDT
Robert J. O'Grady
[Most know me by "Rosie"]
14132 Wimbleton Dr., Victorville Ca 92392
(760) 245-6144

Got your letter yesterday. Checked out the website today. I have a box of AF "stuff" I haven't opened in 25 years but will start looking thru it. Just a little info. I got to the Sq, in 1963 and was the QC Off /Test pilot. Left in 1965 when the Sq. was closed. I was sent to George AFB, Victorville, CA, then worked out of Edwards Flight Test Center testing F-106's then back to Vietnam. Back here to George and then retired. The only name I know anything about is, my best friend, Peter D. O'Neil. I think he was the training officer at the 482nd. He died of cancer after we came back from Vietnam about 1971. He and I would take the TF-102 on Friday, play golf, and come back Sunday. I'm sure we pissed off the weekend standby crew. Sorry guys. Hope to hear from you soon...Rosie

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September 20, 2002
Irvin Picklesimer
Sidney, IL

I was stationed at Seymour-Johnson in the 482nd from Aug 60 to Dec 61. I was in Weapons Control Systems. Then I went to Goose Bay Labrador and from there to Richards-Gebaur Mo. At R-G we changed from F-102s to F-106s. I also transferred from the Fighter Sqdn to Field Training. I went to Great Falls, Montana, when the 71st Fighter Interceptor Sqdn moved. And from there I retired. By the way, Clyde Harmon was stationed with me at Goose Bay.

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September 13, 2002
Roger McCumber
Hillsboro, OR

No, not dead yet. I lost your email address and you must have moved the web site. I couldn't find it even with Google. Anyway, now I'll get back on trying to find some old snaps and fire them off to you. I found my old orders, made copies this morning, and will get them in the mail this weekend.

I was sorry to learn of Bill Stitcher's death. Bill and I drove his '58 Ford from SJ to Ogden, UT and back Christmas '64. Darn thing needed 1 or 2 quarts of oil with each tank of gas. That's a lot of oil when you go 2/3 of the way across the country and back.

More later - keep up the good work, Roger

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September 5, 2002
Earl A. Bradley
Logan, UT

Received info on our old 482 gang. Was fun to try to recognize some of the guys from so long ago.

As for me, I stayed in the Air Force until 20 and retired. I then attended Utah State University studying Electrical Eng. Just a year ago now I retired from Tec Electric, a large electrical firm in northern Utah. My wife and I raised eight children, they are now all on there own and doing fine. No others in my family have gone into the military service.

My health is at this time is pretty good. I own a sound studio, play in two, sometimes three different bands and now really enjoy music. I tend a large garden and orchard in my back yard. Don't know when I ever had time to work, I'm a very busy little bugger.

Thank you for the information and web site....Earl

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August 29, 2002
John Witcher
Holt, Florida

Enjoyed the web site and recognized a few individuals. I was in the 482nd 1958-1960. Have several sets of orders that I can copy and send you. I left the Air Force after 11 years of active duty and finished my 20 in the active reserve (in fact I retired from the active reserve at the age of 59). I was in the reserve in an AC130 gunship squadron. Almost got a free trip to the Desert war so decided to hang it up after that was over.

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August 10, 2002

Received your letter of Aug 4th regarding the 482FIS. It was a real surprise.

I was with the 482nd from Dec 56 to Apr 58. I was the First Sergeant during this time.

I transfered to Selfridge AFB (Now Selfridge Air National Guard Base) where I was promoted to Master and retired in Sep 62.

I will be looking through my military file, if I have anything of interest I will send it to you.

At the present I am working three days a week at the Salt River Golf Course and remodeling a spare bedroom to use as a computer room and office. At 79 years of old when the day ends I don't have the energy I had when I was with the 482nd. So it takes longer to get things done. But as you said, not bad for an old fart.

Sincerely...Sidney August Stayler

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August 9, 2002
Col. Rbt W. Stonestreet
Houston, Texas

First of all I want to apologize for not getting back with you sooner - my wife had a virus, we went on a trip, then I got a head cold, then Virginia spent 9 days in the hospital with Pneumonia! Well, enough about that. I had a high school reunion at the same time as the 482nd Reunion and I didn't make either.

