What were you doing 49 Years ago? Post up your military pics!

[Valkahuna]

I'll start. I'm 3rd from right in front row. This was at Chanute Air Force base during technical training to work on B-52 bombers

[MC Flannel]

well 49 years ago I wasn't even a though but here are some other good ones. .  this little gem I found in hondorus when I was an FCC for this that my baby right there!  Bagram air base Afghanistan 2007 was unbelievably cold in the winter of 07 got others but thats a start. 

[Grumpy]

No personal pics, but this is where I was 52 years ago, Back then could have been shot for taking a picture.  I was in the silo complex out side of Vandenberg AFB.

[Art708]

  49 years ago I was hanging out in I Corps enjoying a government funded vacation in SE Asia.

[Thunderbolt]

I'll see if I can dig up a picture or two but I graduated from Lake City Junior College and Forest Ranger School in 1967 and my 4F draft classification changed to 1A or "you will be drafted next if you do not join the military".  So a friend of mine and I went to NAS Jacksonville and joined the Naval Air Reserve.  Jan. 2 1968 I went to Millington Tn. for boot camp.  We hung our clothes out after washing them each night and they promptly froze.  The next day we would bring them in and hang them in the laundry.  Next day same scenario.  I have more boot camp stories.

[Bert AKA,Valkaholic]

I Was Just Learning To Walk And Talk 49 Years Ago, LOL ! 

[Pappy!]

Wasn't born yet....am only 39.

[Bronxboy]

Watching the Flinstones

[_Sheffjs_]

I wanted to join the Air Force or Navy as a youngin however landing a good position at Underwriters Laboratories at a very young age changed the direction for me.  Thank You to all that served. 

 I do remember having to register for the draft in 79 because of Iran.  Ronald took care of that. 

[OLDFRT]

49 Years ago (February 14, 1967) I was working in a Book Bindery in Brattleboro, VT. 48 years ago, on this date I was in my 2nd week of Basic Training at Fort Dix, NJ. 47 years ago, I was well into my 1st year "In Country," and 46 years ago, I was over 18 Months "In Country." Finally left Vietnam for the last time on 17 September, 1970, and was Discharged at Oakland Army Terminal, CA on 19 September, 1970.

[DD]

I was 9 and playing on the farm and not thinking of boys.     BUT...

38 yrs ago I married a Sailor and enjoyed our life while he was active duty for the 17 of his 21 yrs. 

you guys look good.     Thanks for your service! 

[BF]

49 years ago I was 13.

[TJ]

49 yrs  ago I was station in Ft. Reily , Kan. doing my duty keeping crap running...   

[John Schmidt]

49 yrs. ago, wow....seems like another lifetime. I had just moved to Orlando in January, left Iowa and temps in the low teens. It was in the high 70's when I got here and felt wonderful. I was about to turn 29 and was hopefully looking at a new life in Florida, turned out to be true. A lot has happened in the ensuing 49 years; another daughter, another career, a divorce after 31 years. Rita and I met about 3 yrs. later, decided to tie the knot after about four, guess she figured it couldn't get any worse. Boy, was she wrong! Best move I ever made though.

As for military pics, the only one I have buried somewhere is the usual shot taken in Jany. '57 when going through boot camp. Otherwise, I have no pics.

[Jym777]

Was working construction, been out of the air force for two years, was twenty five in the fall of 1967 (thanksgiving) and at 73 I thank God everyday I still feel 30 and every thing is still running 100%, really enjoy the reads and the input on this forum! Keep it up guys!

[Roidfingers]

Hey Valkahuna !!, I was also a B52 crewchief. Joined in 84 though. Stationed at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport LA. my entire time.

[MC Flannel]

bad knees, bad back, shitty attitude, hate nonners, completely serviceable uniform, at least one divorce, don't remember half the countries I've been to, past up for promotion, but got my name on a plane!   Yup I'm a crew chief

[Valkahuna]

Hey Valkahuna !!, I was also a B52 crewchief. Joined in 84 though. Stationed at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport LA. my entire time.

Thanks for your service brother! I actually transferred into KC135s. Then went to Kadena from end of 1969 until discharged in July 1972. Crewed RC135Ms. Then back to KCs for the last 6 or 8 months. Tons of fun!

[MC Flannel]

did the 135's still have the water injection when you crewed them? 

[Roidfingers]

The G model b52 did. 10,000 gals of water
I always wanted to see one do a low level flyby and hit water coming across the airfield.

[Valkahuna]

did the 135's still have the water injection when you crewed them? 

