Vol. 32 No. 2
July 2014
The Devil's Own
Grim Reapers!
The Magazine of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association OUR HERITAGE - 13th Aero Squadron, 14 June 1917 www.13thbombsquadron.com
13th Bomb Squadron Change of Command at Whiteman AFB
July 2014
President’s Corner
What better way to spend
so fill out the application, send it in, and look forward to a great vacation!
Friday, the 13th of June, at 1313 hours, than to attend the 13th Bomb Squadron Change-of-Command Ceremony at Whiteman AFB, Missouri! Eight Association members and wives attended this traditional ceremony for commanders, in which Bob Butterfield the out-going CO Lt Col Jeff (Opie) Schreiner passed the squadron flag to incoming CO Lt Col Rob (Stab) Makros, in front of all squadron members, base personnel, and honored guests. During the ceremony, Colonel Schreiner received the Meritorious Service Medal for his outstanding leadership of the squadron over the past two years. His many accomplishments included flying in joint and combined operations, with US and Allied forces, from multiple locations in the Pacific. He will now be assigned as the Department of Defense representative to a joint nuclear study group in Washington, D.C.
Our 2015 Reunion will be September 16-20 in Branson, Missouri. However, while we are at Providence, we will be selecting the reunion site for 2016. Since 2016 is scheduled for the West, Armed Forces Reunions has recommended three sites for us to consider: San Diego, Portland or Albuquerque. Please give these cities some thought before going to Providence, as well as any other locations you would like considered. The last cities we have visited in the West (since 1998), from the most recent, are: Reno, Tucson, Colorado Springs, and Seattle (2002). You may have noticed that the cost of printing the Invader is much less now than it was for editions printed before 2013. The reason is Editor Don Henderson has been creating the magazine layouts himself, prior to submitting them to West Press, thereby saving that previous cost. To express our thanks to Don for his fine work in providing us with an outstanding and professional magazine, and for saving us considerable money, the Association Board of Directors unanimously approved a two-thousand dollar bonus for him. When you see Don at our reunion in Providence this fall, please take the opportunity to thank him personally.
Colonel Makros is no stranger to our Association, having attended the Tucson reunion in 2010. He has served in B-2 operations at Whiteman from 2006 to 2010, and most recently was the Director of Operations for the 72nd Test/Eval Squadron there. Earlier in his career, he flew the F-15E and was a pilot instructor in the T-38 trainer. We congratulate Colonel Schreiner for his strong performance as the head Reaper, and welcome Colonel Makros to what has to be the best command job in the best squadron in the Air Force!
And, speaking of Don‌.thanks to those of you who have sent in fun and serious accounts of what went on during your Reaper days. Every item is interesting to readers, and all are worth the few minutes it takes to write them down and send them to him. So, put on your thinking caps and jot down any little/long anecdotal information you happen to remember from our 13th days. These personal experiences help to make the Invader our unique magazine. Hopefully, your story will trigger the memory of another member. These testimonies help to remind us of how it was in the 13th and how we made it all happen.
Our next important date is October 1st, when we begin our 2014 Reunion in Providence, Rhode Island. If you haven't yet, please sign up by using the Activity Registration Form in the back pages of this issue, and select the trips and meals you would like. Join us for another fun adventure together in New England with trips to Boston and Newport and the Red Shirt Night Mystery Dinner Theater. Ideal fall weather is expected,
The last item for my last President's Column is that this will be my last one. My second, two-year tour as 2
July 2014
president has been two-and-one-half years, because we switched back from spring to fall reunions. It is time for a new president, and time for me to devote more of my time to helping MaryAnn as manager and promoter of her passion for writing—and to help in her effort to raise the awareness of bullying prevention in elementary schools. MaryAnn has been a big help to me in doing my job as president, and I thank her for the hours and assistance she has given me—and for her patience as I have handled the job. (For Better or for Worse may fit in here somewhere.) Thank you, Cherie. We will be electing a new president at Providence, so please be prepared to be my successor, or to nominate a member to take over our nation's best Association. It is a dynamic job, and I have been so proud to have served as president during a time of transition from the original Korean Era founders to the Vietnam Era and beyond. We have done a lot together to continue the tradition of the 13th Reapers—the new website, new Invader editor, new reunion coordinator, good reunions at Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and Reno, and the close relationships we have built with the active duty
squadron—are all things that continue to make us the strong Association we are. The next transition will be from the Vietnam Era to the Global War on Terrorism Era. And this is why we are working hard to recruit the active members of today to serve as the foundation for the Association in the years ahead. When you think of the unity of having Association members who represent over seventy-two years—from WW II to today—we can be so proud to be part of a long line of warriors who have helped keep America strong and set the example for our future warriors to carry on the tradition. Thank you for your support. We will see you at Providence. Reaper Pride! Bob
