Welcoming Address for the C-133A Diamond Anniversary Reunion at DAFB:
May, 2014, Presented Upon Behalf of
the Reunion Committee
Ladies,
gentlemen, and guests, this evening we welcome one another back to DAFB for the
C-133’s seventh and final reunion, and to celebrate our Diamond anniversary
year.
Tonight,
we also pay homage to those members not with us because of illness, the natural
passages of life, or the fatal accidents that we endured.
I am
honored, humbled, and somewhat nervous to be here before you, peers all, as MC
and part of this final gathering of old friends who were colleagues at one
time. It has been some 60 years almost to the day since the Douglas C-133A
Cargomaster was initially funded and a few years later rolled out for its debut
in California. We can all say that we have been with it in spirit, if not body,
from its beginning to its end.
Given the
size of the USAF and the years gone by, we were a very small group maintaining
and flying a very large airplane around the world. It was an ‘eye popper’ for
all those seeing it. We were
involved in important and memorable missions with the best air and ground crews
ever assembled. Should I use the word ‘elite’ to describe us all? I think so! When one surveys today’s aero technology, we were iron men in
wooden ships.
There
were a mere fifty C-133’s built, based at two locations, and their lifespan and
“heyday’, the 1960’s, were compressed into a very short period compared to
nearly all other AF aircraft. The final landing of a C-133A, 61999, some 35 years
after its official retirement and subsequent private ownership, was at the
Travis Air Show in 2008 prior to it becoming a part of their AMC Museum
display. Now, sadly, there are no more.
In one of
the quirks of our history, the C-133A now at Travis AFB was originally a DAFB
bird, and the display here was originally a Travis bird. That incongruity between what one would
expect to happen and what actually happened has created a closer relationship
between the two Museums and among all the veterans associated with this
historic transport. We are now
family; and, we now have an obligation, one to the other, to maintain these
special aircraft that were an unusually important phase in the life of military
cargo flight. . And, we therefore
offer kudos to those doing so at the Dover AFB AMC Museum, as well as Travis
AFB.
As an
example of the unique capabilities of both the crews and the Cargomaster, our
C-133A set a number of unofficial records, including records for military
transport aircraft on trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes. Among the
longest were non-stop flights from Tachikawa AB, Japan to Travis AFB, CA (17:20
hours on 22 May 1959, and Hickam AFB, HI to Dover AFB, DE in about 16 hours.
The only FAI officially sanctioned record was in December 1958, when C-133A
62008 lifted a payload of 117,900 lb to an altitude of 10,000 ft at Dover AFB,
DE. I would surmise that some here
tonight had a direct hand in these and other records.
Our
reunions, including this 7th, have always celebrated a grand and glorious
interval of our life- that of our service in the USAF, our personal
relationship with the C-133A, and Dover AFB. We were young then, very young,
and it was a time like no other in our lives. For those our age, throughout our
military service and most of our civilian lives, we were actively involved in
the containment of Communism. And, it was for good reason. Communism killed over 100,000,000 men,
women, and children, not to mention the near 30,000,000 of its subjects that
died in its often-aggressive wars and the rebellions it provoked. Communism was the great and evil story
of the twentieth century and at its zenith, ruled a third of mankind. It seemed
poised to spread indefinitely and then it collapsed like a house of cards. It
had violated one of the basic tenets of civilization, “Thou shalt not kill.”
But, for
us, Peace was our nation’s tenet, and DAFB C-133’s were integral in mission
support of our country’s fundamental belief in worldwide democracy leading to
individual freedoms. Unfortunately, what we have learned from history and
endured throughout our life is that peace is a far more complex affair than
war. So complex that peace often seems beyond humanity’s reach.
The
century of our lives became the bloodiest of all time in spite of our best
efforts toward peaceful resolutions. Atrocitologists
have estimated total military and civilian casualties ranging up to
275,000,000. Thucydides the Greek first noted almost
twenty-five centuries ago that peace is an armistice in a war that is continually
going on. And, so it seems.
However,
this continuous ongoing and out pouring of concern for one another for well
over 50 years poses an interesting but central question, “Why?” Our mere
attendance would seem to suggest a simple answer; enduring friendship
engendered by our small size with a big mission. We flew the line with dangerous cargo to risky and unusual
places. Flying the line gave us an independence and responsibility here and in
foreign countries at a young age that few ever obtain. Adding to that was the short span of
operational years along with the high percentage of mysterious losses that
created a special esprit de corps among us.
But, the
“Why” is more complex than that and we have to look into antiquity to
understand it. So, here is the
more complex answer to these many years leading to a Diamond Reunion among the
few USAF veterans associated with the C-133A at DAFB.
The
reasons for our reunion and hundreds of others involving military veterans
revolve about two concepts: one important to the nation; and, the other
important to those who served the nation in uniform.
The
former, importance to the nation, is the common sense observation that escapes
many of our citizens and the political bodies of the country: that military
organizations exist to win wars.
Winning the nation’s wars is the military’s functional imperative. In fact, it is the only reason for a
liberal society to maintain standing armies. We were personally a part of that important national
organization dedicated to preserving freedom and protecting our citizens. We
were proud to be so and to do so.
And, we remain so.
The
latter, importance to the veterans, is traced to antiquity. Aristotle conceived it and the Greeks
called it ”philia”. It is broadly
defined as ‘brotherly love’ and it
is the glue of the military ethos, then and now. It is that bond formed among disparate individuals who may
have nothing in common but facing the dangerous unknowns of military duty. We
performed personal acts to help one another that were inherently good. That was the major critical factor for
our success during some of the trying times we faced with the C-133A.
As we
were few in numbers, every single person was important; one to the other, as a
friend, as a professional colleague, and as a cog in the always-turning wheel
leading to successful mission accomplishment. The tragic loss of one was a loss
to all, as our relationships were based upon loyalty, affection, and a shared
experience.
“Philia” exists to this day as the foundation for all military organizations throughout the world. The many reunions of veterans that we see taking place every year, including ours, results from an ethos first noted by the ancient Greeks. It exists in the USAF from the ground crews to the flight crews; and, tonight we have participants from all levels of our C-133 organization. Philia never leaves the individual and the individual never leaves the military. That ethos, ‘brotherly love’, remains to our last.
During these reunion days we have been enjoying the fruits of our ‘enduring friendships’ that were fostered by our ‘brotherly love’ that began over 50 years ago here at DAFB. They were the offspring of our relationship with the world’s flagship military air transport, the C-133A Cargomaster. It was the unselfish nature of service for the nation in the uniform of the USAF that brings us together, once again, for the last time, for celebration and to embrace America’s Exceptionalism.
I am not
certain there is another AF retiree group that shares such mutual feelings of
trust and affection as we. We were
one then; we are one now; and, we will remain as one to the last! However, after this night’s
event, we will slowly fade away; as do all good citizen soldiers with the
knowledge that we helped secure a better and safer life for our families, the
nation, and the world.
We were
not heroes; we were just ordinary citizens from all walks of American life
dedicated to the preservation and the good will of our beloved country. We can stand proudly knowing that we
did our duty by honoring our country without rancor during one of its most
troubled and dangerous time. I
ask: What more could we have done? We have accomplished our mission, and this
evening we shall rejoice in the peace of such knowledge.
Tonight,
for a short time we are once again young, so enjoy your meal, enjoy your
stories, and enjoy the time together that has been so fleeting.
Upon
behalf of the reunion committee we offer a sincere welcome, and thank you for
your attendance.
Richard L. Spencer, Ph.D.
Lt Col, USAF
Ret.
39th
ATS, MATS
DAFB, DE 1962-1965