Yes they still used water for take offs over 40 degrees F. It was a bear at Loring AFB. Can't tell you how many hours we spent heating the water only to dump it on taxiing out. 670 gallons of demineralized water that back in the 60s was 22 cents/gallon. (Weird how I remember that)

[MC Flannel]

amazing to me how simple but how clever that system was.  no big computer, no fancy high bypass, just water.  my plane is getting up there (early H model) in age but I will put my analog guages, pull cable throttles, and drawbar cargo locks up against that fancy crap any day in the desert.  all that gadgetry cant take the heat in the middle east.  the new j models don't have hydraulic props though and i will say that is one thing they got right.

[TallRider]

Looks like lots of B52 guys here. Question? Do any of you have any recolection of a anyone named Edward Luedeking. Not sure spelling is correct. Very close high school buddy of mine. We lost contact right out of high school and he joined the air force. Brother said he ended up a B52 pilot. Crazy I never heard from him again. This would be in the early 60's. Brother showed me pictures of him and his brother walking on the wing of one once. So I know he had some involvement in B52 operations. I even heard a story he may have been a commander of a base in Texas or California. I know he ended up somewhere in California and lives there now.
And Everyone, thank you for your service. Very much appreciated.

[Valkahuna]

Looks like lots of B52 guys here. Question? Do any of you have any recolection of a anyone named Edward Luedeking. Not sure spelling is correct. Very close high school buddy of mine. We lost contact right out of high school and he joined the air force. Brother said he ended up a B52 pilot. Crazy I never heard from him again. This would be in the early 60's. Brother showed me pictures of him and his brother walking on the wing of one once. So I know he had some involvement in B52 operations. I even heard a story he may have been a commander of a base in Texas or California. I know he ended up somewhere in California and lives there now.
And Everyone, thank you for your service. Very much appreciated.

Sorry, but I do not know Edward Luedeking. I did google the name, and there is a pilot in Riverside, CA by that name. Give that a shot.

[TallRider]

Well I looked him up. Gave him a call this evening. Sure enough it was him. Thanks to this thread I found him after 50 plus years. He flew Galaxy C5's not B52's. Still flies in the summer amfibious planes up in Washington state. Summer job he said. Thanks for getting me interested in looking for him again. Now need to plan a trip out that way and see him again.

[Valkahuna]

Well I looked him up. Gave him a call this evening. Sure enough it was him. Thanks to this thread I found him after 50 plus years. He flew Galaxy C5's not B52's. Still flies in the summer amfibious planes up in Washington state. Summer job he said. Thanks for getting me interested in looking for him again. Now need to plan a trip out that way and see him again.

I'm really happy for you! I've been looking for an ex roomie of mine. We were like brothers up at Loring AFB. He got orders to Alaska and I went o Okinawa. I did see him at Clark AFB in the Phillipines back in 1970. His name is Robert F Hiller II. No luck, but I'll keep trying.  

[Thunderbolt]

What a stroke of luck that you were able to find him after all these years.  Pete when I was at NAS JAX for drill weekends we used to do radio tests with Loring.  Seems like it was called Loring Airways on the radio.  We used our plane designator.  Ours was Navy 6F201.

[Valkahuna]

Terry,

Isn't it amazing the memories that get triggered with just thinking back? Somedays I can't remember what I had for lunch, and yet details of that military time long ago are often clear as a bell. Sorry about the radio thing, but I had nothing to do with that. You guys probably called Loring to test the long range aspects, since it was about as far as you could go without falling off the edge of the earth!

[Roidfingers]

Hey Valkahuna, Actually when I was younger my family was stationed at Kadena and Naha. My dad was a AGE mechanic. He played a lot of softball there. Name was Earl Rickel.

[Valkahuna]

We sure used a lot of AGE stuff on our KC or RC 135s, but I don't recall that name. When were you guys there? I just went back there summer of 2013. What a difference! I loved that Island and the people there. We spend 2 days in Naha in July '13. Visited the Castle and caves again.

[Roidfingers]

Valkahuna, I was probably about six. So 1970 -maybe 73. Yea I remember and have old photos of the canons still in the ground on the hills.
I looked it up on google earth a few months back and I was blown away on how developed its become.  Lived in a little white house, maybe off base. Not sure. Remember the robbers that would come around. They were called stealy boys. Course our big white german sheppard took care of that. Dad had a black mustang fastback.

When I was in. B52's I got stationed at Barksdale and never realy went anywhere. 84-89. Always envided the 135's and Kc 10's for all the traveling they got to do.

[Valkahuna]

That's cool, that both you and your dad were in. I certainly remember Stealy boys, as well as Stealy Boy Bars on the Windows. We were there from December '69 until July '72.

As for traveling all over while crewing KCs, you got that right. So much TDY that it was hard to keep up while up in Loring. You may have been in at different times, but the way I see it, we're still all brothers. Thanks for your service!!