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1311 entries.
Work at GSC from July 1965 to Jan 1967. Had a great time at Kadena and enjoyed my time in the Air Force. Got out on June 1968 and went to work for Phone Company in Washington State. Put in 37 years before retiring in 2005.
1960,61- Lowry, Orlando, Canaveral, Osan, S.Korea
I have had some 498th TMG patches made and will give them away free and postpaid on a first-come-first-served basis (one per person). Email me name and address. Jim Padgett, SMSgt, Retired, 498th MMS, 1962-63
Just a couple of comments on the Conclusion of \"only 15 Minutes to Atomic Strike.\"
From 1979 to 1982 I was a Technical Inspector, then Chief Technical Inspector at the Joint Service Unit Defense Nuclear Agency. As such I, and our Tech Inspectors, inspected all service units that were nuclear certified, including Pershing I (PI) Units. I can assure you that PI units were very easy to detect due to the logistical tail that supported them. As such, PI units were set up in permanent facilities. I helped evaluate a PI advanced stage of readiness exercise once as a unit prepped for deployment. The number of heavy vehicles involved were amazing and the power generation equipment alone had a signature that would have been very difficult if not impossible to conceal.
I was offered the chance to go to the GLCM Program when I left DNA, but was advised to steer clear as the program would not have a long life span. So I opted for the F-16 program instead and went to Hahn AB, FRG.
Later in 1983-85 I was the Maintenance Supervisor for the 50th Equipment Maintenance Squadron. at Hahn. A team of individuals from the \"cruise missile\" program needed a conference room to work in so I agreed to loan them mine. I was floored, when some of the \"mustang\" officers associated with that team were previous Mace B people. We swapped a few lies about the good old Mace B days! The team wanted to use our (50TFW) Zulu Alert facilities for their first operating location. While at Hahn I used to go hiking up in the hills and saw where the old Mace A Bird pads had been located.
I found it interesting that the Army was operating out of hard facilities with the Pershing and the Air Force was going to operate a \"deployed tactical\" weapon system. Seemed to be a role reversal.
As late as 1985 I would drive by Wuscheim and look at the GLCM facility being built at the old Army facility and the Army using the facilities at the old Mace A facility. In fact I had inspected the US Army unit located there before they closed down and gave everything over to the Air Force.
Still a little later, but not much, the advice my mentor gave me about steering clear of the GLCM came to pass at the system was taken out of service.
I thank the Air Force for all the opportunities they gave this dumb 18 year old without a clue. I hope I paid back some of their investment in me. I have been heartbroken lately to see my Air Force\'s name drug through the mud lately with the Nuclear Surety Program problems, cheating scandals, and senior leadership ethics issues.
Thanks,
Guy Vanderman, Col, USAF, Ret.
From 1979 to 1982 I was a Technical Inspector, then Chief Technical Inspector at the Joint Service Unit Defense Nuclear Agency. As such I, and our Tech Inspectors, inspected all service units that were nuclear certified, including Pershing I (PI) Units. I can assure you that PI units were very easy to detect due to the logistical tail that supported them. As such, PI units were set up in permanent facilities. I helped evaluate a PI advanced stage of readiness exercise once as a unit prepped for deployment. The number of heavy vehicles involved were amazing and the power generation equipment alone had a signature that would have been very difficult if not impossible to conceal.
I was offered the chance to go to the GLCM Program when I left DNA, but was advised to steer clear as the program would not have a long life span. So I opted for the F-16 program instead and went to Hahn AB, FRG.
Later in 1983-85 I was the Maintenance Supervisor for the 50th Equipment Maintenance Squadron. at Hahn. A team of individuals from the \"cruise missile\" program needed a conference room to work in so I agreed to loan them mine. I was floored, when some of the \"mustang\" officers associated with that team were previous Mace B people. We swapped a few lies about the good old Mace B days! The team wanted to use our (50TFW) Zulu Alert facilities for their first operating location. While at Hahn I used to go hiking up in the hills and saw where the old Mace A Bird pads had been located.
I found it interesting that the Army was operating out of hard facilities with the Pershing and the Air Force was going to operate a \"deployed tactical\" weapon system. Seemed to be a role reversal.
As late as 1985 I would drive by Wuscheim and look at the GLCM facility being built at the old Army facility and the Army using the facilities at the old Mace A facility. In fact I had inspected the US Army unit located there before they closed down and gave everything over to the Air Force.
Still a little later, but not much, the advice my mentor gave me about steering clear of the GLCM came to pass at the system was taken out of service.
I thank the Air Force for all the opportunities they gave this dumb 18 year old without a clue. I hope I paid back some of their investment in me. I have been heartbroken lately to see my Air Force\'s name drug through the mud lately with the Nuclear Surety Program problems, cheating scandals, and senior leadership ethics issues.
