COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE

The

C MPASS
M ISSOURI W ING MARCH 2013
WINTER
AT THE

P.O. Box 637 St.Charles, MO 63302 St. Charles County Smartt Airport 636-250-4515 Fax 636-250-4515 www.cafmo.org

MISSOURI WING

E XECUTIVE S TAFF
WING LEADER Col. Patrick Kesler 28 Confederate Way St. Charles, MO 63303 636-928-5687 636-250-4515 Wing wingleader@cafmo.org ADJUTANT Col.Bob Moore 6 Hidden Meadow Court St. Charles, MO 63303 636-928-5546 home 314-486-1205 cell moorerw@charter.net EXECUTIVE OFFICER Col. Bob Lawrence 111 W. Essex Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-494-7539 cell 314-894-3200 x103 work FINANCE Col. Steve Gossett 4 Limerick Lane O'Fallon, MO 63366 636-474-9763 314-306-5021 OPERATIONS OFFICER Col.Craig O'Mara 1085 Graywolf Court Fairview Heights, IL 62208 618-632-6113 home 618-558-7211 cell craigo777@juno.com MAINTENANCE OFFICER Col. Pat Fenwick 6 Heather Drive St. Peters, MO 63376 636-441-2856 SAFETY OFFICER Col. Chris Herrmann 309 Clearwater Drive Belleville, IL 62220 618-233-4782 PIO OFFICER Col. Cecilia Holechek 314-920-5118 infocafmo@gmail.com

WING

U PCOMING E VENTS
NOTE: NC = Not Confirmed

Mar 9 Mar 9 Apr 6 Apr 13 May 11 May 24-27 Jun 8-9 Jun 8 Jun 22-23 Jun 28-29 Jul 12-13 Jul 13 Aug 10 Aug 17 57 Sep Sep 14 Sep 20-21 Sep 21 Sep 28 Oct 12 Oct 19 Oct 26 Nov 9 Dec 14

View The Compass in color at cafmo.org

B-25 Ground School 8:00am General Meeting 1:30pm Hot Springs, AR Aerospace Day B-25, TBM, LHFEs, PX General Meeting 1:30pm 4 General Meeting 1:30pm Columbia, MO Salute To Veterans B-25, TBM (LHFE rides at Smartt on May 27) Cameron, MO Airshow B-25, LHFEs, PX General Meeting 1:30pm Davenport, IA Quad Cities Airshow B-25, TBM, LHFEs, PX Cape Girardeau, MO B-25, TBM, L-3, LHFEs, PX Tarkio, MO Wingnuts Flying Circus Airshow TBM General Meeting 1:30pm General Meeting 1:30pm Sullivan, MO B-25, L-3 LHFEs, PX Warrensburg, MO Skyhaven Airshow B-25, LHFEs, PX General Meeting 1:30pm Camdenton, MO Lake Airshow B-25, L-3, LHFEs, PX HANGAR DANCE! Jefferson City, MO Open House B-25, L-3, LHFEs, PX General Meeting 1:30pm Mt. Vernon, IL Little Egypt Fly-In TBM, L-3, PX Smartt Field Open House & Pumpkin Drop General Meeting 1:30pm General Meeting 1:30pm