The INVADER is the official newsletter of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association, a Non-profit organization. The INVADER is published three times yearly for the benefit of the Association members. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association or of the Department of the Air Force. *Members of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association must maintain contact with the Association or after two years of not communicating with the association, a member will no longer receive the INVADER or the Directory . Editor: Don Henderson 254 Freeport Road New Kensington, PA 15068-5421 Tel: (412) 417-6667 e-mail: Don@HendersonGDI.com Henderson Graphic Design & Illustration www.HendersonGDI.com
For 13th Bomb Squadron Association Hats & Patches please contact John Fortier at (310) 540-2596 or john_fortier@msn.com or write to him at 713 South Broadway Street Redondo Beach, CA 90277
The INVADER masthead displays the principal combat aircraft of the 13th Squadron since its initial activation in 1917. ©13th Bomb Squadron Association 2014
Our Cover features Col. Edward Martignetti, Commander, 509th Operations Group, outgoing 13th Bomb Squadron Commander Lt Col Jeffrey T. Scheiner and incoming 13th Bomb Squadron Commander Lt. Col Robert H.W. Makros. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Bryan Crane)
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Officers of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association Robert L. (Bob) Butterfield 7912 Madison Plantation Way Fredericksburg, VA 22407 rl.butterfield@hotmail.com
President
1st Vice President/
Secretary
Member at Large WWII
Member at Large Vietnam
2nd Vice President
Charles J. (Charlie) Brown 905 Holbrook Circle Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547-6733 charley6272@yahoo.com
Locator Data Manager
Edward T. (Tighe) Carvey 6980 Olympic View Ct. Silverdale, WA 98383 tcarvey@wavecable.com
Treasurer
Edward D. (Ed) Connor, Jr. 1217 Earnestine St. McLean, VA 22101-2646 ravenfive5@verizon.net
Member at Large Korea
Member at Large GWOT
Robert R. (Bob) Koehne 23332 SE 225th St. Maple Valley, WA 98038 csrrk@comcast.nett
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James R. (Bob) Parks 3219 Tavern Oaks St. San Antonio, TX, 78247 bob-parks@satx.rr.com
Roger A. Bauman 5664 S. Basalt Ave. Boise, ID 83716-9007 rbauman@cableone.net
Roy L. (Bud) Compton 2021 158th Street NW Marysville, WA 98271 budcomp13@frontier.com
Karl J. (Buck) Shawhan 4014 Buccaneer Blvd. Plattsmouth, NE 68048 shawhan9@gmail.com
July 2014
Missing In Action… By Bob Butterfield
Charles W. (Bill) Burkart III was a little boy who waited in vain for the dad he loved to come home from the war—and he is still waiting.
Captain Everett O. Kerr Navigator/Bombardier and Captain Charles W. Burkart, Jr. Pilot
The following information was provided by the
assuming it was lightning or St. Elmo’s Fire. Because of the poor weather, the flight leader decided to abort the primary target and proceed to the alternate target. When the flight broke out into the clear weather at the rendezvous for the alternate target, one B-57 had disappeared from the flight. The missing aircraft's rotating beacon and navigation lights were bright and flashing when entering the weather, and Opal 57 had been in formation at last contact prior to weather penetration.
Department of Defense:
On 13 June 1966, Captain Charles W. Burkart, Jr. (Pilot) and Captain Everett O. Kerr (Navigator/Bombardier) departed DaNang Air Base at 0100, in B-57 #554268, call sign Opal 57. They were one of three Canberra aircraft accompanying the RB-66 aircraft, call sign Robin 11, on a night-strike mission over "Route Package 1" in Laos. The four-ship flight flew a tight diamond formation to the target, with Opal 57 in the third ship position, right wing.
All aircraft attempted to call Opal 57 on assigned frequencies and guard channel, with negative results. No shock waves were felt, and no lock-ons were received by other B-57 aircraft in the flight. There were no indications of radar contacts by the accompanying the RB-66, nor voice contacts or beepers heard. The last known position of the aircraft was between 1715N/10545E (WE 797 072) and 1722N/10543E (WE 761 201) on the heading of 050
At 0154 hours, on approach for the bomb run, the flight encountered rain and severe weather, including lightning flashes and low visibility, on the heading of 090 degrees at 20,000 feet, between grid coordinates 1715N/10545E (WE 795 100) and 1722N/10543E (WE 759 220). The crews of Opal 55 and 56 noticed a reddish, yellow glow in the air behind the flight, but did not pay much attention to it
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July 2014 sent them to him. Bill was overwhelmed when he received this information, saying that nothing could have made him happier and that he had cried with joy upon learning more about his father. Bill is a member of The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, and attends their annual meetings in Washington, D.C. These meetings are coordinated jointly with government briefings. Bill gets to review information about his dad with JPAC, DPMO and DOD officials, but so far, little has been available to him. The League’s sole purpose is to obtain the release of all prisoners, and to insure the fullest possible accounting for the missing and repatriation of all recoverable remains of those who died serving our nation during the Vietnam War. Since the end of the war in 1975, the remains of 910 Americans have been returned to the United States and identified; however, there are 1,643 Americans who remain missing. One member, Francis J. McGouldrick, Jr., 8th Bomb Squadron, who was lost in a B-57 on 13 December 1968, was found on 22 May 2012, and identified on 28 August 2013. The League’s mission continues.
degrees. A search was not conducted on 13 June 66 due to weather conditions. It was later reported that Spooky 11, an AC-47 aircraft operating in the area of 165130N/10601E, observed a large fireball in the vicinity 1654N/10558E (WE 778 137) in the late evening hours, but reported no visual sightings.
If you can provide Bill with any information about his dad, please send it to him directly, or call or, e-mail him!
