Combined Reunion of the 551st and 552nd AEW&C Wings
and the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing
Oklahoma City - Tinker AFB - June 28, 29, 30 & July 1. 2001
The program and 2nd page greeting
by Brigadier General Ben T. Robinson commander, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker
AFB, Okla.
I am privileged to have had the opportunity to visit Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. My thanks go out to the Commander and his Staff for making us feel at home during our visit.
The reunion was a roaring success brought about by the tireless efforts of many people and two in particular. Mr. A. J. Northrup, and Mr. Dean Boys. Thank you gentlemen.. !
I think the most touching moment of the whole reunion for me was at the end of the memorial and plaque dedication ceremony conducted in Connie Park. I was moved by the speeches and the presence of the families of some of the lost men. I was also moved by the sacred silent watch of the Connie as it stood watch over the entire proceedings. But the thing that moved me the most was when I turned around to leave many of the current E3 aircrews were in attendance, standing to our left in the lawn behind us. It was a moment that will live with me ... forever.
On a lighter note herein is a small sample of the activities I participated in.
Arrival at the airport was uneventful which I now appreciate more than ever. I rented a car at the airport and traveled to the Embassy Inn where I picked up my reunion packets and donned my reunion badge. The hospitality suite was going full blast that afternoon and many items were on display in the hallway as well as souvenirs that were for sale.
I met a bunch of folks from the other outfits and had a very good time exchanging stories about our flying experiences.
At about 18:00 hrs. I traveled to the airport to greet an old friend whom I hadn't seen in 30 yrs. Jerry Lee deplaned and I recognized him right away and that started the ball rolling. We returned to the hotel and visited until dinner at the rib joint across the street. After dinner we had a few more aperitifs and retired to the room we shared. Much of the evening we spent reminiscing on the patio while watching the light show from a large thunderstorm in the area.
The morning brought a briefing in the base theater from Brigadier General Ben T. Robinson. Man that dude can give a speech. I was ready to re-up right there on the spot. He also did a wonderful job of making a fuss over the contributions we made toward what the 552nd. is today. That made me feel proud and I assume most others felt the same way. He also laid out some history and current and future plans for the 552nd Wing.
The afternoon brought tours of the base and facilities. Wow is the only word that fits here. The many planes parked around the base is really impressive and the facilities' utility and expertise is incredible. I was really impressed with the upbeat attitude of all the individuals I came into contact with. Most seemed genuinely interested in their work and, in the best interests of the their team, the city, the state of Oklahoma, and the USA. ... I love it.
E3s. What can I say. I just loved those old Connies and I would have given a whole ton of money to be able to get inside another one and hear the engines start and run again but, the E3s .... I cant believe they let us inside one to take a look. A very impressive display of technological advancement would be one person's terminology. Mine would not be as sophisticated .... wow, I cant believe it.
We returned to the hotel and relaxed for awhile and later in the afternoon I spotted J. R. Clark and his wife on the stairway in front of us. Jerry came back a few minutes later and met his wife for the first time and JR came out of hiding and we almost had a group hug. It has been 33 years since I laid eyes on JR. It was good to see him again and meet his lovely wife.
About that time Bob Malone made an appearance and after
exchanging greeting we repaired to the bar to celebrate. Many lies/stories were
told and we called Bob's wife on the cell phone. I know she thinks we are nuts.
A very smart lady indeed. :-) After an appropriate amount of time in the bar we
found ourselves once again in the rib joint hogging out.
The next morning found us at the base golf course where we spent the first half of the day taking golf lessons from an 81 yr. old ringer named Earl Bob Leach. Here is a shot of Jerry with Bob's commentary. He and Bob Malone didn't do too badly but my performance will not gain any invitations for exhibitions anytime soon. I love that game, I just don't make time to play. Here you will see a shot of the fearsome BatCat golf foursome. From the left. The hardcore Buckeye, Jerry Lee Peppenger, Robert Malone, and Earl Bob Leach.
We made it back to the hotel in one piece thanks to Bob and the HogTruck. A very nice Harley Davidson theme pickup that Bob drove up from the Dallas area. After a power nap in the afternoon we all got into our coat and ties and ventured forth to the O-Club on the base once again.
The reunion dinner was enjoyable and I wish I hadn't already bought a print. Guests of honor were recognized and a POW/MIA table ceremony was conducted which was something new for me. It was very nice and a ton symbolic. The food finally came and the acknowledgements went on for the rest of the evening. We finally left at 10:00 and returned to the hotel where we all met up and had a nightcap.
Sunday morning found us up bright and early to see J. R. and his wife off after breakfast. Just after they left we said goodbyes to Bob and, Jerry and I returned to the hotel and checked out. We returned the car and I put in for and got a stand-by seat on an earlier flight. The flight home was uneventful, again a blessing to me, and I arrived home in Toledo at about 4:00 DST/EST.
I have been home for a few days now and just keep remembering all the wonderful things I experienced last week. I can say for sure that as far as the USAF 552nd Wing is concerned we are in good hands. Thank you gentleman and ladies.
Eyes of the Eagle
552nd Air Control Wing E3
552nd Air Control Wing - Welcome to AWACS!
MORE Reunion Pictures and Commentary
