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Wondering if any Sembach AFB Mace Missile TM76A crew members remember a SSGT Gronkowski, Missile Mechanic AFSC, during 1958-1960? Came across his picture recently and trying to locate him.

I must be an old man of the 17th TMS as I separated in Dec '57 to become a Flight Test Engineer for McDonnell/Douglas Aircraft. Since, I have only caught up with 2 of our Missileers and that was years ago. I read Geo & Bob's book to find little on the 17th but noticed the X10 Navaho mentioned where I also was an engineer before catching up with the 17th.
I am surprised to see that the 17th did deploy to Taiwan, if so I would have been on orders to go. In early 1957, we did send a Matador and MSQ with a team to show and tell for the Pacific Fleet but that was it. I was on orders to go but that was scrubbed as it interfered with my wedding. Later I was on orders for Hokkaido Japan which was scrubbed by the Japanese. then there were orders for Korea which did happen after I left.

My memory is foggy but I can confirm that we made a launch every 2 weeks in '57 from the Cape but it amazes me now that we could pass over GBI before dumping the missile without interference. One actually landed on the Eastern part of the island.

It will be nice to catch up with some of the Team should they live around Orlando.

Just wanted to remind one and all that........I wrote the original "the missile knows where it is at all times", in 1961, while a guidance instructor at Lowry on the A-bird. Here is the ORIGINAL.

The missile knows where it is at all times. It knows this because it knows where it isn't !

By subtracting where it is from where it isn't, or where it isn't from where it is (whichever is greater), it obtains a difference or deviation.

The guidance system uses deviations to generate corrective commands to drive the missile from a position where it wasn't to where it now is. Consequently, the position where it was is now the position where it isn't.

In the event that the position where it is now is not the position where it wasn't, the system has acquired a variation (variations are caused by external factors, and the discussions of these factors are not considered to be within the scope of this report). The variation being the difference between where the missile is and where the missile wasn't. If variations are considered to be a significant factor, it, too, may be corrected for by the use of another system. However, for this to take place, the missile must now where it was, also.

The "thought process" of the missile is as follows: because a variation has modified some of the information which the missile has obtained, it is not sure where it is. However, it is sure where it isn't ! (within reason) and it knows DAMN sure where it was and also where it wasn't. It now subtracts where it should be from where it wasn't (or vice versa) and by differentiating this with the algebraic difference between where it shouldn't be and where it was, it is able to obtain the difference between its deviations and its variations....which is called the ERROR SIGNAL.

Way to go Henry Tracy

Gordon Fisk
Tainan. 58-59

Roger (Moose), were you on Site IV as a launch crew member between 1965 and 1966? I was there and was teamed up with Joe Eddins as launch crew techs. Your name is familiar.

Hey Richard Hannaford, I recognize many of your names from Kadina and the the 873rd. I was roommates with Bill O'Hare while in Kadina. Crazy guy. I think Capt. Helms was on our basketball team. Spent '61 to '63 on the island.
Sincerely Bob Cornell,
ps remember the Pizza place just outside gate 1 in Koza city on BC.

In entry yesterday had Chuck Rreustle last name incorrect . Sorry. He had very successful career, probley made SSGT in four, five years. Took me 6 years. Got out after enlistment ended. 10 years in and might have stayed but reassigned 1969 from Bitburg to Barksdale on Houndog missile with B52. Was assigned to work Houndog black boxes instead of working in hanger on Houndog or flight line with Houndog on the 52. But few years later went California and worked for Lockheed. Total 14 years six months and worked number aircraft as Flight Line Electronic tech. Six years flight test on F117 and later 6 months on YF22 until it went to Edwards on fly off against the YF23 from. Northrop

Hi Max and Russ, it was interesting to read George Mindling's written article this past week. Being the first Senior Airman, Nuclear Weapons Mechanical Specialist assigned to Flight A which deployed with the Mace TM-76A in July 1959 to Sembach Germany, I was really impressed with all the assistance to relocate the bird to Vicennes, Ind. museum.

Great article, kudos to George and all others who gave assistance. This is the only way we can preserve the history of the Tactical Missile Program which gave much support to the Cold War and prevented thermonuclear war and obliteration of our culture.

If you ever need my assistance with info about Sembach or the entire Mace TM-76A initial stages I will be glad to help. I also was named the Nuclear Weapons Member of the Standardization Review Crew when in Sembach 1959-1960.

Thanks , Ed

I'm sorry to report my good friend Robert L. Genovese, passed away November 14, 2019. Bob, known by many as Geno, was stationed at Sembach , 38th Tactical Missile Wing, from 1961 to 1965 and worked in Finance. He also served in Vietnam and was medically retired after contracting Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He is survived by his wife, Rosemarie (Nickweiler), who he met and married while at Sembach. To learn more about Geno and his life after Sembach go to https://www.mycitizensnews.net/obituaries/obituary-robert-l-genovese/

Harry Anderson. Saw your post. I was assigned to GSC same time you were in GEMS. Drop me an email at V8Logsserv@cs.com when you get a change and I'll dig out some old files to refresh my memory on shop personnel.

Arrived at Kadena Air Base assigned to the 498TMG in January 1965 with the Mace B. (the Mace A was in Bitberg Germany, where I really wanted to go!!) Stayed 18 months leaving June 1966. I was a young second lieutenant as the Launch Control Officer on a 7 man crew.. My training out of OTS was at Lowry AFB and Orlando AFB. How was that for training sites.
Lived in a Quonset Hut with two fellow officers, Dave Parker and Chuck Prince. Came across this site looking for a model of the Mace Missile to hang in my room along site the Minuteman Missile, which was my next assignment.
I need it quick before I leave this earth and then I can leave it to my daughters who will probably throw it away.
I have a few pictures to post. How do you do that?

Assigned to 498th MMS from 9/1961 to 6/1965. I was assigned to the GEMS Shop,responsile for setting up the test modules and checking out the guidance system boxes. Some of those working for me were Armand Roux, Richard Sully, Jim Jackson,Terry Acree. After checking out the boxes, we sent them to the GSC Section, withDon Moody in charge. Some oh the people working out there were Henry P. La Montagne, Gil Lomax Mac McKay,George Bennet. They would install the black boxes into the nose cone and assembled the missile. Flight Controls, run by Pete Samples would do their thing and then to the silos. Floyd Clark was also one of group that was there. We all trained at Lowery AFB, then went to Orlando AFB and on to Okinawa as a group. Most staled on until 65 or 66 before before returning to the states. These were some of the best times in my USAF Career. I went to McCoy AFB Fla as a radar tech with the 966th AEW&C until I retired in 1973. Would enjoy hearing from anyone having like memories