An organized search for Opal 57 began at 0737 hours on 14 June 66, with two A-1E's participating. A thorough visual and electronic search was conducted, without any findings or sightings. However, during the late evening hours of 13 June 66, an HC-130 aircraft, not participating in the organized search, heard an emergency radio beeper for one second, silence for three seconds, the beeper for one second, and silence thereafter. The signals were too short to be homed in on. No visual sightings were made by the HC-130.
Charles W. (Bill) Burkart III 288 Hunters Creek Boulevard Lebanon, Tennessee 27087 E-mail: bme2007@aol.com Cell (615) 569-5080
The organized search was suspended at 1352 hours, 14 June 66, after a thorough area search without results. DOD continues to look for this missing crew and aircraft, but as yet have not been able to locate the crash site, except to name the Kammouan Province in Laos as the most likely location. On 14 June 2013, forty-seven years later, a memorial service with full military honors was held at Arlington Cemetery for Charles W. (Bill) Burkart Jr. Several months later, his son, Charles W. (Bill) Burkart III, saw a picture of his father on the 13th Bomb Squadron Association website in the Vietnam Era section and contacted me to see if I, or any other members of our Association, could provide him with any information about his dad. I located a photo of his dad with Everett Kerr, along with copies of some military orders for awards that included his dad, and
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MIA
Additional information on Col. Charles W. Burkart, Jr., reprinted from http://airforce.togetherweserved.com
On 13 June 1966 then Lt. Col. Charles W. Burkart, Jr., (Capt), pilot; and 1st Lt. Everett O. Kerr, (Capt), navigator; comprised the crew of a B-57 Canberra in a flight of 3 aircraft conducting a night strike mission against Route 911, the primary road running through the Mu Gia Pass and south in Khammouan Province, Laos. The mission identifier for this flight was Steel Tiger. The three strike aircraft departed DaNang approximately 0100 hours. Prior to reaching the target area, the flight was forced to separate due to bad weather. Once Lt. Col. Burkart's B-57 arrived in the target area, it rendezvoused with the rest of the flight, the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC) responsible for controlling all air operations in this region and the Forward Air Controller (FAC) responsible for directing their strike mission. After checking in with the ABCCC, the strike aircraft were handed over to the FAC who directed them to proceed with their briefed mission. At 0154 hours, the last known radio contact was established with Lt. Col. Burkart and 1st Lt. Kerr. The Canberra's crew transmitted that they were roughly 8 miles southeast of the city of Ban Som Peng at that time. Further, they did not indicate they were experiencing any difficulty with the aircraft or the mission. During the course of the operation, other air crews tried to establish radio contact with Lt. Col. Burkart and 1st Lt. Kerr, but were unsuccessful in doing so. When the ABCCC was also unable to establish radio contact, the pilot requested an aerial search and rescue (SAR) operation be initiated. In the poor visibility and darkness, the other air crews saw no parachutes. They also heard no emergency radio beepers emanating from the jungle below. At first light the SAR aircraft searched the sector in and around the area of last contact. When no trace of the missing aircraft or its crew was found along Route 911 or in the surrounding jungle covered mountains, the SAR effort was suspended. Because of the intense enemy presence throughout the entire region, no ground search was possible. At the time the formal search was terminated, both Charles Burkart and Everett Kerr were listed Missing In Action. At the time of last contact, the Canberra was operating just to the west of Route 911 as it ran through a densely forested long and very narrow valley with steep, rugged mountains rising up on both sides. The Xe Rangfai River weaved its way through the rugged mountains less than Âź mile east
of Route 911 at the location of loss. The entire sector was heavily defended and densely populated with communist forces. The location was approximately 3 miles west of a Binh Tram, a way station used by communist forces as they moved along the Ho Chi Minh Trail; 8 miles northwest of Ban Thapachon, 13 miles south-southeast of Ban Senphon; 20 miles southwest of the Lao/North Vietnamese border and 24 miles south of the Mu Gia Pass. It was also 58 miles westsouthwest of the major North Vietnamese port city of Dong Hoi. SYNOPSIS: The B-57 Canberra was one of the aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force to bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Canberra first came to the Vietnam theater at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964. It proved to be vulnerable for working targets over North Vietnam, but proved effective in the armed reconnaissance Trail operations of Operation Steel Tiger. The Canberra was sometimes used in conjunction with other aircraft, such as the C-130, and was especially effective on night missions. Capt. Charles W. Burkart Jr. was the pilot and Capt. Everett O. Kerr the navigator of a B-57 Canberra assigned a night strike mission over Laos on June 13, 1966. Capt. Burkart's aircraft was flying in a flight of three planes. Prior to reaching the target area, the flight became separated due to bad weather. The last known radio contact from Burkart and Kerr was approximately 50 minutes after takeoff at Da Nang. Their approximate location was about 8 miles southeast of the city of Ban Som Peng in the Ban Karai Pass region of Khammouane Province, Laos. Despite search efforts, no aircraft wreckage was located, and no emergency beeper signals were detected. Burkart and Kerr were classified Missing in Action. When 591 Americans were released from prisoner of war camps at the end of American involvement in the war, Kerr and Burkart were not among them. Not one American held in Laos had been released. In early 1979, thirteen years after their disappearance, Kerr and Burkart were administratively declared dead based on no specific information that they were alive. Charles W. Burkart was promoted to the rank of Colonel and Everett O. Kerr was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the period they were maintained missing. 7
July 2014
An Unlikely Weapon, Saigon, 1968 By Don Henderson
AP Photo -Eddie Adams
During the Korean War, Eddie enlisted and became a U.S. Marine Corps Combat Photographer. With skills gained as a combat photographer, Eddie had a thirst for action and found work with several different newspapers with larger and larger circulations before landing a job with Associated Press.
We've all seen the photo. It was front page news in all its gory detail. A photo that stopped you in your tracks and one of three key photos from the Vietnam era that collectively changed history, but according to the man who shot the famous photo, it didn't tell the whole story. Edward T. Adams, or "Eddie" to his friends, was from New Kensington, PA, the town I live in. He was born on June 12th, 1933. He grew within walking distance from where I live. New Kensington was a mill town along the Allegheny River in Westmoreland County, about 18 miles north of Pittsburgh and home to ALCOA Aluminum. Parts of the Manhattan Project were worked on here. "New Ken" was a hard nose town with a reputation as a mob town, with bars and after hours clubs, no less than 5 movie theaters, several hotels. It was a very active place with a booming business district. In that business district was a camera shop called Ken Kamera run by a guy named Lou Cavaliere.
With the Associated Press, Eddie was thrust onto the world stage covering the Vietnam War. Working at the AP's Saigon bureau, Eddie was always hopping helicopters to get out where the fighting was, but on a fateful day, February 1st, 1968 the fighting came to him. He found himself on the streets of Saigon armed with his trusty Leica M4 camera and smack in the middle of one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War, the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive was launched on January 30th, 1968 by a Communist force of about 80,000 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars. It was a campaign of brutal violence with surprise attacks against both military and civilian targets. The offensive was a countrywide attack concentrated on more than a hundred towns and cities, including most of the provincial capitals, five autonomous cities, 72 district towns and the southern capital of Saigon. Rocket and mortar attacks were followed by bloody street to street battles where civilians caught in the middle were especially vulnerable. In Saigon, one of police chief General Nguyen Ngoc Loan's senior officers, and his wife
Eddie grew up tough, but from a young age he was interested in photography. He bought his first camera at Ken Camera on an installment plan that Lou Cavalier jokingly always claimed that Eddie never made the last payment. Armed with his camera, Eddie worked for the school paper and yearbook. He shot weddings and portraits. He also shot scenes around New Kensington and he eventually worked for the local paper, the New Kensington Dispatch.
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July 2014 and children, were brutally murdered. The murderer was Nguyen Van Lém, also known as Captain Bey Lop, a member of the National Liberation Front, the Viet Cong. Taken prisoner the day after the murders, Captain Bey Lop was brought to General Nguyen Ngoc Loan and summarily executed in broad daylight on a Saigon street in front of Eddie Adams and a television film crew, and soon the world. Eddie Adams had taken a photo that showed the brutality of the Vietnam War up close and personal. The photo went "viral" via the AP Wire Service – it appeared top of the fold in every major newspaper around the world. AP photographer Eddie Adams was suddenly world famous. In 1969, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Spot Photography. But it was an award he didn't want, for a photo that he was sorry he took. World opinion saw the execution of a prisoner, not the bloody path that led to his execution on a Saigon street. The photo to many became proof positive that the war in Vietnam was unjust. The American public and popular opinion focused on this one instant, this one "click" of a camera shutter rather that all the horrors committed by the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive. Eddie was quoted as saying: "The general killed the Viet Cong; I killed the general with my camera. Still photographs are the most powerful weapon in the world. People believe them, but photographs do lie, even without manipulation. They are only half-truths."
never able to escape that one photo that made him famous. Eddie Adams passed away in 2004 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease).
Protesters, opposition politicians and the media used the photo to sway public opinion against the war. To Eddie it was just another photo that he took in a bloody war where he took thousands of photos. In the greater scheme of things it wasn't a great photo to him, nor was it a photo he was proud of, unlike the "Boat of No Smiles", a series he did on the Vietnamese boat people. Those photos help influence President Jimmy Carter to admit 200,000 Vietnamese refugees into the United States at the end of the Vietnam War. Eddie would have rather been remembered for those photos and for the many other great photos that he took in his long career.
Beyond the photo that made him famous, throughout his career, he mentored many photographers. Eddie Adams with his wife, Alyssa establish "Barnstorm, the Eddie Adams Workshop", a free workshop for aspiring photojournalism students on his farm in Upstate New York. Each October, the brightest stars in the world of photojournalism are matched up with 100 students from all over the world for a 5 day intensive workshop that has launched and enriched the careers of some of the best young photographers covering world events today.