Saturday - March 9 - General Meeting - 1:30 pm

WING LEADER'S REPORT

Spring is near and we recently enjoyed the largest snowfall in years. Theres a 10 foot high mountain of snow & ice piled up on the west side of the ramp as I write, but it should be melted down by April. That did not slow-up our mechanics one iota. They havent missed a step and are working diligently in preparing our charges for the fast-approaching flying season. The required B-25 and TBM pilot ground schools are being held in early March and the L-3 will soon follow. B-25 and TBM maintenance taxi checks and test flights will be held between late March and early April. Pilot recurrency flights and checkrides will follow shortly for pilots not updated for the maintenance flights. These flights are restricted to minimum crew by FAA regulations, but there will still be a lot of activities associated with these required sorties that will require member participation and help. It will be great to hear (and smell) those mighty radial again! Please check the event schedule on the front page and get ready for a fun-filled, memory-generating eight months. The Airshow signup list will be made available in mid-March and will be located on a clipboard in the hangar hallway as always. If you are unable to make it out to the Wing to physically put your name on the list, please email me and express your desires. Be sure to read my article Airshows Are Coming and refresh your memory bank on what is required and expected of all members that participate as aircrew members and Junior Birdmen. New members should definitely read it and ask any pilot or experienced member questions you may have. Realistically, a majority of the learning will be generated while on the mission, but it is extremely important to know the required clothing and pre-mission requirements before you show up for the first outbound flight. It looks like we will not be attending the 71st Doolittle Raiders Reunion in Fort Walton Beach, Florida this April. There is no substantial funding secured for the reunion this time around. To quote Larry Kelley, the reunion coordinator: The Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce is the host this year to a much more subdued Raider reunion. Their budget is very limited. I am sure you have heard that the Raiders have announced that this is their last public reunion. They asked me to put together a group of four B-25s for some formation flying over the parade and down the beach for their beach party. I had not originally contacted the CAF units since they have the formation flying 500 restriction. The Fuel budget is blown and Event tickets (luncheon and Saturday night banquet) sold out the day I arrived for my planning meeting. The four B-25s that Larry is talking about are all privately owned and self-supporting. Upon consultation with the Staff, we have decided it would be cost-prohibitive to put 810 hours on SHOW ME to participate in this event. This would have been a great adventure, but it is hard to justify the fuel expenses and associated time on the engines. God Bless the Raiders as this will apparently be their last official gathering. I have been told that they will open the bottle of brandy and do a final toast with the remaining goblets in a private ceremony. For further Reunion information you can visit the website www.doolittlereunion.com/ . Please stay warm and dry and plan on getting active at the Wing. We can always use your help and certainly look forward to seeing the smiles, handshakes, and enthusiasm this organization continues to generate. Cant wait to hear those hangar doors opening and those tugs tugging! We are so fortunate!!!

And remember, you can help Keep Em Flying and have a great, rewarding time in your life while doing so. Its always great to make new memories especially when they are associated with the memories of that Great Generation. Respectfully submitted, Col. Pat Kesler, Wing Leader

Membership As the second month of the year comes to a close we only have 65.5% of the members dues received. As you may know these dues are much needed in order to help offset some of the costs that are required for us all to have a place to go and avoid housework, yard work and have a good time with our Wing friends . So please if you are one of the 34.5% that have not paid please do so. I also have to apologize about the delay in the 2013 Membership cards. I had plans this year to get everything out in the first month but somehow missed that goal. Those will go out soon. PX In recent years the PX participation has changed slightly at the events that we go to. Go back a handful of years and when booking the shows the Air Show Coordinator was able to secure a few rooms for PX staff. However that is not the case any longer. I am happy to say that I am offered assistance by many members to help with the PX. However there is now that reality and I am unable to bring extra hands with me due to lack of lodging. For the shows in which I am able to bring extra staff I will be sure to add those to the Air Show Sign in sheet that is posted at the Hangar. Website The ongoing saga of the Wing Website is one that is also ever changing. As I mentioned in the last General Meeting I have decided to rework the website again. I can bore you with many details but I will hold off on that. The good news is that I have partnered with someone that is knowledgeable in this new platform and have already began design on the members, gallery and a few other surprises! Col. Bob Lawrence

SAVE ENERGY AND $$$$$$

Col. $teve Gossett and I have recently become concerned about the fact that the Heater/AC has been heating the office area for days when no one is there. It is being left at a toasty warm setting and burning up utility dollars for no reason at all. Please if you come into the area and turn the thermostat up or down for heating or AC Be sure to turn it back down or up once you leave. The person that performs the adjustment is responsible for resetting it to the previous setting. For Winter months, it should be left at 50 degrees when not in use. Summer months dictate a setting of 80 degrees or higher when not in use. And remember, unless $teve or I are actually there, there is no real reason to use the heat/cool setting unless you will be occupying the office area for a meeting or work. Also, if it is being used, please keep both the outside and hangar hall doors closed or the unit will never catch up. Ready Kilowatt and I thank you. Col. Pat Kesler

AIRSHOWS ARE COMING!!!