I did get a chance to see your web page - you did a great job! I have not been able to bring it up lately for some reason. I looked you up in the 1957 Yearbook and I remember you, or that is to say, you did look familiar. When I am able to look at your web page again, I can probably scan some stuff and send it to you.

Now I will try to answer some of the questions you had. The last I knew, Vince Stacy was living in New Hampshire in the summer and Panama City in the winter. I have not talked to him in about six years. I did know about Glen Wilson and Fred Conable. You were asking about some first names, so I am sending some old rosters. The officer that had his nose almost cut off was Jimmy P. Rhodes - it was hanging on with a piece of skin and he held it in place until the Doc could stitch it back on! He hardly has any scar from it. I remember Elmer Olsen, but have no idea what happened to him after Thule and know nothing of Lee Ruggels either. Paul Tomlinson died I would guess in the mid-sixties - I saw his name in the Air Force Times back then - I think it said that he died from a rare disease. When I have a little more time I will try to figure out the arrival sequence of the pilots for you. I was there from March 1957 to December 1962. I don't believe Don Wiedman had arrived when the yearbook was made and the pilot with the blurred name is William M. (Bill) Bayman.

I'll send this on to you - and get back with you later - Stoney

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August 9, 2002
From: Honore H. Bright, Las Vegas, NV 89126

Yes, I served four years active service in the Air Force (3 years with the 482nd in ADC) which were followed by 31 years with the DoD as a civilian. I retired from the OASD(FM&P/FM) in February 1996, and shortly thereafter relocated to a sunshine state with no state income tax to spend my waning years dancing, beer drinking, and playing poker in some ubiquitous casino.

Thinking back 42 years, the only name I think I recognize on your list [ed note: 6 name mailing] was Frank Lasley who we used to call "Shorty." As I remember I think he was assigned to the communications section. A few of the other names have a slight ring to them, but I can't place the faces. From April 1969 until December 1972, I worked for Headquarters Air Force Europe (USAFE) at Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany, and I once encountered some Airmen who told me that the 482nd periodically held reunions, but I was never contacted. I don't know about a reunion nowadays as I haven't seen my old Air Force uniform in over 40 years, and even if I did come across it I wouldn't be able to get my big belly in that size 30 waist pants I used to wear 44 years ago. However, it is nice to know that you guys still get together occasionally and maintain camaraderie from the "good old" days.

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Wed, July 31, 2002
From: William M. Bayman, Attorney

I was delighted to receive your e-mail and web site. To see the names, faces, and stories of guys I had not been with in forty-five years is quite a thrill.

I was assigned to the 482nd in January of 1957. We did not receive our aircraft until two or three months after the pilots arrived. I checked out in the F-102 and was an alert pilot until January of 1959 when I left active duty to enter law school at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. I continued to fly in the Reserve and Texas Air National Guard until I graduated from law school in 1963. I practiced law here in Dallas for thirty-eight years until I was forced into retirement after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Below are the names of personnel who are not listed on your web site. I found these names in a yearbook which was published by the 85th ADD in 1957:
Maj. James F. Martin, Operations Officer
Capt. Richard G. Stitt, Asst. Operations Officer
Capt. John Flagg, "A" Flight Commander
Capt. Warner R. McGraw, Asst. Flight Commander
Lt. Joseph P. Hagan, Pilot
Lt. Bill Kidd, Pilot
Lt. Richard M. McCabe, Pilot
Maj. John W. Robinson, Material Officer
2nd Lt. Charles L. Sims, Adjutant

If the physical addresses or e-mail addresses of any of the pilots are available I would appreciate having them. My thanks to those persons responsible for this wonderful web site.

William M. Bayman

p.s. How did you ever find me?

