Road Show. Mister/Major (USAFR) Hackett coming to you from Hill AFB, UT; for now this is simply my annual tour but who knows where the winter column may originate from! Mobility bags and sunscreen are packed. I could start out by telling you how your scribe is sparing no expense to bring you news of our classmates (but you’d probably find out that, like a bonehead, I left my folder of notes and letters at home and had to have Deb FedEx them to me). Or I could make a point of telling you how I’m searching out classmates at every turn (but you’d probably figure out that means I’m hanging out in the O-Club bar a lot).
Perseverance Is (Occasionally) Rewarded! Steve Duresky hailed me down in the O’Club bar last Friday. Only had a few moments to talk before Steve had to catch the red-eye back to Washington, DC but he did have time to update me on his job at the Pentagon where he’s responsible for “everything that can be dropped (or shot) from an airplane toward the ground.” I didn’t take notes, but I’m sure he told me that he and his wife have three children. Actually clearing that up will probably help motivate Steve to follow-up on his promise to send me a letter with news and pictures of “several dozen” ‘75ers that are at the Pentagon. Last tidbit from Steve: Dale Meyerrose made O-6. Congratulations Dale!
It’s Like Waiting For The Continuation of “Twin Peaks.” I promised you and Scott Hente that I’d get to his letter in this issue. Scott’s letter was dated 12 June and was postmarked “Offutt AFB” where he’s spent 10 of the 15 years since graduation! He’s currently tending to computer/ADP/mission planning matters within the Bomber Operations office at HQ SAC (although zero of his 4000 flying hours are in bomber aircraft)! The logistics snafu I cited in the first paragraph prevents me from including Scott, Lyn and their two kids. Is this another “hook” for a follow-up letter, or what!
It must be time for those of you still in blue to gravitate to the various and sundry places called “Headquarters;” Scott mentioned seven classmates there at Offutt with him. Chuck Molzon and Greg Berlan are in the same office (they with the bomber backgrounds, Chuck in FB-111s, Greg in Buffs). Gary Shugart is the king of the “talking heads” (briefers) within the ops organization at HQ. I’ll admit to not having the slightest idea what SIOP planning is but we can hope that Rich Wilson will write and tell us what it is his office does. Dean Spraggins and the Air Force can’t agree about his medical qualifications to fly (following his B-1 ejection); in the meantime he’s working in SAC’s Test Directorate. The only one to still smell of JP-4 is Collin Flynn who is ops officer for the RC-135 squadron at Offutt.
Over Here…Over There…Oughta There. Scott updates us on Dick and Kim Webber (missile squadron commander at Whiteman) and Dave Herlong (fresh out of F-16s to teach psychology at the Zoo). On the other side of the Atlantic – Sandy Terry is on the 7th Air Division (SAC) Staff in Europe. Frank and Jan Dressel are also in Germany (Zweibrucken) where he’s flying the Sherpa, “world’s ugliest airplane.” Finally, Scott reports on two who have moved into the world of commercial aviation: Frank Dubuisson with FedEx and Jeff Krumeich with USAIr.
The Long-Term Effects Of Carpeted Dorm Rooms. My guess is that, because they weren’t subjected to buffers and pastewax on a regular basis, the guys in CWDS-37 had time to sit around and plan a 15-year reunion while we were still at school. The letter and picture documenting this week-long June event came from Joe and Marcia Facenda in Norcross, GA. Bob and Sandy Lynn won the “longest distance traveled” award as they came from Elmendorf on their way to D.C. for a housing hunt (PCS in August). Ed and Jenny Wilcock placed second, arriving from Travis AFB where he is flying C-130s. Bronze medal goes to Ken and Kris Finn who came in on the company plane (Delta Airlines) from Monument, CO. Texas was represented by American Airlines pilot Jim Gridley and his wife, Stevie, who winged in from Dallas. The East coast contingent was represented by Greg and Jennifer Frick who came down from the Pentagon. Mike and Cindy Coman provided the Southern charm, straight from Charleston AFB where Mike’s flying C-141s. The hosts (Joe and Marcia) report that a very good time was had by all and that life has returned to normal in and around Atlanta (where Joe works for a software company).