Thanks,
Guy Vanderman, Col, USAF, Ret.
In reading the latest newsletter, I am reminded of all the problems we had in constructing the GLCM Sites in the UK at RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth. In my job as Commander of the Air force Civil Engineer-Northern Region, based at RAF West Ruislip (London) England, we finished Greenham around 1987 and Molesworth around 1989. They were operational until the Reagan initiative with the Russians, about 3 or so years and were then decommissioned. Great facilities and a superb weapons system, a hell of a lot more accurate than my time with the Mace B at the Cape and with the 873rd at Kadena 63-66. Great memories of our time in Okinawa and Europe. Bruce Johnson, Col, USAF Ret.
Hahn AB, 1963-1964, 405th TMS Launch crew
Bitburg AB, 1966-1969, 71TMS Flight controls
Tom Campbell if you see this contact me
Bitburg AB, 1966-1969, 71TMS Flight controls
Tom Campbell if you see this contact me
Should have come to the Cape mini-reunion, Gordon. Met some nice people and shared a lot of memories of my time at Sembach (1962-65). I was a young Airman in the Nuclear Weapons shop (Mech-5). Swung many a warhead at Sites 1, 2, & 3.
just checking the guest book to see what`s happening.....
this is my 2nd try,1st one didn`t take?...........
was with the system from 55-66,lotta traveling..........
met a lot of life long friends......
probably should have went to the mini reunion at the Cape since I`m due west of
there on the west coast of Fl.,but I don`t like traveling by myself anymore....
hope you all have a nice spring/summer!
this is my 2nd try,1st one didn`t take?...........
was with the system from 55-66,lotta traveling..........
met a lot of life long friends......
probably should have went to the mini reunion at the Cape since I`m due west of
there on the west coast of Fl.,but I don`t like traveling by myself anymore....
hope you all have a nice spring/summer!
Hello out there in greater America. Ken White here looking to contact anyone from the 71st TMS(1962-1964). Most especially David A. Schmidt, Odie Watts, Big George whom I shared a room with but can't remember his last name. Fat Smitty, Bill Knebel, or anyone who remembers me. Like to chew the fat about the GOOD OLD DAYS in Bitburg. Ken
Hahn 1954/1959 in the 69th PBS,69th TMS and 586th TMG.
Site Survey / Target Computation Sections.
I am looking for David W. Johnston who served at Hahn in the late 50\'s in the
586th TMG as an Intelligent Operations Technician.
Site Survey / Target Computation Sections.
I am looking for David W. Johnston who served at Hahn in the late 50\'s in the
586th TMG as an Intelligent Operations Technician.
I served as a Missile Combat Crew Commander at Hahn AB, Germany for the 38th Tactical Missile Wing, 405th Tactical Missile Squadron from June 1964-Oct 1966. Due to the Mace sites being closed down in 1966 my tour was cut short. My outstanding crew consisted of MSGT Arnold Fluster (deceased), SSGT George Sershen and SSGT Herschel Young. I graduated from OTS in Sep 1963 class 64B. I was a high school girls basketball coach for basketball and fast pitch softball. In 1964 I also played for the Hahn Hawks base basketball team until my season was cut short due to an injury. When leaving Germany I cross trained into the computer career field thus luckily missing being assigned to the Atlas or Titan sites. I eventually was rifed by the USAF in 1974. I then joined the active reserves and retired from the reserves (LTCOL) in 1988. Am looking to locate any of the Hawkettes that I coached in 1964-66. Have only located one, Becky. Great duty and responsibilities for a 2nd LT. in charge of four nuclear weapons.
Was in 498th GEMS from June \'62 to June\'66. There are many individuals I would like to make contact with and not all from the GEMS shop.
My dad was Ambrose \"Andy\" Gampper and we were stationed at Hahn from \'63-\'66. At the time, I was going to Hahn Jr. High school and one of my fondest moments was when my dad took me to site IV so he can keep an eye on me while I did one of my homework assignments (didn\'t like school very much!). After we left Germany, my dad was stationed at Vandenberg as an instrumentation technician for the 6596 IS. Later, I became a Minuteman launch control officer stationed at Grand Forks AFB. My dad passed away in 2001.
Arrived Bitburg Air Base January 1962 and found our missile sites that we were rushed overseas for were nothing but muddy holes in the ground. We were assigned trivial duties such as turning over the gravel in the O club parking lot, sanding roads during snow storms, assisting on the flight line with the 521st Fighter squadron, add nauseum for nearly two years. Our unit suicide rate became the highest in the Air Force during this period. Finally we were assigned to duty stations and I had the honor of serving on the Training/Tac Eval Section with Robert Waggoner, Odie Watts, Sergeant Forster, Capt McAnally and others that I can\'t recall at this late date. There were several great guys in our outfit and, as ever, a few a*****es. To date I,ve only located two buddies I served with and unfortunately they are both deceased. Hello to all who served and best wishes for a long fulfilling life.
