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C MPASSP.O. Box 637 • St.Charles, MO 63302 • St. Charles County
Smartt Airport
636-250-4515 • Fax 636-250-4515 • www.cafmo.org
COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE
MISSOURI WING
The
MISSOURI WINGEXECUTIVE STAFF
WING LEADER Col. Patrick Kesler 28 Confederate Way St. Charles,
MO 63303 636-928-5687 636-250-4515 Wing
[email protected] / PIO OFFICER Col. Rick Rea 6854
Ardale Drive St. Louis,MO 63123 314-960-4927
[email protected] OFFICER Col. Bob Lawrence 111 W.
Essex Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-494-7539 cell 314-894-3200 x103
workFINANCE Col. Steve Gossett 4 Limerick Lane O'Fallon, MO 63366
636-474-9763 314-306-5021OPERATIONS OFFICER Col.Craig O'Mara 1085
Graywolf Court Fairview Heights, IL 62208 618-632-6113 home
618-558-7211 cell [email protected] OFFICER Col. Pat
Fenwick 6 Heather Drive St. Peters, MO 63376 636-441-2856SAFETY
OFFICER Col. Chris Herrmann 309 Clearwater Drive Belleville, IL
62220 618-233-4782
Saturday - November 10 - General Meeting - 1:30 pm
NOVEMBER 2012
Nov. 10 Noon CHILI Contest -General Meeting - 1:30 pm
Nov. 11 Florissant Veteran's Day ParadeDec. 8 Wing Christmas
Party HO! HO! HO!
UPCOMING EVENTS
1 2
3 4
5
CHRISTMAS PARTY This years Christmas Party will be held December
8th,at Lambardo's Restaurant, 10488 Natural Bridge Road, Southof
the Airport, Across I-70 next to the Drury Inn. Time will be6:00
till 9:00 pm. Dinner, dessert, and cash bar will be followed by
Meetingand Awards. Cost $25 Per Person. Coat & tie not
necessary.Bring your spouse or girlfriend, best friend, neighbor,
fishingbuddy or whomever. Enjoy the camaraderie, the season,
andjust being away from the hangar for one night. More detailswill
be given at the November meeting. Remember you canbe a scrooge or
you can come and enjoy the time of year.
Lou Tacchi
View The Compass in color at cafmo.org
VETERAN'S DAY As you know, November 11 is the day we set aside
each year to pay special tribute to all theveterans who have served
this great country. There is a multitude of ways that veterans are
honoredon this day and each one is special in its own way. In many
of the towns and cities that we have been to this year, special
tributes to veterans werea very large part of the event. I wanted
to try to include some of the highlights from these but theywere
all very special in their own way and nearly impossible for me to
choose a favorite. While we were at Mt. Vernon last weekend, I had
a chance to look at the great Veterans HonorWall display in the
terminal. Very impressive and emotional! As I was leaving to join
the rest of thecrew, I happened to notice a small two line plaque
above the display. It blew me away! I would like to share this
quote as we remember these men and women on November 11.
“ They gave all of their tomorrows, so we could have all of our
todays.”
Col. Bob Moore
Lest We Forget
Ramp at Camdenton, Missouri
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WINGLEADER'SREPORT
Have a great November and stay safe and warm… Come onout to your
Wing and enjoy some great activities and war stories!
With your help – We can Keep ‘Em Flying and have a
great,rewarding time in life while doing so. It’s always great to
makenew memories – especially when they are associated with
thememories of that Great Generation.
Respectfully submitted,Col. Pat Kesler, Wing Leader
NEW FRONT OFFICEIS LOOKIN' GOODDon't forget: No Food, No Drinks,
No Greasy Shoes/Clothes.Let's keep it nice.
