Scott AFB, Illinois circa 1986
Scott AFB in the cornfields of southern Illinois was not our favorite Air Force location. No beach, freeze in winter, bake in summer, no mountains, and most of all for Marjorie. No Charleston.
BUT—- it was the headquarters of the Military Airlift Command and as the Command’s Comptroller and an Air Force colonel, I was at the high point of my career.
It was also a true slice of Americana. A series of small farm towns O’Fallon, Belleville, Mascoutah, Fairview Heights, Shiloh, Breeze and New Baden. Patriotism was honored (not mocked) schools were excellent and had rules to be obeyed. A high schooler caught with weed was booted from the football team and maybe suspended from school to get his attention. Law enforcement was respected. There were Homecoming celebrations with Kings and Queens selected. Churches were major parts of the communities. In other words, it was a great place to raise a family. It was like a Norman Rockwell print.
One afternoon in late May, a Chief Master Sergeant who worked in my Division, honored me by asking me to speak at a Memorial Day Service at his church in New Baden. I agreed and it proved itself to be a wonderful experience for Marjorie, me and our youngest son, Jeff.
Before I spoke, we had a remarkable color guard made up of elderly vets who were magnificently out of step, but so real and so honestly America loving. And of course, a wonderfully out of tune trumpeter who played the entire National Anthem so Rockwellian. ( is that a word?).
My speech focused on the Vietnam memorial wall in DC with its 58000+ names. That wall takes my breath away every time I visit. I do know some of those names.
The other memorial I mentioned was the Korean War Memorial which featured a tribute to the field nurses who saved many lives while risking their own. The tribute was a sculpture of a field nurse comforting a wounded soldier. It was reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Pieta.
After my speech there was, of course, a parade. My wife. Marjorie, son Jeff and me were sort of grand marshals I guess We rode in an open, big convertible and felt like the Royal Family.
What an experience!! Thank you Chief. God Bless America.