Ken White
Ken White
Served at both Bitburg and Sembach as Guidance Crew Tech. One of Original Recipients of Missile Badge presented to by Col Fred Vetter, Commander 585th TAC Missile Wing Bitburg Germany.
4504 missile training wing Orlando AFB 1960. Thru 62 then detacthment two Camp happiness at the Cape PCS without PCS until Aug 65 when The Mace program there shut down. I was mechanic number 4 on four live launches of the Mace B at compklex 21 AF speciality was ground power/ AGE.
okie,1963-1965,email change
498 MMS, GEMS 1963-65, Lots of good memories, seems we only remember the good times. Someone asked if there was a gate 2 street, you bet and the paris steam bath business was on it, plus about 300 pawn shope and bars.Got an early out, went back to college, got some degrees and taught jr college and vocational. love to hear from some of the guys. Hear from Ronnie Ruiz from time to time. He stayed in an retired as a captain.
Matador training Lowry (1959), Martin Mace factory training(1960), Set up school at Lowry, assigned to FTD-911L (1960), FTD-911L Kadena, Okinawa (1961-1964), Orlando, FL instructor, launch crew training (1964-1966).
1959 - TM61C school at Lowry AFB was kept at Lowry to be an instructor.
Cross trained on the \"A\" Bird while awaiting attending the \"B\" Bird factory school at the Martin Company in Baltimore. Back to Lowry to write course material for the \"B\" Bird. Received orders to attend crew training at Orlando AFB. Went to Okinawa and was the Crew Chief on Site 1, Crew 7.Back to Okinawa to close the program down and in the interim went to Avionics school at Keesler and worked on B52s & KC135s (SAC). Also went back to Lowry to attend PME school.
Cross trained on the \"A\" Bird while awaiting attending the \"B\" Bird factory school at the Martin Company in Baltimore. Back to Lowry to write course material for the \"B\" Bird. Received orders to attend crew training at Orlando AFB. Went to Okinawa and was the Crew Chief on Site 1, Crew 7.Back to Okinawa to close the program down and in the interim went to Avionics school at Keesler and worked on B52s & KC135s (SAC). Also went back to Lowry to attend PME school.
My name Is Richard (Dick) Rake. I was at Hahn from July 1962 - July 1965. I was on a launch crew with Major Glenn Dorset and later with Captain Lee. Other names I remember are Tom Redding and Sgt Vess. Another name that comes to mind is Kosloski or something like that. I can\'t remember for sure but I think I worked at site 4. I did a lot of model airplane building and learned how to drink beer while I was there. I just found this site so I\'[[ keep looking to see if any names pop up that I remember.
by Linda Clark Hamilton, MD on 07.11.2013 20:42
My father was with the 69Th Tactical Missile Squadron out of Patrick. He did go down to Wheelus to launch missiles. ( I saw someone commented i a history of missile launches at Wheelus, that two lieutenants were not speaking and a missile caught fire. Wonder who they were? Anyhow, the AF sent DAd to the University of Michigan to get two Master\'s degrees, after his assignment at Hahn. And later he was military liaison to Martin Marietta among other things he did. Do you have a lot more photos of the missile launchings? I have all DAd\'s slides and will look to see if there are any. DAD was Edward Paul Clark, USNA, class of 51, retired Col, USAF.
My father was with the 69Th Tactical Missile Squadron out of Patrick. He did go down to Wheelus to launch missiles. ( I saw someone commented i a history of missile launches at Wheelus, that two lieutenants were not speaking and a missile caught fire. Wonder who they were? Anyhow, the AF sent DAd to the University of Michigan to get two Master\'s degrees, after his assignment at Hahn. And later he was military liaison to Martin Marietta among other things he did. Do you have a lot more photos of the missile launchings? I have all DAd\'s slides and will look to see if there are any. DAD was Edward Paul Clark, USNA, class of 51, retired Col, USAF.
Sembach AB,1962-65, Mace. 17thAir Force Stockpile Storage (4thTac Depot Sq), 38th TAC Missile Wing.
Was a Warhead Weapons Instructor with the 4504th Training Wing at Orlando AFB 1959 & 1960.
I served at Site V, Hahn from October 1961 until September 1963. At approx. 21 1/2 years of age and an E-4, I became a a crew chief (maintenance crew) in a very unusual way. Sgt. Strayer (warhead) was the NCO of record and had the responsibility while I was given the authority to run the crew. I wouldn\'t do an early re-up as they wanted me to; with the promise of a promotion. I didn\'t fall for that old trick. So they gave me the job anyway. It actually ran smoothly and we got the job done. In fact, I had already received permission to get an early out, for college, when I was handed the crew chief job.