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September Retiree's Corner

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bob Barkalow (retired)
  • 169th Fighter Wing

For the past year or so, we have been honoring the Berlin Crisis Call-Up folks. We are now down to the last 102 members, all assigned to the 169th Material Squadron, forerunner of the 169th Supply Squadron, and 169th Resource Management Squadron, and now presently part of the 169th Mission Support Group. There were many members that stayed with this unit. Some members transferred to other units after this deployment.  The ones that did stay and reenlisted in SCANG became the core of leadership and supervisors of key units and sections throughout the Air Defense and Tactical Air periods of SCANG history. Leading us into the next major deployment 30 years later, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, which I will cover after finishing the Berlin Crisis Call-Up. After reviewing the remaining 102 names for future retirees, I may slip in one more person, who was a retiree, since we are down to the lower ranking folks, many who got out after the deployment and their enlistment. Next month I cannot spot one retiree from the remaining 50 names. So let’s work on the next to last Berlin Crisis folks, from what I can see there were only five members out of 52 being honored who became retirees.

We are still in the pandemic mode with the virus curtailing our luncheons since March, and the future is not looking real bright for future luncheons. We will see. However, we have been sending out pictures lately of individuals from the 1990s to keep everyone’s spirits up, and trying to keep everyone interested and informed.

Berlin Crisis Call-Up continued:

The next to last group of 169th Material Squadron Call-Ups are as follows:

-Airman 1st Class Wilmon R. Hutto, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Johnny E. James, believed to be our Johnny James in Operations, not sure what he was doing in the Material Squadron back then, Johnny retired in 1997 as a Senior Master Sgt., he passed away September 6, 2017, and his name is on our monument.
-Airman 1st Class Willie E. Johnson, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Lanny W. Keisler, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Johnny P. Knox, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Jimmy D. Miles, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Maury E. Miller, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Lawrence D. Price, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class James W. Ramsey, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class James C. Rogers, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class James T. Rollins, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class James S. Rouquie, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Lynn F. Shealy, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Clarence L. Simmons, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class Carl C. Snelgrove, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class William R. Sprawls, I have no information on him.
-Airman 1st Class James B. Wannamaker, he was Billy Wannamaker’s brother, he passed away April 19, 2019. He stayed in about 11 years but then left for the S.C Department of Transportation and raising Brangus cattle. 
-Airman 2nd Class Thomas E. Anderson, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Charles E. Baker, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Edward D. Beall, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Olin D. Branham, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class John H. Brittain, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Derrill R. Broome, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class James G. Brown, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Robert G. Buckner, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class William O. Buyck, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class James Y. Campbell, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Donald W. Davis, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Eugene C. Drafts, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Marvin H. Dukes, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class John R. Durant, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class James G. Dent, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Raymond F. Ellison, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class James A. Fischer, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Claude R. “Randy” Frick. Randy retired as a Lt. Col. in 1997 from the 169th Resource Management Squadron. He is still living.
-Airman 2nd Class Charles E. Gable, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class LeGrand Guerry, III, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Grady G. Hart, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class David J. Hogg, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Leslie C. Ingram, not sure when he retired and he died. He was in CE as a fire fighter and died in 1999. His name is on our Monument. He has a brother Adrian Ingram who is still living.
-Airman 2nd Class Charles R. Jackson, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Thomas E. Kelley, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class David S. Lever, Jr., David retired in 1999 as a Chief Master Sgt., believe he stayed primarily in POL. He is still living although in a nursing home.
-Airman 2nd Class Douglas C. Mahaffey, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Guy H. Merchant, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Marshall E. Motley, John’s brother, and John’s Jr. uncle, he lived on Motley Road. He just stayed for one term.
-Airman 2nd Class Dan S. Murchison, Jr., I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class David L. Oswald, I have no information on him.
-Airman 2nd Class Alfred R. Rowe, he retired in 1994 as a Master Sgt. He passed away May 28, 2012. His name is on our Monument.

Many people attached to this Squadron were farmed out to augment other Guard units all over Europe, some went to Moron, Spain, while others went to France and Germany, and perhaps other countries. The running tally thus far, we have honored a total 688 individuals, of which a known total of 191 stayed in as active members and became a dominant leadership force in the S. C. Air National Guard for subsequent years. This month there were only five individuals who eventually became retirees. We have another month to go, but looking at all 50 of them none retired that I am aware of, so next month, there will not be any additional Retirees. 26 percent of the Berlin Crisis Call-Ups became retirees and future leaders. The new 191 totals breaks down to one Maj. Gen., five Brig. Gens., four Cols., 19 Lt. Cols. seven Majs., two Chief Warrant Officers, 50 Chief Master Sgts. 34 Senior Master Sgts., 58 Master Sgts., 10 Tech Sgts. and one Staff Sgt. totaling to the 191 known retirees.

Next month, I will wrap up the Berlin Crisis Call-Up, and simply list the rank and names of the remaining 50 Call-Ups since I have no further information on them. At this time, I cannot predict when the luncheons will start again, so I will keep you updated from time to time, all one has to do is read the newspapers or listen/watch the news, it’s either about the virus or upcoming election and politics. We get a daily dose of it!