It that time of the year and I always reprint this important article for all of the newer members and those older, experienced members like me that need their memory re-booted and refreshed. This article might look a little long but it is extremely important. So, please, sit down, relax, have another cup of coffee (or tea or whatever) and absorb as much as possible... you might want to save this article and review it prior to your first event. The 2013 Airshow schedule is being formulated as you read this. The shows are listed on the front page of this newsletter and new ones will be added as they are confirmed. Because the COMPASS only comes out once a month, we will be listing the shows on our website and also have a hard copy/clip board at the Wing. The Airshow Coordinator (Col. Matt Conrad), Operations Officer, and Wing Leader will be responsible for keeping this show schedule current. Airshows not only help us pay our bills but also provide us the ability to share our aircraft, mission, and expertise with the outside world. They help us keep the memories of that great generation alive and provide a visual, audio, and physical display of history. Each show will allow Wing members the opportunity to travel to and from the event on the participating aircraft or PX Truck. These members are designated Additional Crewmembers in so much as they complement the Pilot(s) in performing actual crew duties. While at the show, participants are normally provided hotel/ motel accommodations, meals, and lots of camaraderie. The PIC (Pilot In Command) of each aircraft is in charge and responsible for assigning duties and coordinating support of aircraft activities. Any current Missouri Wing member is offered this great opportunity and encouraged to participate as long as he/she is current on Wing and National CAF dues. Remember, all additional crewmembers must have participated in one of the B-25, TBM, or L-3 Aircrew Safety Training sessions. The participant must also be physically able to enter and exit the individual aircraft on his/her own power and should expect to be active on the ground while at the show. Duties include aircraft post-flight cleaning/wipe-down, assembling/disassembling the viewing stand, helping with aircraft fuel/oil servicing and manning the aircraft during the show. One should expect to answer general questions from the public while maintaining vigilance in providing a safe environment around the aircraft. Rest assured - you dont have to be an expert! There will be aircraft-specific flyers available, as well as experienced pilots and mechanics. You will learn a whole lot as the weekend progresses. We will insure there are airshow-experienced members in addition to the pilots on each trip to instruct and add guidance. Scheduling aircrews and PX support will be done by the Operations Officer, Wing Leader and members of the Staff. Signup will be available via the signup list posted in the hangar hall, emails, and as a last resort a phone call to the Wing Leader (please hold these to a minimum). In some cases, where there are more volunteers than seats, aircrew assignments will be based on past shows already attended, personal desires (i.e. hometown or family members residing close to the airshow area), and other factors. We will attempt to be as fair as possible and include as many different members possible in support of these shows throughout the year. I would like to emphasize that active Wing participation is, of course, a factor in the selection process and might be a deciding element when a tough decision is being made. Wing Participation includes helping out at the hangars, sweeping floors, emptying trash, museum help and any activity that betters our organization. We do realize that a lot of our members work full-time or have family commitments that prohibit weekly participation at the Wing, but also need to repay our hard-working members. Also, its important to be able to help out in preparing the aircraft prior to the show. Bottom line is that

there should be enough airshows available to get every interested member airborne. Also, remember that one of our primary sources of income while at the show is our great PX trailer. We definitely need support here and will guarantee you a good time selling t-shirts, hats, models, buttons and dog tags. While at the shows, we encourage all participants to share their time between aircraft and PX support/duties. All crewmembers should wear a flight suit (with patches) and have a MO Wing polo-type shirt available to wear when the PIC deems it appropriate. Crew attire/dress is controlled by the PIC and pre-briefed prior to reporting to the hangar for departure. This aspect of crew responsibility varies with events and is very important because of the image we present while off station. Participating in airshows is one of the more exciting and memorable activities offered by your membership in the Missouri Wing. Its always a fun time and will provide you with opportunities enjoyed by very few individuals. However, it is also an activity whose level of success is directly proportional to the amount of energy and dedication expended. You will have a great time, but you will also work for those great memories, excitement, and feeling of accomplishment. Get ready, get excited, spend some time at the Wing helping out, and lets all look forward to another great flying season. Col. Pat Kesler

