Association's 25th Annual Reunion in Dallas

Our 25^th Annual Reunion in Dallas was simply an amazing weekend for me, and I suspect for many others who were there!  Over the course September 4 thru 7^th I counted 40+ Blackhawks/Phantomhawks among the more than 280 folks who attended!  That’s the most members of the 225^th Surveillance Airplane Company I have seen in one place since George Drago flew me to Cam Ranh Bay to catch my DEROS flight home in June 1970!  A highlight for me was meeting for the first time a guy named John Britten!  John’s MOS was 84G20 (Photo Lab Tech) and I was his replacement in February ’68; he had left Phu Hiep in December, so I had never known him!  What a kick!

I also met a man named Jim “Doc” Rose.  Bill Page had asked me several times over the past months if I remembered Doc Rose and I had told him that I didn’t have a clue who that was.  Well, I met Doc Rose on Friday night after a great Texas BBQ at the Circle R Ranch (that’s where I met John Britten too). Bill and two other guys were BS’ing over drinks in the hotel lounge.  Always interested in meeting new guys at our reunions, I invited myself into this high level meeting.  The two other guys were Bobby “Bear” Sieker, a former 225^th pilot, and Doc Rose, Phu Hiep’s Flight Surgeon.  I had finally met Doc Rose!  He swears that he remembers me from the Photo Lab, but I still don’t remember him.  I also didn’t remember Bear Sieker.  No matter, friendships have been renewed 45 years later! 

On Friday morning as I was talking with Ron Gronith in the hotel lobby, Steve and Brenda Sachs walked in the door.  They had not registered for the reunion, but decided to catch a flight from Nashville that morning.  It was great to see them again; you’ll remember that Steve took Alex Berkeley and me on separate rides in his Stearman in 2010.  That morning they invited me to go with them to the Frontiers In Flight museum at Love Field.  Go to Flickr to see some photos I took.  This is a museum that, in part, showcases Southwest Airlines’ history, and also the history of flight from Kitty Hawk to the present. That evening we piled aboard chartered buses and went to the Circle R Ranch for the Texas BBQ, more beer and some brave souls even ventured to learn line dancing!  It all was great fun!

On Saturday morning we went to the Cavanaugh Flight Museum where we wandered through several hangers of beautifully restored WW1 and WW2 aircraft from all theatres of those wars.  The highlight for all of, though, was an OV-1 Mohawk that looked very much like it just rolled out of Grumman’s factory on Long Island.  The museum was kind enough to open the display so we could walk right up to it, touch it, and even attempt to climb into the right or left seat!  For me it was just an attempt; I don’t fold up like I did in 2001 when my son Tim and I were able to have our pictures taken sitting in the right seat!  Nevertheless, it was wonderful to see one of those beautiful birds up close again.  Here are some photos...

Former Observer Glade Merkeley told me the story of him being approached at his hotel (he was staying at another place) by a hotel maintenance man o asked him if he flew Mohawks because he saw Glade’s Association hat.  This man said he was a retired Russian soldier and that (I’m paraphrasing) “We were really afraid of the Mohawks” when he was a soldier in Eastern Europe.  What a wonderful story from this now US citizen!  I told Glade to see if he could find him and sign him up as an association member.

Of course, the Reunion wrapped up with a banquet that was very fun!  All in all, it was a very good 25^th Anniversary Reunion where we renewed old friendships, made many new ones from the 225^th and other units, drank too much beer, stayed up way too late and had way more fun than guys our age should be allowed to have!  I’d highly recommend that you attend our next party in San Diego in October 2015.

A Prayer Request...

The evening of July 1^st our friend Bucky Buchanan called me with a prayer request about a friend of his who was very ill.  Norma Glish, worked at Fort Huachuca as the aircraft dispatcher, records keeper and secretary of the Intel School (which later became the Combat Intelligence School) in flight operations while Bucky was there for 11 years in the early 1970s thru 1982.  Bucky and many friends of Norma and her husband Pete have kept their friendship alive over all these years.  Pete called Bucky with the news that Norma had Chemotherapy in Tucson for a week and was going to be admitted as an outpatient at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix on July 2^nd for further treatment of a very aggressive form of leukemia.  

According to Pete, the prospects of a favorable outcome from this type of leukemia were not real good.  When he called me, