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1312 entries.
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
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
Just a note to any who are interested. I stoped to see the MM-1 Terracruzer that they have at the FWD museum in Clintonville WI. I had forgot how big these things were even if I did spend 1960 and 1961 working on them at Orlando AFB, if you are in the area check it out.
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/
Who was the Sembach base commander in 1965? Last name Payne?
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.
Going through some old files I came across the name of someone I lost track of.
Does anyone know or remember Don Franklin? We trained on the same launch crew in Orlando in 1961 but he didn't ship out to Kadena with us. I was under the impression that he would arrive with the next group but he never did.
I would appreciate any information you might have.
Thanks,
John Wood
Does anyone know or remember Don Franklin? We trained on the same launch crew in Orlando in 1961 but he didn't ship out to Kadena with us. I was under the impression that he would arrive with the next group but he never did.
I would appreciate any information you might have.
Thanks,
John Wood
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?
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?
498 MMS Okinawa Kadina 1962 1965
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
It is with great sadness that I inform you my father, MSgt. Norris J. Maxwell (Bitburg Steinborn '57-'60) passed away on December 21, 2019. The Denver, Colorado reunion we attended together was one of his fondest memories. Services to be held at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Houston, Texas on Friday January 10th, 2020. Family & Friends Gathering will be from 1100- 1215, Military service will start promptly at 1230.
Thanks to our new President Guy for his article about his early days in the "MACE" family. Much of what he relates to was a later version of my experiences before deploying. Although I was Nuclear Weapons Specialist on the early TM-76A Mace 1956-1962 assigned to Sembach AFB Germany my basic training , and Missile school in Denver was similar.
Thanks
Ed
Thanks
Ed
I went to school on the TM76-A at Lowry during 1958-1959. I worked on the TM61C Matador at the 310th TMS at Osan during 1959-1960. Also at the 71st TMS in Bitburg during 1960-1962. Would like to here from anyone that served at these locations at the same times. Ron Baertsch
Found this on internet tonight. Chuck was at Bitburg for at least two tours once with Matadore (?) or Mace A(?) and with Mace B - Job Control.
Charles Rondall Sisson
Copperhill, Tennessee
Aug 18, 1936 – Aug 30, 2019
Atkins Funeral Home - Blue Ridge - Blue Ridge Obituary
Charles was born on August 18, 1936 and passed away on Friday, August 30, 2019. Mr. Sisson retired from the United States Air Force after nearly twenty-three years. A private interment followed at the Sisson Family Cemetery with military honors provided by the United States Air Force Honor Guard. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Blue Ridge, 907 East Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 or The Gideons International.
Charles Rondall Sisson
Copperhill, Tennessee
Aug 18, 1936 – Aug 30, 2019
Atkins Funeral Home - Blue Ridge - Blue Ridge Obituary
Charles was born on August 18, 1936 and passed away on Friday, August 30, 2019. Mr. Sisson retired from the United States Air Force after nearly twenty-three years. A private interment followed at the Sisson Family Cemetery with military honors provided by the United States Air Force Honor Guard. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Blue Ridge, 907 East Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 or The Gideons International.
Thank you Carolyn & Max for the terrific 2019 reunion pictures on our site. Great memories of our Tac Missileer friends preserved forever !
I was honored to volunteer to be the president of the association for the next period. Hats off to Max and Jerry for all they do. I had a great time at the reunion, the fourth one I have attended. I don't (didn't) know too many of you as I was not married and only 18 when I went on the Mace B. Did not socialize too much other than with my fellow Guidance techs, none of which are part of the association as far as I can notice. I will try and capture my thoughts on the Mace and what it did for me in later entries. Suffice it to say it got me started off on the right foot for a 35 year Air Force career.
Happy Birthday U.S.A.F
Congratulations to Max Butler and all Tac Missileers on another terrific reunion!
Congratulations to Max Butler and all Tac Missileers on another terrific reunion!
My TM71A career began at Lowry during 1961-62 where I met and married my present wife. Then on to Orlando 1962 and Hahn 1962-66. I spent my entire time in Germany as a Maintenance Mech 1 (TM76A ATRAN guidance) at Hahn Site IV (Wuscheim). We lived a few miles from Site IV in a little village named Reckershausen. The town folks took us right in and we became part of their community (no one spoke English so we learned German)! We wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world! Left USAF in 1966 and went to work for Telco companies as a datecomm/telcomm engineer for 39 years. Retired in 2005. We sure have a lot of great memories of the folks we met in the USAF!