T-33

C-47

Smartt Field Taxiway

Maybe it is just my sarcastic nature that makes me want to say perhaps common sense isnt so common anymore. However, due to recent events, I guess I need to reiterate the obvious. Anyway..Pop Quiz (I guess this is becoming sorta a trend) What do you do if you see something unsafe occurring? Take a second and think what actions you would take. Hopefully, you were able to come up with an answer that is very similar to the following: 1) Take immediate action. Stop your action or intervene and stop what others are doing. 2) Analyze the situation - Look for alternative ways to safely accomplish the task. I submit to you that you really should have started at this step, but in case you didnt, now would be a good time to implement one of these courses of action Some possibilities may include: - Get help from someone who knows how to properly do the task or is qualified on the task

GOT A SAFETY ISSUE??? HERE'S YOUR SAFETY TISSUE

- Get instruction on the task and learn the proper way to accomplish it - Do the job the proper way, with the proper tool and the right number of people - Dont be lazy: dont take shortcuts, move obstacles, clean up messes 3) Reattempt the task - Try again only if you have alleviated the unsafe condition. Now we need to take this a step further.what do you do if you cant correct the situation? At this point, you really dont have much of a choice but to get the wing staff involved. There are numerous ways to bring safety issue to our attention. I would prefer that you bring the issue to my attention first. You can talk to me in person or call me about the issue, you can send me an e-mail or you can even leave me an anonymous note in the distribution box in the hallway near the offices. You can contact leadership at any level to get help resolving the situation. Besides our aircraft being valuable equipment we cant afford to damage, you are a valuable asset and we cant afford to replace a damaged you either. Safety isnt just the Safety Officers job it is EVERYONES!! Get involved and help keep your wing a safe place to have fun. Col. Chris Herrmann

You might enjoy this from Col D. G. Swinford, USMC, Ret and history buff. You would really have to dig deep to assemble this kind of historical info. 1. The first German serviceman killed in WW II was killed by the Japanese ( China, 1937), the first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland 1940); and the highest ranking American killed was Lt. Gen Lesley McNair, killed by the US Army Air Corps. So much for allies. 2. The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old Calvin Graham, USN. He was wounded and given a Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age. His benefits were later restored by act of Congress. 3. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the top US Navy command was called CINCUS (pronounced sink us), the shoulder patch of the US Armys 45th Infantry division was the Swastika, and Hitlers private train was named Amerika. All three were soon changed for PR purposes. 4. More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the Marine Corps. While completing the required 30 missions, your chance of being killed was 71%. 5. Generally speaking, there was no such thing as an average fighter pilot. You were either an ace, or a target. For instance, Japanese Ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa shot down over 80 planes. He died while a passenger on a cargo plane. 6. It was a common practice on fighter planes to load every 5th round with a tracer round to aid in aiming. This was a mistake. Tracers had different ballistics so (at long range) if your tracers were hitting the target 80% of your rounds were missing. Worse yet tracers instantly told your enemy he was under fire and from which direction. Worst of all, it was the practice to load a string of tracers at the end of the belt to tell when you were out of ammo. This was definitely not something you wanted to tell the enemy! Units that stopped using tracers saw their success rate nearly double and their loss rate go down. .........AND YOUVE GOT TO LOVE THIS ONE 7. When allied armies reached the Rhine, the first thing men did was pee in it. This was pretty universal from the lowest private to Winston Churchill (who made a big show of it) and Gen. Patton who had himself photographed in the act. !!!! Definitely would not allowable in the Army of today????

11 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT WWII

8. German Me-264 bombers were capable of bombing New York City.....but they decided it wasnt worth the effort. 9. German submarine U-120 was sunk by a malfunctioning toilet. 10. Among the first Germans captured at Normandy were several Koreans. They had been forced to fight for the Japanese Army until they were captured by the Russians and forced to fight for the Russian Army until they were captured by the Germans and forced to fight for the German Army until they were captured by the US Army. AND I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST.... 11. Following a massive naval bombardment, 35,000 United States and Canadian troops stormed ashore at Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands. 21 troops were killed in the assault on the island. It could have been worse if there had been any Japanese on the island. Sent in by Col Joe Racine