Ah! November… One of my favorite months - My birth
month,Thanksgiving, the Chili Cook-off, the Macys Day Parade, lots
ofCollege and Pro Football, and flames in the fireplace. Many of
thehectic Spring and Summer flying and outside ground
activitieshave slowly down-sized to inside toils of aircraft
annualmaintenance inspections, general cleanup of the hangars
andstorage areas, and more casual times at the Wing. The
cooleroutside temps produce more inside activities and
definitelygenerate more conversations of the previous year’s
activities andhow we can do things differently in the future.
Sometimes goodideas actually materialize out of these
brain-stormers. I do knowmore coffee and hot chocolate are consumed
starting in November.
Wing Staff elections for Wing Leader, Operations
Officer,Adjutant, and Public Information Officer will be held at
theNovember 10th meeting. To date, no one has thrown their namein
the hat for any of these positions, but it’s never too late to
tossyour name out for consideration. Col. Rick Rea has informed
methat he is not seeking re-election to the Adjutant or PIO
positions,so we just might have to “wing it” until we can find that
specialsomeone to jump right in and become a Staffer. The WL and
OpsOfficer positions are also up. I know Col. Craig O’Mara has
donean outstanding job with his important job and will be
encouragedto do so if no one else is nominated/elected. He has been
helpedimmensely by Col. Matt Conrad, the Assistant Operations
Officerand Airshow/event scheduler/coordinator. As far as the WL
slot –I’ve done it for 6 straight years now, would like to see a
new facein my office, but would do it for another year if no one
stepsforward. Come on guys – you need to start prepping someone.I’m
supposed to be retired. It’s a fun job, has good visibility, youget
to meet great people, and you would even have a freshlypainted
office with new flooring right next to the CAF’s mostillustrious,
best looking, most intelligent Finance Officer… caseclosed.
Meeting day will be busy. The B-25 will be doing a Veteran’sDay
weekend flyover of the Quincy, IL parade and will most likelybe
flying an LHFE ride or two there as well as a possible SmarttField
LHFE ride in the afternoon. We will also have the annualChili
Cook-off beginning around Noon, followed by a short-but-meaningful
Staff meeting which will be followed by the Generalmeeting and
numerous doses of anti-acids and Beano. Comeprepared and bring your
best chili and fixins.
I would like to thank Cols. Nick Talarico and Rick Rea for all
ofthe planning and coordination necessary for the October 27th
Wingand Smartt Field Open House and Classic Car & Warbirds
event.I’m writing this report prior to that date and sure hope all
wentwell. I do know that the predicted high temperature of 50
degreeswas probably an eye-opener, and do hope everyone had a
goodtime and the Pumpkin Drops went well and were in the
generalvicinity of the target. If not – it was the target
placement’s faultand not the result of poor piloting or bombardier
technique.
Remember – Everyone is encouraged to participate in
theFlorissant Veteran’s Day Parade on Sunday, November
11th.Everyone should meet at 0800 hours in the TBM Hangar.
Anyquestions? Contact Col. Nick Talarico.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 8th! That’s ourannual
Christmas Party where we’ll also have a short meetingand hand out a
few awards and commendations. Col. Lou Tacchiis ramrodding it and
has all of the particulars. Good food, gooddrinks, good camaraderie
and good times will be consumed byall.
ACTOR MORGAN FREEMANADMIRING OUR B-25
CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI
Chris Herrmann with Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman chats with the crew of Show Me.
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MY FIRST TRIP IN THE GLORIOUS B-25 Because I just turned 12, I
signed up right away for a trip inthe B-25. I am now the newest
cadet member of the wing and ILOVE it! We traveled out to Mt.
Vernon, IL, and had a great time.When we arrived, we hung out at
the airport there and talked toa few people. One of them was
Everett Atkinson. He told usabout his WWII adventures. He was a
B-24 navigator and workedin the famous B-29. We became fast friends
and he even mademe cookies! :) Everett is a really fun guy!
On day 2, Bob Lawrence, Nick Talarico and I got to work inthe
PX. We sold things like build your own airplanes, airplanemodels,
hats, t-shirts, posters, pins, military style dogtags, etc. Igot to
work the 1946 dogtag machine!
