Forum » Winter of '53 -'54 - Fairchild AFB

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	Posted by Gilbert Mitchell on 03/06/2004 10:15pm I was first stationed at Fairchild AFB in the winter of '53-'54 and assigned to Brks. # 250 It was an open bay job, self fired coal furnace,wood floor and no insulation. My partners in crime were a group of ex-B-26 and B-29 Gunners who were not at all happy "plumbing"20mm's in a B-36.Names I remember were "Dirty Jim " Hannifin, Vern Hayden, Crutchfield, Charlie Redd,Wendell West,and two Jim and Allen with the same last name I can't recall.These were the real heroes from Korea and and a bunch of close knit troops. Every Saturday, the wing Commander would have a Parade and at least a few of this group would be honored with another Flying Cross or Purple heart or another cluster of some sort. I was a newby and a Bomb Nav man with a group of veterens who knew how to party.I would very much like to know if any are still out there somewhare. As close as they were, I think that if only one was contacted, he would know the whereabouts of others.That was one hell of a cold and long winter.We worked 12 hours a day, ate in an army AAA (Nike) mess hall , had to eat breakfast and dinner in Class A's.We shoveled runway lights in our "off" duty hours I remember the first series was a 18" square around each taxi and runway light. Then they changed to 18' round circles and we had to go back and fill in the corners. The cold war was on literally.

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Posted by Gilbert Mitchell on 03/06/2004 10:15pm
I was first stationed at Fairchild AFB in the winter of '53-'54 and assigned to Brks. # 250 It was an open bay job, self fired coal furnace,wood floor and no insulation. My partners in crime were a group of ex-B-26 and B-29 Gunners who were not at all happy "plumbing"20mm's in a B-36.Names I remember were "Dirty Jim " Hannifin, Vern Hayden, Crutchfield, Charlie Redd,Wendell West,and two Jim and Allen with the same last name I can't recall.These were the real heroes from Korea and and a bunch of close knit troops. Every Saturday, the wing Commander would have a Parade and at least a few of this group would be honored with another Flying Cross or Purple heart or another cluster of some sort. I was a newby and a Bomb Nav man with a group of veterens who knew how to party.I would very much like to know if any are still out there somewhare. As close as they were, I think that if only one was contacted, he would know the whereabouts of others.That was one hell of a cold and long winter.We worked 12 hours a day, ate in an army AAA (Nike) mess hall , had to eat breakfast and dinner in Class A's.We shoveled runway lights in our "off" duty hours I remember the first series was a 18" square around each taxi and runway light. Then they changed to 18' round circles and we had to go back and fill in the corners. The cold war was on literally.

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