Harpoon

A BRIEF HISTORY - THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Most people know what the Medal Of Honor is and what it means. Many may not know the history. Military medals were frowned upon by our nations early leaders as it resembled European aristocracy. The Fidelity Medallion was the 1st military award for valor. A small medal similar to a religious medal worn on a chain around the neck was only awarded to 3 militiamen of the Revolutionary War. The Badge of Military Merit was our nations 1st formal award for individual gallantry, established by General George Washington in 1782 for members of the Continental Army. Only 3 soldiers received this award, which consisted of a purple cloth heart (which in 1932 became the familiar Purple Heart). In 1847, the Certificate of Merit was established for soldiers of the Mexican-American War. These previous awards were for specific wars and phased out afterwards. There were no awards or medals at the start of the Civil War. In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln authorized the Navy Medal of Valor, which became the Medal of Honor in 1863, and over the next six decades, evolved into the 3 medals used currently, and shown below(Army, Navy, Air Force). During World War II, subsequent awards were established(Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star). Starting in 2002, recipients also receive a Medal of Honor flag. While not a military regulation, uniformed service members are encouraged to render salutes to recipients of the Medal of Honor as a matter of respect and courtesy regardless of rank or status. This is the only instance where a military member will receive a salute from members of a higher rank. Since 1861, 3,459 Medals of Honor have been awarded, including 1 woman, Mary Walker, a civilian Union Army surgeon during the Civil War. 19 men have been awarded a 2nd Medal of Honor. In 1919 it was changed so that a V device would be worn for an additional award. National Medal of Honor Day is 25 March. Live with Honor ~ Col Tim Mohr

1:30pm, February 9, 2013 CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLIGIENCE ROLL CALL OF STAFF: WL __ ADJ __ EXEC __ OPS __ MAINT __ FIN __ SAFE __ PIO __ RECOGNIZE VISITORS AND GUESTS MINUTES OF LAST MEETING in COMPASS INFIRMED MEMBERS COMMITTEE REPORTS: Compass John Coffey Gasoline Sales Jim Lammert/$teve Gossett Museum Jack Seeman/Joe Wurtz/John Eskew Web Site Bob Lawrence PX Bob Lawrence Recruiting & Membership Bob Lawrence Air Shows Matt Conrad LHFE Bob Moore Hangar Dance Pat Kesler OLD BUSINESS CHRISTMAS PARTY Saturday, January 5th. Great time. 60+ people. Awards. Planning on having another next year in early January. LATRINE QUEEN/KING Tim Mohr has volunteered for a couple months. T-33 Still there. New County Board member is looking into it. Via Bill Wehmeier. NEW BUSINESS STAFF REPORTS: MAINTENANCE___ EXECUTIVE___ OPERATIONS____ SAFETY___ ADJUTANT___ PUBLIC INFO___ AIR SHOW___ LHFE____ FINANCE___ AIRCRAFT STATUS: B-25 Annual Insp TBM Annual Insp L-3 A/W INDIVIDUAL MAINTENANCE AWARD Present to Buddy Welsh PX TRUCK INCIDENT Discussed MAINTENANCE STORAGE BLDG Building or trailers. Any ideas? HANGAR HALL AREA Next to be upgraded in Spring. Ideas encouraged. HQ WING STAFF CONFERENCE Feb 28>Mar 3 - Bob Moore & Bob Lawrence attending STEVE BROWN VISIT Wants to visit Wing. Recommend a 2nd Saturday when meetings occur and members are here. DOOLITTLE We (B-25) will probably will not attend 2013 FLYING SCHEDULE Discuss COMPASS Airshow Procedures article coming in March. NO OTHER ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION? Meeting Adjourned @ 2:40pm
Galveston, Texas F-100

GENERAL MEETING MINUTES

Dauntless Dive Bomber B-17

P-47

Privateer

COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE

MISSOURI WING P.O. Box 637 St. Charles, MO 63302-0637

MARCH 2013

SNOWY DAY

AT

SMARTT FIELD

Shane Roden (5) Bob Willhauck (6) Frank Galbraith (6) Greg Vallero (19) Ed Michelsen (22) Albert Stix (26) Mike Silberstein (27) Everett Feltham (31) Gary Tegler (31)

March Birthdays!

Compass Deadline: April Newsletter - Need info by March 23 May Newsletter - Need info by April 26