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July 30, 2002
From: Jim Ackerman

Yes, I was a part of the 482nd FIS. It was a great outfit. I was there from April 1957 to Feb 1960...in fact, we didn't have any F-102s when I first got there. I was a part of the Flight Line radar maintenance crew. I would like to be on the mailing list, if there is one...maybe one day I can get to one of the reunions. I'm not on the internet yet so appreciate your letter.

James A. Ackerman, 920 S. Smith St., Mullins, SC 29574 --- (843) 464-7123

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July 17, 2002
From: Paul Wagner

Am most happy to hear that you are not seeing Bridey Murphy anymore. [Referencing a hypnotic fad I was interested in at the time. Dumbass kid. GCW]

I quit smoking several years back and at the same time I became a Tee-Totaller as far as alcohol was concerned. I have never missed having a Martini but to this day I would kill for a cigarette sometimes. As a result of this change in life style, my body rebelled big time and literally fell apart. At this point I do not have a single thing on my body that would be donatable to another human being. I am on a first name basis with everyone at the VA hospital in Indianapolis.

Col. George Williams: They had a rule at the weapons meet that the team captain had to be a full colonel, and since Thomas was only a Lt. Colonel, we had to import a bird colonel each year. In 1958 we had Roy Caviness and in 1959 they sent Colonel Williams to fly with us. Williams was not half the pilot Caviness was but you spend your money and take your chances. Williams claimed to have flown with Doolittle on the Tokyo raid but in all my research I have never found his name mentioned anywhere. (I have an extensive WWII library and this has been my hobby all these years.)

The guy I joined the service with and who then also was stationed at SJ was Max Pascal. After 30 years of transferring around the U.S., we bought a home only about two miles from Max, not knowing where he lived at the time. I seldom see Max anymore ... seems we have nothing in common after all these years.

I do not remember Garry Pickett at all. The only guy I knew who hung around Nord and was from Texas was Willie Ferguson. I remember the name Casteel but cannot come up with a first name. Perhaps some names are on the orders I sent ... most of them are duplicates, why don't you just keep one copy for yourself.

So long for now ...

Paul Wagner, 2463 W. SR 38, Pendleton, IN 46064

PS: I landed inside Jefferson Proving Ground several years ago back when they were still firing there ... NOT the thing to do.

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[As we try to find everyone, an awful lot of mail is going back and forth, trying out 'best guess' addresses and arguing about 'I thinks' and 'I remembers.' But the process has now begun to build and bear fruit...so I'll add some snippits of that below to show you how its going. GCW]

Hi ! !George!,
I received your letter. What a neat surprise! How did you track me down?? That is a neat web-site. You must have gone to a great deal of work to track everyone down after all these years. I have been at this address only a couple of years. We retired & moved to OK after having lived in Calif for 40 years. I am sorry to say I don't recall you or any of the names in your letter or on the website but, I feel like I know you due to our common bond, namely the 482nd.

For the most part I enjoyed the time I served with the AF & especially with the 482nd. I look forward to hearing from you & will continue to visit your website.................Sincerely,

Arthur (Art) W. Delgado, 1701 Lakewood Dr, Norman, OK 73026-9464

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My name is Henry F. Twilley, Jr. and I received your letter today. I was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in 1958-59 and was part of the 482nd. The address you have is correct. Thanks.

Twilley, Henry F. Jr., 35 Park Ln, Selma, AL 36701-7057

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Hello George.

I received your letter today and thanks for looking me up. It is good to hear from people that you have shared a part of your life with, even for a short time. (We did have a unique squadron in the 482nd.)

I am a retired Police Lieutenant from the Virginia Beach Police Department in Virginia Beach, VA. My wife and I moved to Florida 4 years ago. Our 2 sons are grown.

Contact me anytime.........Sincerely,

Kenneth A. Belangia, 3279 Chimney Dr., Middleburg, FL 32068-4209

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Just a short note to say yes, I was a member of the 482nd FIS and to get you my e-mail address.

