An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Commentary Search

August Retiree's Corner

  • Published
  • By Robert “Bob” Barkalow Jr. (retired)
  • 169th Fighter Wing

I estimate we had around 65 folks at our July Luncheon. Jeff Osmer came all the way from Mt. Pleasant. It was good to see him. Our featured speaker, Lt. Col. Chris Gamble, the 169th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander, gave us a complete rundown on the unusual maintenance problems they had while in Sweden, plus he fielded many other questions. It was a great Luncheon and he did a marvelous job.

McEntire History:    While doing some research, along with the assistance of Nelson McLeod, we uncovered that one of our members, Archie S. Thorpe Jr., joined the Air Guard July 17, 1949, at 17 years of age. He subsequently was called up for the Korean conflict as a corporal assigned to the Utility Flight, 157th Fighter Squadron. Later, he was called up with the Berlin Crisis group, this time as a technical sergeant assigned to Headquarters, 169th Fighter Group. And yet later, he was part of the Desert Storm deployment as a master sergeant assigned to the 169th CAMS. Assuming he retired on his 60th birthday, he contributed 42 and a half years as a SCANG Member. I bet he went on other shorter deployments such as Panama, Hawaii, England, and Norway. I don’t think anyone can match this record of length of service and activations. In fact, in my June Retiree’s Corner, I left off with Tech. Sgt. Archie S. Thorpe Jr., who had a nickname of “Mutt.”

So it’s back to the Berlin Crisis deployment folks, which we are still recognizing the folks assigned to Headquarters, 169th Fighter Group. Rank will be at the time of deployment and if I have any information on these individuals it will be under the Remarks column. If I have no information on them, then it will be left blank, usually meaning they were one-term members.

NAME REMARKS
Staff Sgt.  
Peter O. Allan  
William D. Bouknight Retired in 1990 as a CMSgt
Harold E. Guerry Retired as a colonel in 1990
Richard E. Huffstetler Retired as a SMSgt in 1984, ran the McEntire canteen for a while
James B. Kelly Jr.  
Jimmy W. Nelson  
Harry O “Jack” Nichols Jr. Retired as a Maj. in 1985
William E. Padgett  
Charles H. Risinger  
Trezevant T. Timmons Retired as a CMSgt in 1994, ended up in the civil engineer squadron
Deleon R. Wallace Retired as a CMSgt in 1992
Raymond E. Williams    
   
Airman 1 Class  
Johnny L. Bedenbaugh  
Julian F. Branham  
George B. Brazell Jr.  
William N. Cobb Retired as a CMSgt in 1999, became a Senior Enlisted Advisor
John P. Fruit  
Pinckney K. Holmes  
Oda B. Kelley Jr.  
James L. Kyzer  
John H. Lockman  
Hiram H. Moseley  
Hubert H. Paul Jr. Retired as a SMSgt in 1995, he died 1/14/2009, on our Monument
Crosson K. Roland  
Hal B. Tyler  
Roland R. Wilson  
   
Airman 2nd Class  
James W. Carter  
John Q. Caughman  
Henry J. Corbin Jr.  
Michael W. Edmonds  
Fairy M. “Max” Fralix I remember Max for being the president of the S.C. State Employees Credit Union
James E. Hunter  
Rodney B. Kelley  
Thomas B. Kinard Jr.  
Heyward L. King Jr.  
Gordon R. Vison Jr.  
Tommy B. Wessinger  
John W. Williams Jr.  
David E. Wilson  
   
Airman 3rd Class  
Robert C. Aiken Jr.  
James K. Ball  
George D. Brown  
William C. Clough  
Birkett L. Floyd  
Henry W. Kennedy  
Houston D. Mason  
David A. Mitchell  
Charles R. Moseley  
Robert E. Palmer Jr.  
James E. Rawls  
Ellison D. Smith III  
William D. Sword  
Charles L. Wooten  
   
Airman Basic  
James D. Fanning  
William Howard Jr.  
William B. McGill Jr.  
John D. Monroe  
Francis E. Toledoano Jr.  
Charles W. Wooley  

I apologize in advance if I missed a Retiree, but with so many names and lists floating around me and my head, and without massive amounts of research time, it becomes hard and tedious. If anybody spots a missed Retiree, please let me know, I’ll check it out and publish the Retirees name at a later date.

Our next Luncheon is August 6 at the Fort Jackson NCO Club at noon, come see us. The food and banter is always good.