Many people walked around the bomber, and we showedpeople how
amazing it is and what a truly beautiful plane it is.
On the way home, I clambered up into the nose. What amagnificent
view! I saw fields and cities full of light and lots oftrees and a
train. I took pictures of all of them!
It’s an honor to be part of the Show Me crew. I like flying init
and it is a neat experience. I really appreciate the opportunity!
Hannah Thompsen
Mount Vernon,Illinois
PUMPKIN DROP DAY AT SMARTT FIELD
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A TRIP TO COTTON COUNTRY AND LAKE OFTHE OZARKS - A SENSATIONAL
WEEKEND!
Everyone was convinced my name on the crew list wouldjinx the
Clarksdale, Mississippi trip scheduled to depart Friday,October
12…my track record was not good, having been listedfor four
previous trips, all of which had been cancelled for onereason or
another! Two weeks before, we were all assembledto fly to
Camdenton, MO for the Lake of the Ozarks Air Showwhere 20 World War
II and Korean veterans were waiting toride “Show Me” as part of the
planned festivities. Our hardworking mechanics had been toiling
night and day to replace adefective cylinder but unfortunately the
run up revealed furtherproblems and Col. Pat Fenwick was compelled
to wave us off atthe last minute to the great disappointment of our
crew and theAir Show folks and veterans in Camdenton.
Through the efforts of our intrepid air show coordinator,
Col.Matt Conrad, arrangements were made to add a Camdentonstop to
our Clarksdale weekend and make good on our promiseto the veterans.
A clear blue sky greeted us when we arrived atSmartt the morning of
October 12. Prior to takeoff, we weretreated to a photo “shoot” of
beautiful actress-model JennelleGilreath posing with our aircraft
and vehicles (see accompanyingstory and photos). Our crew consisted
of PIC Col. Conrad, co-pilot Chris Herrmann and crew members Col.
Bob Moore, Col.Tim Dexter, Col. Bob Carmack, Col. Tom Wagoner and
myself.Hey, you know what, we actually took off without a hitch
andperformed a dramatic fly by for the benefit of the folks who
hadseen us off!
Flight time to Clarksdale, situated in western Mississippi
nearthe Mississippi River, was abut one hour, 45 minutes…there
weresome considerable clouds en route which had to
becircumnavigated but overall it was a most pleasant ride.
Onarrival, we knew we weren’t in Missouri anymore. There wascotton,
cotton and more cotton as far as the eye could see. Wewere greeted
by Missouri Wing member and Mississippi residentMike Bond and the
airport folks who treated us to a real Southernbarbeque lunch at a
local restaurant. We spent the afternoonchatting with local
visitors about the aircraft when suddenly anairplane pulls up
nearby and out comes Hollywood actor MorganFreeman who had just
arrived with his pilot from California…helives nearby and
frequently returns between movie shoots.Morgan chatted with our
crew members, most notably Col.Carmack, and posed for some photos.
There was a short flightfor the local media later in the afternoon
and in the evening wewere treated to some true Southern hospitality
at a fried catfishdinner attended by many Clarksdale area
dignitaries. All in all, ithad been a terrific day!
The following day, Saturday, was warm (maybe even hot!)and
sunny. Attendance at the airport open house was goodthough there
was some grumbling that the Ole Miss football gamein nearby Oxford
had diverted some potential attendees. Wehad an opportunity to meet
with many very friendly folks and tellthem about our wonderful
aircraft. Col. Moore, with the ableassistance of Col. Carmack, was
successful in signing up enoughpassengers for three LHFE
flights…one passenger enjoyed hisflight so much that he signed on
for a second! Unfortunately, itcame time to bid farewell to Col.
Bond and all this fine Southernhospitality and leave for our next
stop, Camdenton, MO.