There Definitely Is A Doctor In The House! Got a news release from Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University (PA) announcing the graduation of Jim Rorabaugh, MD. Jim, wife Angela, and their son Nathan are headed off to residency (general surgery) at Wilford Hall. Also heard from the chief of Aeromedical Services at RAF Alconbury, Mike Lischak. Mike has a year left in his current assignment and then it’s off to…he says he’s not sure; maybe he’ll put his status as a NASA-certified flight surgeon to use.
It’s Never Too Late To Start A Bad Habit. Make Matte waited 15 years to write his first letter to the scribe! He and his wife, Dana, live in New Jersey (the nice part?) with their two daughters. Mike keeps busy as corporate VP for ADT Security Systems and as an accomplished marathon runner (talk about B-A-D habits)! He passes on word that Bill “Howie” Hughes is a very successful corporate attorney in Milwaukee. Bill and wife, Peggy have four children including a set of twins. Mike has recently seen Terry and Peggy Young (at the Liberty Bowl), Russ Trinter (in Allentown, PA), and Dave Schmitz (pilot for Northwest out of Detroit).
4000 Ft. BRKN, 12,000 Ft. OVRCST And Lots Of Hot Wind. Dave Commons scrawled a pretty lengthy letter on the back of his weather briefing sheet while enroute from Detroit to Orlando (727 2nd officer with Delta). Barb and the boys are doing well in Cincinnati; Dave can be found there, in the air with Delta, or at Rickenbacker ANGB flying A-7s. His updates: Tom and Vicki Popp (w/1 girl) are in D.C. where he’s on the XO Command Briefing team, Butch Byrd and Rick Layman also at the Pentagon “somewhere in the XO community.” Bob and Pam Walden (w/2 girls) have left active duty to take a job flying with Delta. Doug Williams is a partner in a Columbus, OH, law firm and a part-timer (ANG/Reserve) in the JAG Office at Rickenbacker (knowing Dave, this could come in handy)! Charlie Simmons is an MD-88 1st Officer with Delta, living in Montgomery, AL where he also flies F-16s in the ANG.
Sometimes You Win, Sometime I Lose. You’ve done another masterful job and we’ve avoided the dreaded COS cards (not a single note in the margins in this stack either). As for me, it’s off to the “slab” (VOQ room bed). I swear the bodies in Salt Lake City Morgue are laying on something softer! Then tomorrow, it’s the once-a-year good deal aerobics run and I’m guessing that on the last lap I’ll be huffing and puffing and thinking that it’s much, much later than I thought!
astronaut Brian Duffy has been assigned as the pilot on STS-45 (Atlas-1 atmospheric science mission) scheduled for mid ’91. Dick Webber took over as commander of the 508 SMS at Whiteman AFB last fall. “Foster” and Debbie Bitton are settled in England by now where he’ll be returning to the A-10 cockpit. In that same general part of the world, Mike and Cindy Roznovsky are in Germany doing duty as executive officer to the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force chief of Staff; a busy life of traveling and keeping the U.S trade balance out of whack. Chris passed on the good news that Rod Kallman successfully negotiated an ACES II ejection seat ride out of an F-16 just before Christmas last year. Airline pilot news (a.k.a. “bar talk”): Mike Gudmundson has opted for civilian flying world and is a DC-9 copilot with Northwest. While Mike’s getting settled in, Kay and the four little Gudmundsons are living in Shreveport. Art Billingslea is flying right seat on the Airbus A-320 for Northwest (from Chris’ glowing words it’s easy to see that this is a job to be envied in the world of airline pilots – “fly-by-wire, side-stick controller, glass cockpit, etc”). Art and Wendy live in Ann Arbor with their three children. Larry Bottomley was hired by American Airlines this spring. Finally, Chris pointed out that I’m the only ‘75er to be quoted in Aviation Week this year. Mike McClendon (American airlines copilot) has been involved in developing and testing new types of ILS-Flight Management System coupled approaches (see the May ’90 AWST).
