The official publication of the
7th Bomb Wing B-36 Association
XXVIII NO. 1 February 2007
P.O. Box 330279 Fort Worth, TX 76163-0729
Email address: b36asn7bw@aol.com Web site: www.7bwb-36assn.org
ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT
PREZ SEZ
Fred Wendt
Our constitution states that our purpose is to "unite 7th Bomb Wing B-36 personnel, their widows and associates". The bylaws amplify the purpose by charging us to conduct periodic reunions, maintain a central registry, maintain a historical record and to publish a newsletter.
Recently, we have had requests to contribute to various other organizations associated with the B-36 and SAC. We voted at our September board meeting to contribute to the SAC Monument at former Carswell AFB by buying bricks honoring the leadership of our Association from inception to dissolution. We have turned down a request to honor a B-36 crew from another organization, and we are pondering whether or not to offer support to a lady in El Paso who, on her own, constructed a tribute to a 7th BW crew that crashed in the Franklin Mountains in the early '50s. It seems she violated a Parks and Wildlife regulation. We have not been asked to contribute to her cause, and apparently she has obtained political support, so we should not be faced with a decision.
Meanwhile, we are working at our primary purpose….preparing for our reunion in April. Twelve non-Carswell B-36ers have been approved for honorary membership and we look forward to seeing them at the reunion.
We voted to not charge a registration fee for the 2007 reunion. (Ed Note: If your dues are not current, you will be required to pay up!) That, in addition to meal subsidies we previously approved, will deplete our treasury a little. Even so, it looks like we will have plenty money to continue publishing the SCANNER and to publish a new roster before our last reunion in 2009. If all works as planned, the 2009 reunion will be almost free.
Our Board of Directors will meet again in March to finalize reunion plans. If the SAC monument is completed in March as anticipated, we may make arrangements for bus transportation to see it. We'll see what happens.
It is not too late to tell your B-36 buddies about the golden opportunity to join us as honorary members. We don't need the extra membership dollars, but the comradeship would be welcome.
This will be my last PREZ SEZ column, because my replacement will be elected at the general membership meeting at the reunion. He will take over at the May Directors meeting and will write the column for the next SCANNER. Thank you all for putting up with me for the last couple of years. I'll see you at the reunion.
WHEN FILING YOUR INCOME TAX, REMEMBER,
IT'S BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO DECEIVE
MONEY TALKS
(DOUG WOOD)
Balance 1 January 2007: (See your printed SCANNER for the current financial report.)
GOOD STUFF
From time-to-time LARRY FARGHER sends us good stuff. Here's one of them:
A worker had been named for jury duty and didn't want to serve and asked the judge to excuse him because "We are very busy at the shop and I ought to be there." The judge remarked, "So you are one of those who think the shop couldn't get along without you!"
"No your Honor," the man said. "I know it could get along without me but I don't want the boss to find it out." "Excused." said the judge.
MY MIND WORKS LIKE LIGHTENING. ONE BRILLIANT FLASH AND IT'S GONE.
MIKE BLEKKENK sent us a picture of JIM SEELY's crew and noted that his father, CLARENCE BLEKKENK was #2 from the right in the back row.
(Picture not available online)
It would seem appropriate to note that in 1954 this 11BW crew (AC JIM SEELY, RN BEN RAIA, N JOHN POWELL and JOHN McKINNON's crew (RN GEORGE KNOBEL, N JOHN FARRELL) won the Fairchild Trophy, Best Wing in SAC. In 1955 SEELY's crew won Best B-36 Crew in SAC. In 1956 SEELY'S crew and PAT O'MALLEY's crew (RN FRANK DETROY, N BOB JAMES) again won the Fairchild Trophy for the 11th Bomb Wing.
All that happened in 1957 was that SEELY's crew won Best B-36 Crew in SAC, again.
MORE STUFF
Little Johnnie had swallowed a dime and his mother ran screaming to the street for help. A stranger was passing by and hearing the mother's story ran into the house, seized the child by the heels, gave him a few shakes and the coin rolled out into the floor. The grateful mother thanked the stranger.
"You certainly know what to do. Are you a doctor?" she asked.
"No, madam," he replied, "I work for the IRS."
SAC MEMORIAL
Thanks to the great efforts by BOB ADAMS, he is the guy who puts out the tables of good stuff for us to haggle over at our reunions, a SAC Monument Committee was formed to find a home for a Mark 17 bomb which BOB also found sitting at the ex-bomber plant.
He got approval from the Air Force and Lockheed (now at bomber plant) to drag the bomb over to NAS Ft. Worth, JRB, Carswell Field (ain't that a hummer!) He even got a group to drag it over when the time comes. Then he got the JRB to let him set it up as a memorial to SAC. All he had to do was get enough money to build the monument. That's where our Association, along with anybody else, comes in. Our members have been most generous and at this point have contributed more than any other organization. There is still room for more help and the following brochure tells all how to get on board.
THE PEOPLE WHO GAVE US GOLF AND CALLED IT A GAME ARE
THE SAME PEOPLE WHO GAVE US BAGPIPES AND CALLED IT MUSIC
AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CREATION OF A PERMANENT MONUMENT TO ALL WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY WITH THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND.
Greetings from the SAC MONUMENT COMMITTEE, Carswell Field, Texas.
We would like to invite your participation in a long overdue civic project that is nearing completion at the former Carswell Air Force Base. Carswell, one of the first three SAC bases, now Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at Carswell Field, was SAC's primary training base during the early days of the Cold War. As such, thousands of volunteer servicemen devoted their lives to maintaining world peace by training for their peacekeeping missions at Carswell Field.
Recently, a majestic Cold War relic of SAC's ultimate purpose has been preserved and assigned to the Joint Reserve Base for display with other Cold War items. This relic is the empty casing of the world's largest nuclear weapon, the MK-17/24 thermonuclear bomb. Weighing 42,000 pounds when operational, this device was the largest ever made and could be delivered only from the bomb bay of a B-36 Peacemaker bomber. SAC's motto was PEACE IS OUR PROFESSION and peace was its ultimate mission. This monument will honor SAC and its mission with the display of a super weapon that was never used and will be your expression of appreciation to SAC veterans everywhere.
Construction of this monument is financed strictly by public donations and by the sale of engraved bricks that will be used in the monument. Please see on the web: www.sacmonument.org
MANY THINGS IMPROVE WITH AGE.
MEMORY IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
A Strategic Air Command Monument Committee has formed to build a monument at NAS/JRB Ft. Worth, Carswell Field to honor the men and women of SAC. This monument will honor all who served in any way to keep this country safe from aggression. SAC was designed for one thing and that was to destroy any country that attacked our country. Peace was SAC's profession and its mission. SAC fulfilled its mission and preserved the peace during the Cold War.
You can help build this monument by ordering an engraved brick for $100.00 or by sending a donation. In the squares below print what you want on the brick. You can use 14 spaces on each line and up to 3 lines. Punctuation and characters count as a space. Your text will fill the surface of the brick - the more lines the smaller the letters. Enter your desired text and mail this form to: SAC Monument Committee, P.O. Box 27121, Carswell Field, Fort Worth, TX 76127
CHECKS OR POSTAL MONEY ORDERS ONLY PLEASE
PAYABLE TO SAC MONUMENT COMMITTEE
www.sacmonument.org
LAST FLIGHT
We give our loved ones back to God.
And just as He first gave them to us
And did not lose them in the giving,
So we have not lost them . . .
For life is eternal, love is immortal,
Death is only a horizon . . .
And a horizon is nothing
But the limit of our earthly sight.
FEB 2007
CIV NEAL R ANDERSON, COL RODERICK G DARELIUS
CIV BERYL A ERICKSON, COL JACK H HEINZEL
MSG ADOLPH "JACK" GIACOMARRO, SMS JOHN T GODSEY
WO DAVID L MOFFAT, SSG ALLEN F PETERSON
COL P "BEN" RAIA JR, COL ALLEN "RATCHET" ROGERS
COL EVERETT CHRIS SUNDERMAN, LTC RENE M WOOG
MARGARET widow of COL BOBBIE CAVNAR
JACKIE wife of LTC HAROLD ENUNES JR
RITA wife of MAJ ROBERT E JAMES
LEE wife of LTC GLENN R LOVEALL
RENA widow of LTC THOMAS J TAYLOR
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
(Membership open to anyone assigned to a B-36 base,
Aircrew, Ground crew, Staff, Air Base Group, etc.)
(For a printable form, CLICK HERE)
ONE-TIME DUES: $25.00 (2006 THRU 2010)
NAME:_____________________________________SPOUSE__________________________
ADDRESS:___________________________________________________________________
HIGHEST RANK:_______B-36 BASE OF ASSGNMT_______________________________
(If not Carswell, enter
"Honorary Membership")
UNIT ASSGND:____________________________________________
ASSGD TO B-36 BASE:
FROM:____________________________________TO:____________________________
MILITARY ACTIVE DUTY FROM:___________________TO:__________________________
SIGNED:_____________________________________________________________________
NOTE: Completion of form - and submission of $25 - entitles applicant to membership in 7BW B-36 Association until its dissolution in 2010 and receipt of the newsletter three times a year plus waiver of the Registration Fee at the 2007 and 2009 reunions to be held in Fort Worth, Texas.
7th Bomb Wing B-36 Association Inc.
P.O. Box 330279 Fort Worth, TX 76163-0729
THURSDAY 19 APRIL
REGISTRATION 1000-1700 Lobby
MEMORY ROOM 1000-24 Hours
HAPPY HOUR 1800-1900 Ball Room
WELCOME DINNER 1900-2100 Ball Room
FRIDAY 20 APRIL
MEMORY ROOM 24 Hours (Comp Pasties & Coffee)
LADIES LUNCH 1100-1400 Ball Room
MEN'S LUNCH 1100-1400 Ball Room
SATURDAY 21 APRIL
MEMORY ROOM 24 Hours to 1600
MEMORIAL SERVICE 0900-0945 Ball Room
BUSINESS METTING 1000-1100 Ball Room
HAPPY HOUR 1800-1900 Ball Room
BANQUET 1900-2300 Ball Room
SUNDAY 22 APRIL
BREAKFAST 0800-1000 Ball Room
REGISTRATION
There will be no Registration Fee for Life Members and those members whose dues are current (number 2007 or greater on first line of address label.) All others, $25 per member. Fee includes Life Membership thru 2010.
EARLY REPLY PAYS OFF
The planners of this reunion have their necks way out with attendance estimates. They are plenty old as it is so don't make them any older sweating out numbers for suppliers. Please send in your Reservation (with check, of course) so they will arrive well before April first, which is April Fool's Day, so no foolin'.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Hotel reservations should be made by 20 March directly with Green Oaks Hotel. Address and phone numbers are on the reservation form. Note that parking is free.
DRESS
Coat and tie for men and "after 5" for ladies at the Saturday Banquet. All other events, "Texas Casual".
BANQUET SEATING
As in the past, seating reservations for the Banquet MUST be made at Registration. WARREN ARTHUR will have all the info during registration. Names, not a dash or vertical line, must be placed in spaces. Also, table numbers must be placed next to your name on the roster of attendees. That way people can decide who to sit with - or stay away from..
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation from DFW to the hotel can be arranged with "SUPER SHUTTLE" by giving them a call from the free phone in the baggage pick-up area. They will come by and pick you up. The fee from DFW is $37 plus $8 for each additional guest one way ($52 plus $9 from Dallas Love Field). Call from hotel for return trip.
Rent-A-Car is another option and there are many specials, AFA, AAA, AARP, etc. ENTERPRISE is advertising 50% off for week ends and that comes to about $22 a day at DFW and $19 a day from Love (different airport charges).
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
GREEN OAKS HOTEL
6901 West Freeway, Ft. Worth, TX 76116
Ph: (817) 738-7311 (Mention 7BW B-36 Association)
Toll Free: Within Texas (800) 772-2341
Outside Texas (800)433-2174
TYPE ROOM _______#ROOMS____ RATE (plus 15% city, state or local taxes)
Single/King 1 or 2 persons __________ $69.00
Double/2 double beds ______________$69.00
To hold room beyond 6PM it must be guaranteed by Credit Card.
Type___________________ Card #_______________________ Expiration Date________________
YOUR NAME____________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS_______________________________________________________________________
PHONE #____________________ARRIVAL DATE _____________ Dep date_________________
NOTE: Make phone reservation or fill out form and mail to hotel NLT 20 March 2007
REUNION 2007 REGISTRATION FORM
NAME TAGS TO READ___________________________________________________ UNIT____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
REGISTRATION FEES:
Life & Current Member (2007 or greater on address label) FREE__________
Non-Current (2006 or less on address label) $25.00 _______________
EVENT PRICES - PER PERSON COST X # PERSONS =
WELCOME DINNER $20 X ________ = _______________
Pasta Primavera w/Chicken Breast
LADIE'S LUNCH $13 X ________ = _______________
Trio salad
MEN'S LUNCH $13 X ________ = _______________
Trio Salad
BANQUET
$25 X ________ = _______________
Roasted London Broil
BREAKFAST
$12 X ________ = _______________
All American Breakfast
TOTAL $________________
Will arrive on (date)________via Airplane__ Auto___ Buggy___ Foot___ I live here, stupid___(check one)
Print and mail with your check to: 7BW B-36 Assn, P.O. Box 330279, Fort Worth, TX 76163-0279
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