After an hour and a half’s delightful ride we arrived
inCamdenton just ahead of a bit of rain. We were greeted by
theairport manager Corey Leuwerke and our own Col. BrandonBebow who
had driven over from Jefferson City to join us. Aftersecuring the
aircraft, the crew headed to Jake Culpeeper”s CattleCompany in
Osage Beach for nourishment and much welcomeliquid refreshment
before retiring for the evening.
Sunday dawned cool, bright and clear though some
cloudinessdeveloped later on but most importantly, it stayed dry
all day.Upon arrival at the airport, we were met by Corey and his
airportcolleagues, members of the Chamber of Commerce and the
nicefolks from the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association as wellas
the first group of WWII and Korean veterans anxiously awaiting
the first ride of the day. The rides for the veterans had
beensponsored by local business organizations and the Chamber
ofCommerce. If one ever wonders why we CAF members do whatwe do,
one need only attend a function such as this…the veteranswere
visibly moved by the experience. In all, Cols. Conrad andHerrmann,
with Col. Wagoner performing the role of SafetyOfficer, flew four
separate trips accomodating a total of 20veterans. Prior to each
flight, members of the Combat VeteransMotorcycle Association formed
two lines, standing at attentionwith flags extended, between which
the veterans passed as theyapproached the aircraft. Believe me, it
doesn’t get any betterthan this! We are also pleased to report that
all PX items suppliedby Col. Bob Lawrence were sold, including many
Challenge Coins.Plans are already underway for a return to
Camdenton next yearand more flights for veterans.
Following the final flight, we said goodbye to Corey and
Col.Bebow and headed back to Smartt. I think the entire crew
wasdelighted with what was accomplished over the weekend. Thankyou
to our excellent pilots Cols. Conrad and Herrmann and therest of
the crew for helping make this a most memorable weekendfor this old
bird who was finally able to take to the air in 2012 inhis favorite
airplane!
Col. Dick Hyde
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ACTRESS/MODEL DOES PHOTO "SHOOT"AT MISSOURI WING
Crew members arriving at the Wing on Friday morning,October 12
for the flight to Clarksdale, Mississippi were surprisedto see
actress-model-singer-dancer Jennelle Gilreath ofChattanooga, TN
doing various poses in and around “Show Me”and the other Wing
aircraft and vehicles for a series of photos.The photographer was
Kevin Owens, a local World War II re-enactor and World War II
enthusiast. Jennelle trained as adancer with the Radio City
Rockettes and has performed on stagein both musical and dramatic
theater. She has received creditsin film, television and radio. She
is also a model and a singerand particularly enjoys modeling ‘40’s
“stuff” and singing WorldWar II vintage songs. Jennelle and Kevin
plan to attend nextyear’s Hangar Dance and I have warned her that
she may beasked to sing a song or two or more!
Jennelle was thrilled at being able to model next to ourgenuine
World War II airplanes…she had never had thisopportunity
previously. Thanks to Col. Bill Wehmeier for moving“Show Me” out of
the hangar for Jennelle and Kevin and forguiding them around the
premises. Kevin advises he took between500 and 600 photos and he
will provide the Wing with a diskcontaining the best ones. Col.
Dick Hyde
MEDAL OF HONOR - WWI AVIATORSFrank Luke Jr. (May 19, 1897 –
September 29, 1918) was
an American fighter ace ranking second among US Army airservice
pilots after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker in number of
aerialvictories during World War I (Rickenbacker was credited with
26victories, while Luke’s official score was 18). Frank Luke was
thefirst airman to receive the Medal of Honor. Luke Air Force
Base,Arizona, a U.S. Air Force pilot training installation since
WorldWar II, is named in his honor. Between September 12
andSeptember 29, Luke was credited with shooting down 14
Germanballoons and four airplanes: These 18 victories, which Luke
earnedduring just ten sorties in eight days, was a feat unsurpassed
byany pilot in World War I.
On the evening of September 29th, Luke flew to the front
toattack three balloons in the vicinity of Dun-sur-Meuse six
milesbehind the German lines. He first dropped a message to a
nearbyU.S. balloon company, alerting them to observe his
imminentattacks. Luke shot down the enemy balloons, but was then
severelywounded by a single machine gun bullet fired from a hilltop
abovehim, a mile east of the last balloon site he had attacked.