Eddie went on to cover 150 wartime operations in Vietnam and went on to have an amazing career covering wars in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, Portugal, Ireland, Lebanon and Kuwait. Eddie showed his versatility as a photographer in work that covered everything from entertainment, to fashion, to international politics for magazines as diverse as Penthouse, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Vogue, TIME, Newsweek and Parade Magazine where his photographs appeared on over 350 covers. He photographed presidents and dictators, sinners and saints in a career that lasted half a century. However despite his long and storied career, Eddie Adams, the tough ex-Marine from the mean streets of New Kensington was
Pulitzer Prize winning photographer David Hume Kennerly, who also covered the Vietnam War, said that Eddie Adams' photo of the Saigon execution is "one of about five great photographs of the 20th century that really changed history." “If you’re this man, this general, and you just caught this guy after he killed some of your people… How do you know you wouldn’t have pulled that trigger yourself? You have to put yourself in that situation… It’s a war.” -Eddie Adams An unlikely weapon indeed. To learm more about the Eddie Adams Workshop, visit www.eddieadamsworkshop.com
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Meritorious Service Medal, Third Oak Leaf Cluster to Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey T. Schreiner
Col. Edward Martignetti, Commander, 509th Operations Group prsents Lt Col Jeffrey T. Scheiner with the Meritorious Service Medal. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Bryan Crane)
Attention To Orders: Citation to accompany the award of Meritorious Service Medal, Third Oak Leaf Cluster to Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey T. Schreiner, 28 May 2011 – 13 June 2014 Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey T. Schreiner distinguished himself in performance of outstanding service to the United States as Commander, 13th Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Operations Group, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. During this period, as 509th Bomb Wing Chief of Safety, Colonel Schreiner's outstanding leadership provided flawless execution of two Class B aviation mishap boards and Interim Safety Board President for a Class A fatality. His guidance directly led the wing to an Outstanding rating for safety during 2011 Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command Nuclear Surety Inspection as well as garnering a weapons safety award, nuclear surety plaque, and a ground safety award. As 13th Bomb Squadron Commander, Colonel Schreiner stepped up as the Detachment Commander for the first ever multiple location deployment of the B-2 in the Pacific involving 181 Total Force Integrated Airman and over 4.4 billion dollars in assets.
Additionally, his seamless coordination and 100 percent sortie execution set the standard for future B-2 use in global deterrence operations and shaped the development of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's guidance for bomber operations worldwide. Furthermore, as the deployed commander for Exercise RED FLAG-N 14-1, he led 176 Airmen, garnered 10 superior performers and was lauded by the exercise staff for the squadron's tactical leadership in all mission areas. Finally, in the nuclear mission, Colonel Schreiner's leadership directly contributed to 13 superior performers across multiple exercises and inspections culminating in the squadron being the command's nominee for the prestigious Citation of Honor for outstanding contribution to national defence. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of Colonel Schreiner reflects great credit upon himself and the United States Airforce.
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Change of Command
The Change of Command is a time honored tradition going back to the earliest days of the military. On 13 June 2014, the 13th Bomb Squadron saw the departure of Lt Col Jeffrey T. Schreiner and welcomed a new commander, Lt Col Robert H. W. Makros. Lt Col Makros joins a distinguished list of leaders who have commanded the 13th Squadron dating back to 1917 at Kelly Field, when Capt Maxwell Kirby, the first CO, picked the 13th for his new squadron. In 97 years, the 13th has had many distinguished leaders, the following lists their names and dates of command: 13th Aero Squadron: Capt Maxwell Kirby, 14 Jun 1917; 1Lt Charles T. Trowbridge, 18 Sep 1917; 1Lt Raymond C. Sunborn, 26 Jan 1918; 1Lt Hugh O. Ellis, 19 Mar 1918; Capt Charles J. Biddle, 24 Jun 1918; 1Lt Dickinson Este, 24 Oct 1918. 104 Aero, later, 13 Attack Sqadron:
Lt B. L. Corson, 25 Aug 1917; 1 Lt Edward A. Waters, 25 Sep 1917; 1 Lt J.M. Rhodes, 17 Jun 1918; 1 Lt Edward A. Waters, 2 Jul 1918; Capt Clearton H. Reynolds, 22 Jul 1918; Capt William R. Holcombe, Aug 1919; Capt Dogan H. Arthur, Nov 1919; 1 Lt Lloyd L. Harvey, Mar 1921; 1Lt William L. Wheeler, 27 Jun 1924-c. Dec 1931; 1 Lt Ralph F. Stearley, by Dec 1931; 1 Lt William L. Wheeler, by Dec 1933; Capt Edward M. Morris, by Dec 1934-c. 13th Bomb Squadron Oct 1936; Maj Auby C. Strickland, Aug 1937; Capt Frank A. Armstrong Jr.,Nov 1939; Maj Bernard S. Thompson,31 Dec 1939; Maj Arno H. Lueman, 1941; Capt James Orr, 19 Jan 1942; Maj Herman F. Lowery, 2 Apr 1942; Maj Alexander G. Evanoff, 25 May 1942; Maj Harold V. Maull, c. 25 Nov 1942; Maj David M. Conley, 4 May 1943; Maj Arthur Small, 13 Oct 1943; Capt Theodore G. Fitch, 21 Dec 1943; Maj Alfred E. Baucom, 4 Mar
1944; Capt Richard L. Walker, 27 Aug 1944; Capt Ansel L. Boiter (acting), 19 Mar 1945; Maj Donald J. MacLellan, 27 Mar 1945; Capt Melville W. Fisher, 12 Sep 1945; Capt Howard W. Knudsen, 19 Nov 1945; 1Lt John W. Bryden, 27 Dec 1945; Capt F. M. McMullen, 28 Mar 1946; Capt W. F. Maughan, 1 Jul 1946; Maj Arnold P. Burris, 28 Aug 1946; Maj T. J. Price, 21 Apr 1947; Lt Col J. P. Crocker, 22 Sep 1947; Maj C. H. Gross, 21 Jun 1948; Lt Col Robert E. Jarrell, 12 May 1949; Lt Col Walter S. King, 17 Oct 1950; Maj John J. Davis, 21 Feb 1951; Lt Col Joseph H. Belser, 1 Mar 1951; Lt Col Alvin R. Fortney, 14 Dec 1951; Lt Col Estes B. Sherrill, Jul 1952; Maj Vincent R. LaBerge, Nov 1952; Lt Col David W. Allerdice, 1953; Lt Col Stanley D. Kline, by Jul 1953; Lt Col Richard D.Salter, by Dec 1953; Maj John E. Rees, 16 Jan 1954; Maj Edward F. Taylor, 1 Jul 1954; Maj John E. Rees, 9 Jul 1954; Maj Edward F. Taylor, 16 Aug 1954; Lt Col Robert A. Sedgwick, 22 Aug 1954; Lt Col Arthur Small, 1 Mar 1955; Lt Col William D. Miner, 8 Apr 1955; Lt Col Marcus H. Worde, 14 Jun 1955; Maj Howard W. Ice, 14 May 1958; Lt Col Richard A. Christenson, 9 Jun 1959; Lt Col William W. Sams, 20 Aug 1960; Lt Col Donald A. Luttrell, Aug 1963; Lt Col Billy A. McLeod, Oct 1963; Maj Howard F. O'Neal, 26 Sep 1964; Maj Billy J. Gregory, 2 May 1965; Maj Floren B. Nelson, 4 Jul 1965; Lt Col William J. Amos, 19 Jan 1966; Lt Col George W. Cap, 13 Feb 1967-15 Jan 1968. 8 Feb-22 Apr 1969; Lt Col Paul R. Pitt, 23 Apr 1969; Lt Col Edward K. Matthews, 1 Aug 1971; Lt Col David D. Brandt, 23 Apr 1972-c. 30 Sep 1973. Lt Col Robert S. McCormack, 14 Jun 2000; Lt Col Gerald P. Plourde, 27 Jul 2001; Lt Col Karl J. Shawhan, 8 Jul 2003; Lt Col Thomas A. Bussiere, 3 Jun 2005; Lt Col William G. Eldridge, 13 Jun 2006; Lt Col Jason R Armagost, 1 July 2008; Lt Col Mark Pye 12 Jun 2010; Lt Col Jeffrey Schreiner 15 June 2012; Lt Col Robert H. W. Makros 13 June 2014.
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(U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Bryan Crane)
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Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey T. Schreiner Out going CO, 13th Bomb Squadron
Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner took command of the 13th Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, MO in 15 June 2012. Prior to this assignment he was the Chief of Safety for the 509th Bomb Wing. He managed flight, ground, and weapons safety to include nuclear surety for the B-2, the Air Force’s premiere dual role stealth bomber. Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner was born in Kansas City, Missouri, September 1, 1973. He graduated from the USAF Academy in May of 1996 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science. Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner’s first assignment was Laughlin AFB, TX for Undergraduate Pilot Training. Upon graduation from flight school, he was assigned to Air Education and Training Command’s 87th Flight Training Squadron (FTS), Laughlin AFB, TX. During his tour with the 87th FTS, he served as a T-38 instructor pilot and assistant flight commander. In June of 2000, Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner was reassigned to the 394th Combat Training Squadron (CTS), Whiteman AFB, MO. After spending a year as an instructor pilot and evaluator in the T-38 Companion Trainer Program, Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner completed B-2A initial qualification training.