I hope you enjoyed your tour at the Mariners' Museum today, as I certainly enjoyed being one of the Navigators. To the guys asking about the steering wheel on the Miss Belle Isle, the 1923 Chris-Craft Runabout, we were both right. One stick was the throttle, and the other was the spark adjustment.
I received a recent call from the daughter of Jim and Marge Harrison asking that I give Marge a call. Marge told me that Jim Harrison, Hahn site VI weapons tech. 1964-1966, had passed away.
Jim Marge and their young daughters lived in Kirchberg and would always invite a few of us; me, Jim Schmaltz, John Ray and others, to their apartment for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinner and sometimes Sunday meals. We last saw Jim at the Denver reunion. Both Jim and Marge were both special people, making the holidays so much better for some young, single airmen! Bless you both !
Jim Marge and their young daughters lived in Kirchberg and would always invite a few of us; me, Jim Schmaltz, John Ray and others, to their apartment for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinner and sometimes Sunday meals. We last saw Jim at the Denver reunion. Both Jim and Marge were both special people, making the holidays so much better for some young, single airmen! Bless you both !
I was at Hahn from 1965 to 1966 in the 89th TMS. I'm not sure what site I was at but it had sheds over the missiles. I was there until the shutdown in 1966 and then got orders to Whiteman AFB in the Minuteman system. I would like to hear from some of my old mates that were with me during my stay at Hahn.
Lance Moorman Nuclear Weapons Launch Technician at Sembach & 887th TMS Grünstadt passed away earlier this week. The link to his obituary is:
https://www.armeshuntfuneralhome.com/notices/Lance-Moorman
https://www.armeshuntfuneralhome.com/notices/Lance-Moorman
I was stationed at Sembach AB from 1978-1980. I returned to Germany in 1988 as a member of the 38th TMMS at Wueschheim AS living on Hahn AB in the NCO dorm. I also was a member of the crew who refurbished the Matador missile as a static display on Wueschheim.
I was stationed at Bitburg, from January 1968 until it closed in 1969. I was a tech 4 can't remember the team #
I do remember some of the other team members. I may spell their name wrong but here goes.
CCC Cpt. Al Myers
CCC Wilber Holt(s)
Tech 1 Battin(spelled that wrong)
Smith
Harris
Al Glosser
and myself Pat Vetter
Great people to serve with after Bitburg I went to Wheelus AFB in Libya. and then to England (Bentwaters)
I do remember some of the other team members. I may spell their name wrong but here goes.
CCC Cpt. Al Myers
CCC Wilber Holt(s)
Tech 1 Battin(spelled that wrong)
Smith
Harris
Al Glosser
and myself Pat Vetter
Great people to serve with after Bitburg I went to Wheelus AFB in Libya. and then to England (Bentwaters)
Hallo, ich bin in Hochspeyer 1954 auf diese Erde geboren worden. Ich bin Deutscher. Hier war im Wald eine Matador/ Mace Stellung. Das Commando war auf der Air Base Sembach stationiert. Zu den Raketenstellung gehörte auch ein Munitiondepot und eine Feuerwache mit einem C 530 Fire Truck.
So war meine Familie Augenzeuge dieser Aktionen dieser Einheiten.
Sehr tolle Zeit für mich. Seitdem bin ich ein Freund der Amerikaner und der USA.
Hello, I was born in Hochspeyer in 1954 to this earth. I'm German. Here was a Matador / Mace position in the forest. The commando was stationed at the Air Base Sembach. The rocket position also included a munitions depot and a fire station with a C 530 Fire Truck.
So my family was an eyewitness to these actions of these units.
Great time for me. Since then I am a friend of Americans and the USA.
So war meine Familie Augenzeuge dieser Aktionen dieser Einheiten.
Sehr tolle Zeit für mich. Seitdem bin ich ein Freund der Amerikaner und der USA.
Hello, I was born in Hochspeyer in 1954 to this earth. I'm German. Here was a Matador / Mace position in the forest. The commando was stationed at the Air Base Sembach. The rocket position also included a munitions depot and a fire station with a C 530 Fire Truck.
So my family was an eyewitness to these actions of these units.
Great time for me. Since then I am a friend of Americans and the USA.
To Joe Heeter, reading over old entries I ran across your 3/28/17 entry mentioned Agent Orange usage on Okinawa Missile sites and connection with Prostrate Cancer. Curious, I worked site #1 as a Mech 1, crew 5 from Sept '61 to March of '63. I suffered the consequences of Prostrate Cancer, surgery, radiation, etc. and have survived over 20 years since.
FYI
FYI