Lukelanded in a field just west of the small village of Murvaux
afterstrafing a group of German soldiers on the ground - near
theRuisseau de Bradon, a stream leading to the Meuse River.
Althoughweakened by his wound, he made his way toward the
stream,intending to reach the cover of its adjacent underbrush, but
finallycollapsed some 200 meters from his airplane. Approached
byGerman infantry, Luke drew his Colt Model 1911 pistol and fireda
few rounds at his attackers before dying.
Eddie Rickenbacker said of Luke: “He was the most daringaviator
and greatest fighter pilot of the entire war. His life is oneof the
brightest glories of our Air Service. He went on a rampageand shot
down fourteen enemy aircraft, including ten balloons,in eight days.
No other ace, even the dreaded Richthofen hadever come close to
that.” Col. Tim Mohr
Vets helping Vets. Camdenton, Missouri
B-25 Crew & Corey Lauwerke, airport manager, Camdenton,
Mo.
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COL TIM MOHR LEVELS OIL HOUSE FLOORThrough the 100 degree
weather Tim persevered! A big thanksgoes out to Tim for the warmth
we're going to have this winter.
Tim Mohr with leveled floor.
Unsightly barrels will be a thing of the past.
The Fix: Now the barrels on pallets can be removed with afork
lift. What a relief! Thanks Tim!
Navions
Twin Navion
PUMPKIN DROP DAY AT SMARTT FIELD
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OH, MY ACHING BACK....As October is National Spinal Health
Month, the irony of recent
events in the Herrmann Household, and the coming decorating
/inspection season, it was inevitable that I choose back health
asthis month’s safety topic. What is your plan for a healthy
back??
At the CAF, our annual aircraft inspections are looming. Wewill
soon be hangaring and working on all three planes. On thehome
front, the holiday season is rapidly approaching and it willsoon be
time to dig decorations out of storage, haul them aroundthe house
or office, and decorate to help us enjoy the season.
An understanding of how your back works; what can go wrong;and
techniques / tips for protecting your back may help preventor you
deal with a back problem. It is a lot easier to preventback
injuries than it is to correct potential back problems downthe
road. Your back is working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.You use
your back every time you sit, stand, bend, lift, or evenlie down.
It is not surprising that 70% of all back problemsresult from the
ageing process rather than a specific injury. Thismeans that over a
number of years a poor posture, lack ofexercise, excessive weight,
and disregard for back savingtechniques will probably lead to back
problems.
Let me remind you of proper lifting techniques to help get
youthrough the coming months without injury.1. Plan ahead before
lifting. Knowing what you’re doing andwhere you are going will help
prevent you from making awkwardmovements while holding something
heavy. Clear a path, and iflifting something with another person,
make sure you agree onthe plan.2. Lift close to your body. You will
be a stronger and morestable lifter if the object is held close to
your body rather than atthe end of your reach. Make sure you have a
firm hold on theobject you are lifting, and keep it balanced close
to your body.3. Feet shoulder width apart. A solid base of support
isimportant while lifting. Holding your feet too close together
willbe unstable, too far apart will hinder movement. Keep the
feetabout shoulder width apart and take short steps.4. Bend your
knees and keep your back straight. Practicethe lifting motion
before you lift the object, and think about yourmotion before you
lift. Focus on keeping your spine straight—raise and lower to the
ground by bending your knees.5. Tighten your stomach muscles.
Tightening your abdominalmuscles will hold your back in a good
lifting position and willhelp prevent excessive force on the
spine.6. Lift with your legs. Your legs are many times strongerthan
your back muscles—let your strength work in your favor.Again, lower
to the ground by bending your knees, not yourback. Keeping your
eyes focused upwards helps to keep yourback straight.7. If you’re
straining, get help. If an object is too heavy, orawkward in shape,
make sure you have someone around whocan help you lift.8. Wear a
belt or back support. If you are lifting in your jobor often at
home a back belt can help you maintain a betterlifting posture.