He was a distinguished graduate of the Squadron Officer School residence program in 2002. He held several jobs in the 393rd Bomb Squadron including Chief of Scheduling and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation. He also held dual qualification in the T-38 and B-2 as an instructor and evaluator pilot. In July of 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner was selected to attend the United States Air Force Weapons School where he graduated with the prestigious flying award (Top Stick). After weapons school graduation, he held a variety of jobs at Whiteman AFB to include: Chief of Weapons and Tactics and Assistant Director of Operations in the 393rd Bomb Squadron, 325th Weapons Squadron, and 509th Operations Support Squadron. Before leaving Whiteman he was the Assistant Director of Operations and Chief of the Mission Planning Cell where he oversaw all B-2 combat planning for worldwide operations. Returning to the Air Force Academy Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner served as the Air Officer Commanding of Cadet Squadron Twenty Five, the “Rock Hard Redeyes.” In this job he directly developed and mentored over 300 cadets and was chosen as the Outstanding Air Officer Commanding of Basic Cadet Training in 2010. Lieutenant Colonel Schreiner is married to his high school sweetheart the former Crystal Copp of Independence, Missouri. He is the father of two boys and one girl, Alexander (14), Wyatt (10), and RileyAnne (9). EDUCATION: 1996 Bachelor of Science Degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, 2002 Master of Business Administration, Webster University, MO, 2002 Squadron Officer School (Correspondence), Maxwell AFB, AL 2003, Squadron Officer’s School (Residence), Maxwell AFB, AL, 2004 United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV, 2006 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence), Maxwell AFB, AL, 2009 Master of Leadership and 14
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(U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson/Released)
Counseling, University of Colorado—Colorado Springs, CO, 2012 Air War College (Correspondence ), Maxwell AFB, AL ASSIGNMENTS: 1. August 1996 - September 1997, student, specialized undergraduate pilot training (AETC), Laughlin AFB, TX 2. September 1997 - February 1998, student, pilot instructor training (AETC), Randolph AFB, TX 3. February 1998 - May 2000, T-38 instructor pilot, 87th Flight Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, TX 4. May 2000 - November 2001, T-38 instructor/ evaluator pilot and B-2A upgrade student, 394th Combat Training Squadron (ACC), Whiteman AFB, MO 5. November 2001- July 2004, T-38 and B-2 instructor/evaluator pilot, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 393rd Bomb Squadron (ACC), Whiteman AFB, MO 6. July 2004 - December 2004, student, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV 7. December 2004 – July 2006, Chief of Weapons and Tactics and Assistant Director of Operations, 393rd Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO 8. July 2006 – October 2007, Assistant Director of Operations, 325th Weapons Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO 9. October 2007 – May 2008, Assistant Director of Operations/Chief of Mission Planning Cell, 509th Operations Support Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO 10. May 2008 – May 2009, student, University of
Colorado—Colorado Springs 11. May 2009 – June 2011, Air Officer Commanding, Cadet Squadron 25, USAF Academy CO 12. June 2011 – June 2012 Chief of Safety, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, MO 13. June 2012 – Present, Squadron Commander, 13th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO FLIGHT INFORMATION: Rating: Senior Pilot Flight hours: Over 3,000 Aircraft Flown: T-52A, T-38A, B-2A MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION: Second Lieutenant May 1996 First Lieutenant May 1998 Captain May 2000 Major Apr 2006 Lieutenant Colonel Dec 2010
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Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. W. Makros Incoming CO, 13th Bomb Squadron
Functional Component Command for Global Strike, USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, NE. He was directly responsible for developing, maintaining and publishing the Nation’s overall strategic war plan. Lt Col Makros is married to the former Lt Col Beth Crimmel from Colorado Springs, Colorado. They have three daughters, Brynn (7), Chloe (4) and Bailey (2). EDUCATION: 1998 Bachelor of Science, US Air Force Academy 2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL 2007 Air Command & Staff College (correspondence) 2009 Masters of Aerospace Safety, University of Central Missouri, MO 2010 Air Command & Staff College (residence) 2010 Masters of Military Art and Science, Air University, AL 2013 Air War College (correspondence) 2013 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk VA ASSIGNMENTS: 1. September 1998 – October 1999, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, MS (Distinguished Graduate) 2. November 1999 – December 1999, student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Columbus AFB, MS 3. January 2000 – January 2001, student, F-15E training, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC 4. February 2001 – July 2003, F-15E pilot, Mountain Home AFB, ID 5. August 2003 – October 2003, student, T-38 Pilot Instructor Course, Randolph AFB, TX 6. October 2003 – May 2006, T-38 Instructor, Vance AFB, OK 7. May 2006 – January 2007, student, B-2 training, Whiteman AFB, MO (Distinguished Graduate) 8. February 2007 – May 2009, B-2/T-38 Evaluator, Assistant Director of Ops, Whiteman AFB, MO
Lt Col Makros is the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) Director of Operations where he directs operations and support for 43 military and civilian personnel, as well as some 60 test sorties annually. The 72 TES is responsible for operational test and evaluation of the B-2 stealth bomber and all related logistics support and combat employment recommendations. Lt Col Makros received his commission through the United States Air Force Academy in 1998. He is a senior pilot with more than 2,600 hours and has flown two major weapons systems, the B-2 and F-15E. He has over 150 F-15E combat hours in OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH and has served as an instructor and evaluator pilot in the B-2 and T-38. His previous assignments include 509th Bomb Wing Chief Standardization and Evaluation, 393d Bomb Squadron Assistant Director of Operations, 25th Flying Training Squadron T-38 instructor pilot, and 391st Fighter Squadron F-15E pilot. Prior to his current assignment, Lt Col Makros was Chief, Aircraft Strike Branch at the Joint 16
July 2014
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Bryan Crane)
9. June 2009 – June 2010, Chief, Wing Standardization and Evaluation, Whiteman AFB, MO 10. June 2010 – June 2011, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL 11. June 2011 – August 2012, Chief, Global Strike Operations, USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, NE 12. August 2012 – June 2013, Chief, Aircraft Strike Branch, USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, NE 13. June 2013 – Present, Director of Operations, 72nd Test/Eval Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS: June 2011 - June 2013, Chief, Global Strike Operations and Aircraft Strike Branch, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, as a Lieutenant Colonel FLIGHT INFORMATION: Rating: Senior Pilot Flight hours: More Than 2,600 Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, F-15E, B-2
