The Warble Tone
Great Falls National Meeting - 10-14 October 2012
AAFM will conduct the next National Meeting in Great Falls, MT this October, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the placing of the first Minuteman on alert. You can go to our Meetings and Reunions page and register on-line and pay by credit card, or print out a form and mail a check. This promises to be our biggest meeting to day - don't delay registering and reserving a hotel room.
SAC Reunion - 31 May - 3 June in Omaha - AAFM will be there - Schedule - Registration
March Newsletter Correction - on the cover and in the story about the alert day at Malmstrom with all female crew members, it should say Ten (10) crewmembers - not Twenty (20) - it was only one squadron and five crews.
Warren Visit - the AAFM vice president and executive director recently spent two days at F. E. Warren AFB getting updated on life in missile operations and maintenance. You can read about the visit in the March Newsletter, which is available on-line and will be in the mail this week.
National Museum of the AF - the Friends Journal of the NMUSAF features two articles this month by AAFM members. One about Titan I maintenance by the executive director can be seen here. The other is about DEW line sites by member Walter Greene.
12 MS Memorabilia - Lt Michael Alonso of the 12th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom is looking for an old 12th Missile Squadron patch. He is working on a Squadron display that includes old scarfs and patches. If you can help, contact AAFM.
Malmstrom Local Area Meeting - on Wednesday, 9 May, at 1600, your AAFM Executive Director will host a local area meeting at the Malmstrom AFB club, the Grizzly Bend. Join us and members of the 341st Missile Wing for snacks, socializing and an update on AAFM activities
New Patches on our Donations/Store - 50 Years of Minuteman and The ICBM Deterrent Force, both recently donated by a member
Member Requests -
Patches, etc - quiet often, one of our members asks us about a specific patch, book or other item. One member is trying to get a patch from each of the current missile operations squadrons and patches relating to REACT. Another member is trying to find a DT-60 Film Badge dosimeter. If you can help, contact AAFM.
Heath Issues - members sometimes ask about other members' experiences due to illnesses that might have been the result of hazardous materials encountered while involved with missiles - if you have any experience in this area we can add your information to our database and provide it to members who ask for further information.
Employment and disabled vets - if you have any experience or information about legal, human resource or other issues relating to employment and disabled veterans, let us know - members sometimes ask us if we have any information on this issue.
To respond to Member Requests, email AAFM
Taps for Missileers
Lt Col (Ret) Neil Bates, an AAFM Member, served in Minuteman in the 341 SMW and lived in Panama City, FL.
Lt Cmdr (Ret) Henry J. Bender, an AAFM Member, served in the development of all the early missile systems,
was in the Western Development Division and other R and D assignments, and lived in Commerce, CA.
Former A1C James C. Englehart, an AAFM Member, served in Matador and Mace in the 71 TMS and lived in
Brecksville, OH.
Maj Gen (Ret) Ben Funk, an AAFM Member, was one of the pioneers in missiles and space, working with Gen
Schriever on early ICBMs and space programs in the Western Development Division and Ballistic Missile Office,
and lived in Long Beach, CA.
Lt Col (Ret) Nick Kass, an AAFM Member, served in Atlas E in the 566 SMS, in Minuteman in the 321 SMW and in
space assignments, and lived in Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
King Kleiber, who served in Minuteman in the 351 SMW TSgt (Ret) Grady Thomas, an AAFM Life Member, served in airlaunch systems and at Lowry Tech Training Center, and lived in Lithonia, GA.
Major (AFRes) Moira Michelle (McCain) Thompson served in Minuteman at Malmstrom and lived in Yorktown, VA
MSgt (Ret) Myron Ventura, an AAFM Member, served in Minuteman in the 44 SMW/MW, in the 532 TRS and at
AFSPC Headquarters, and lived in Colorado Springs, CO.
Reunions and Meetings
341 SMW/MW Maintenance Reunion, 10-12 August 2012, Great Falls, MT, contact Sheryl Yocom at lonnie267@min.midco.net
390th SMW Reunion, 26-30 September 2012, Tucson, AZ, contact John/Susan Lasher at redsnooty@comcast.net or 520-886-7157 or 520-886-3430
4 ACCS Reunion, 15-17 June 2012, Rapid City. SD, go to the 4 ACCS web site at www.4accs.wordpress.com or contact Mary Hillman, E-mail mdhillman@fedteldirect.net
455th/91st SMW Reunion, 1-5 May 2013, Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake, Houston, TX, contact Dave Schuur at djschuur@verizon.net or 410-987-7520 or visit our website at http://www.minotmissileassociation.org
51st Munitions Maintenance Squadron (Vandenberg) - will join AAFM at Great Falls in October
556 SMS (Plattsburgh), 10-14 October 2012 with the AAFM National Meeting - register with AAFM or contact Bruce Raleigh, email braleigh@wowway.com
579 SMS Reunion, 3-6 May 2012, Roswell, NM, contact Terry Doyle, 580-228-2409, terry.doyle@juno.com
Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadrons Association, 16 20 April 2012, at the BOOMTOWN Casino in Bossier City, LA . Contact MSgt (Retired) David Ray Galbreath, 903-876-3769, E-mail galbgen1942@yahoo.com
SAC Reunion, 31 May-3 June 2012, Omaha - Registration Form and Schedule at www.SASMuseum.com or call AAFM
SAC Airborne Command Control Association, 22-26 August 2012, Washington, DC, contact William Curtis, 740-2290, wcurtis135@aol.com
Space and Missile Maintainers(SAMM)Reunion, 13-14 April 2012, Patrick AFB, FL. For details go to http://wwfacebook.com/events/260582264014628/ or contact John Baker at jbaker2007@cfl.rr.com.
Association of Air Force Missileers 2012 National Meeting - Great Falls, Montana in 10-14 October 2012. Registration form in this issue or on line.
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