Tips:1. Never bend your back to pick something up.
It’s just not worth the damage that improper lifting
techniquecan cause.2. Hold the object close to your body.
You are a much more stable lifter if you’re not reaching for
anobject.3. Don’t twist or bend.
Face in the direction you are walking. If you need to turn,
stop,turn in small steps, and then continue walking.4. Keep your
eyes up.
Looking slightly upwards will help you maintain a better
positionof the spine.
Irony - Webster’s Dictionary defines irony as “an
incongruitybetween the actual result of a sequence of events and
the normalor expected result”. It is ironic that during National
Spinal HealthMonth, both Angie and I suffered back problems that
causedhospital visits and missed work. While some back problems
arenot preventable, take a lesson from us and the
informationprovided and make a plan to protect YOUR back.
Col. Chris Herrmann
L-3S REMEMBERED
GONE WEST We are sad to report the passing of JOE SHEA, a
longtimemember of the CAF and the Missouri Wing. His military
servicewas in the U.S. Army.
Joe passed away at his home in Perryville, Missouri on
October19, 2012. In addition to his love of aviation, he was active
in theBoy Scouts for 62 years. He was also a member of the
AmericanLegion and the Knights of Columbus 4th degree. Besides
flying,his hobbies included hunting, fishing, and spending time
with hiswife and family. Joe was a pharmacist for 50 years.
Joe is survived by his wife, Vivian, whom he married in 1959.He
leaves behind 5 daughters, 1 son, 14 grand children, and 6great
grand children.
Lest We Forget
During the Scott Air Base show the L-3 crew was privilegedto
meet Mr. Joe Przada. He shared with us that his father, Julian,was
an observer on an L Bird during WWII European theater ofoperations.
As customary, he was assigned to the 39th FieldArtillery Battalion.
Joe Przada and his brothers John and Jimvisited our Wing on October
13th.
We were honored to accept a framed photo of their father,Julian,
standing by his L Bird, and copies of two Bronze Starcitations he
received for service during 1944 and 1945 in Italyand Germany. We
will display these in our museum to honor theservice of Julian
Przada who flew in the L Birds our L-3 is intendedto
“remember”.
A fascinating story was related to us, that during his servicein
Italy, they were flying low over the olive orchards, and
notedtracer rounds flying past their L-3 from behind. Due to the
airspeeddifference it didn’t take long for the German fighter to
whiz pastthem. As they were down amongst the olive trees seeking
toavoid the enemy fighter plane, Julian is reported to have
heardthe pilot say “Oh no!”. This was followed by a sharp break to
theside to avoid a large hill. A couple seconds later they heard
alarge explosion, and there was no longer any tracer rounds
goingpast them, and no more German fighter.
It certainly took special kinds of airmen to fly these
littleairplanes in combat.
Col. Bob Cushman
Joe helping clean the T-33 after the 1993 flood.
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COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCEMISSOURI WING
P.O. Box 637St. Charles, MO 63302-0637
NOVEMBER 2012
Compass Deadline: December Newsletter - Need info by November 23
January Newsletter - Need info by December 27
NovemberBirthdays!
Pat Kesler (1) • Karl Hering (1) • Steven Newcombe (2) • Tim
Dexter (3) • Alvin Kaser (7)Betty Pearce (12) • Robert Cushman (13)
• John Coffey (14) • Julieann Smith (19)
Brandon Bebow (26) • Jim Pearo (27) • Kyle Racine (30) • Jim
Hatcher (30)
Ordnance being loaded aboard “Show Me” for pumpkin dropwith
Korey Tacchi at the ready for saboteurs!
Due to safety concerns the drone was taken down.
HapHapHapHapHappppppyyyyy
TTTTThanksgiving!hanksgiving!hanksgiving!
hanksgiving!
hanksgiving!