Frank H. Lasley, Jr., 1015 Campbell Rd., Keswick, VA 22947

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This is to let you know you may put the name James I. Rhew in Plum because he is alive and well and driving around the country and into Canada for a couple of months. This is his daughter Billie (Rhew) Wheeler, Lakeland, Florida. I get their mail every week and saw your wonderful letter. I have just been at your web-site. I too remember Seymour Johnson very well. I loved the travel and living in the service.

My Father suffered several major heart attacks when he was in his late 40's. He was sure he was going to die. Then he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. They gave him one year to live IF he had surgery. He had the surgery and that was about ohhh I would say 19 years ago. So he is alive and well and visiting friends in NC and all the way up into Canada. He plays bluegrass music almost every weekend. He plays the Mandolin most of the time but also plays the fiddle, banjo, guitar, sax, trumpet, etc. I got him into the computer age about 3 months ago and he has become an animal. He loves it. You do have his correct address in Dover, Florida. When he returns from his and my Mother's wanderings I will have him contact you. We have lots of photos and papers as he kept stuff like that. We will try to find some of the things you want. Please put his name in "Plum," especially before he gets the chance to see it.

Thanks so Much, Billie Wheeler

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April 13, 2002: from Colonel Hervey Stockman. "I got a kick out of your letter. No, Sally and I are not computerized, we still write letters. I'm cursed with low vision and must use a CCTV magnifier to read and write. The 482nd does have a reunion annually at Goldsboro, N.C., but I can't find the name and address of the ex SMS who runs the show. I'm sure that with you're electronic ties you can find someone who knows. I regret not being able to help you...good luck."

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Dec 4, 2001
from Kenneth Gwinn.

"Here is a list of names of airman that were in the 482nd when I was there (1963-65). A2C Larry L. Pletcher (or Fletcher) from Gary, Ind., A2C Roger Carlson, A2C Martin (Marty) Boaz from St. Paul, Minn., A2C Jay Sample, A1C Richard Armstrong, A1C Richard Miller from Florida, A2C Alfred R. Percy from New Jersey, and A2C Robert Horton. All these airman were WRCS troops. "

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Feb 26, 1998: from Bill Gilliam. "I reupped at SJ before you left and Markley and I traveled to New York City. Then stopped by Paul's (Wagner) who then lived in Indianapolis and I believe was going to work with his dad at Western Electric. Then we traveled to Mouse's house near KC. About ten years later I tried to locate Mouse when I was stationed near KC. He was not in the phone book. However, I did find someone who knew him, and as "Mouse," but they didn't know where he lived. I saw Hoehne (Mike) in the 60s at Hughes AC. I was going to school there and he was getting a job as a Tech Rep. Not much later the AF phased out Tech Reps. After leaving Seymour Johnson AFB, I only met one person who was in the 482nd -- S/Sgt Aaron, one of the crew chiefs, he was the big Indian. He was cross training into Telecom at Kessler AFB."

Bill also remembered M/Sgt Baker.

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GCW: "Listed on my discharge orders was also A/2C Lew Clontz, AF14594700, b1937, home - Granite Falls, NC. (We all envied Lew - he got to be a lifeguard in the summer for the SJ pool. And at Oceana, Lew and I were holdout survivors in a penny-ante card game with a $40 pot. Lew won. Took us over an hour to play it out.) And I remember these names among the A/2Cs Ferguson (from Texas), Grimes (S. Car.), Jim Langley, Gerbino (from Philly), Joe Sears, Art Delgado, Valesquez (the boxer, NYC), Casteel, and Juan Moreno (b in Columbia but living in Miami - moved there with his mother for safety by his father who was in Columbian politics).

No holds barred on your photos and snapshots. Just send along as much data with them as you can. Scans are easiest for me...sending ONE photo per email as an attachment. But if you can't do that and are willing to trust me with your photos (as well as the US Mail), I will scan them for you/us, and RETURN them. My snail mail address is 514 East Street, Madison, IN 47250. Send them in stiffened envelopes or manilas, hopefully, that will avoid most damage....mark PHOTOS! DO NOT BEND on the outside.

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482nd FIS Webmaster: George C. Willick

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