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: Distinguished Flying Cross Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air Force Combat Action Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION: Second Lieutenant May 1998 First Lieutenant May 2000 Captain May 2002 Major Dec 2007 Lieutenant Colonel Dec 2011
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13th BOMB SQUADRON REUNION 2014
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cont. on page 23
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cont. on page 24
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13th BOMB SQUADRON REUNION 2014
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cont. on page 25
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As of November 2013
William J. Beniger May 12, 2014 Flight Engineer 1953-54 Duane E. Geer May 7, 2014 Navigator 1954-55 James W. Braly August 27, 2013 Pilot 1952 Edward T. Emerson August 3, 2013 Gunner 1952-53
Deaths Not Previously Reported
Rest In Peace Joyce B Hester, Jr. September 5, 2012 Pilot 1970-71 James M. Chastain, Jr. August 2, 2011 Photographer 1941 Abraham E. Shook February 25, 2014 Pilot 1950
Jerome A. Bierman August 28, 2013 Crew Chief 1953-54 Donald F. Marrin February 16, 2012 Engineer 1952-53 Bernhard G. Kaltman May 26, 2012 Navigator 1954-55 Benjamin H. Casto January 30, 2009 Armament 1953-54
Lee J. Logan February 15, 2013 Crew Chief 1952
I'll Fly Away By Albert E. Brumley
Some bright morning when this life is over I'll fly away To that home on God's celestial shore I'll fly away I'll fly away, oh glory I'll fly away in the morning When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away
When the shadows of this life have gone I'll fly away Oh how glad and happy when we meet I'll fly away When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away I'll fly away oh glory I'll fly away in the morning When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away
22
Just a few more weary days and then I'll fly away To a land where joys will never end I'll fly away I'll fly away oh glory I'll fly away in the morning When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away I'll fly away
July 2014
The Hot SEAT Editor’s Comments
Ever since art school, I have had a fascination with
the camera. As part of my graphic design course at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, I had to take a Black & White photography course. The moment I saw that first image start to appear on the photographic paper in a tray of chemicals, I was hooked. I'm sure it was much the same for anyone who has ever set foot in a darkroom, there is a magic to it. As my career in graphic design developed and getting married and having kids, I found I had less and less time to devote to photography for fun, other than to take family photos and vacation photos. Plus film photography was an expensive hobby. A typical comment from my wife would be "that's a dumb picture" and God forbid the photo comes out blurry, over exposed or under exposed. You get a few negative comments and you tend to shy away from taking photos.
At the end of last year, after working with Eddie's cousin Peggy Martone and Dolly Mistrik of the Alle-Kiski Valley Heritage Museum, an application was submitted. We learned early this year that the application for the marker for Eddie Adams Don Henderson, Editor was not approved at this time by the Pennsylvania Historic Review Board. Their reason was that he hadn't had a significant enough impact locally to warrant a marker. Since the rejection, we have submitted information that focused on Eddie's local impact and hope the Historic Review Board will agree with us and approve the well deserved marker for Eddie Adams.
On another photographic note, early on after meeting Charlie Hinton years ago, I learned of the rich photographic history of the 13th Bomb Then along came digital cameras and a whole Squadron. new era of photography. While early digital Air and ground crews of this squadron have cameras were nothing to write home about, the done an incredible job documenting not only the technology quickly evolved. It was like going from aircraft flown, but the crews who flew them and a simple Kodak box camera to a 35mm SLR – it the ground crews who armed and maintained was dramatic. I really didn't start to get back into them for the fight. Because of both amateur and photography till September 14th 2004, the day professional photographers in the squadron we New Kensington native and Pulitzer Prize winning have powerful images that tell the story of the 13th photographer Eddie Adams passed away from Lou from its earliest days at Kelly Field in Texas, to Gehrig's Disease. Eddie's death sparked something the aerodromes of France in the Great War, to the in me and changed my life. I began to think about between years when the squadron evolved from a ways to honor this Marine Corps Veteran in his fighter squadron into an attack and bomb squadron home town. If you have ever been to Pennsylvania, in WW II, Korea,Vietnam and now the modern era you have seen the blue and gold Pennsylvania with the B-1 at Dyess and B-2 at Whiteman. Markers in towns and along roads throughout the Commonwealth honoring people and places that Photos tell the history of the squadron in details are significant to Pennsylvania history. So the quest that the written word can't. They can also enhance the written word and give us a better understanding was on to honor Eddie Adams. of what it was like to be there and what you went My son and I brainstormed several ideas and decided through as Grim Reapers. It's nice to see that the to start a camera club in New Kensington and have photographic tradition continues with the Reapers as the main agenda to get an Historic Marker for at Whiteman AFB. I encourage the modern Reapers Eddie. Easier said than done, as we were to find to photograph the aircraft, the day to day life at out. Number one, the person had to be deceased 10 Whiteman and especially each, other so we can add years and they had to have made some significant your experience to the visual history of the 13th contribution in their life to merit a marker. Well if Bomb Squadron. As I tell people you read my article on Eddie Adams on page 8, you in my camera club, "Just Shoot It!" know the impact Eddie's photo had. 23
13th Bomb Squadron Association
Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID West Press 85726
Bob Parks 3219 Tavern Oaks St. San Antonio, TX 78247-3080 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Bryan Crane)
13th Bomb Squadron Association attendees at the Change of Command ceremony at Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Left to right, Bob Butterfield, Carl & Mary Renner, Ronald Jerrett, Al Cox, Bob Parks, Donald & Betty Kasson, with B-2, 80332, the "Spirit of Washington" in the background.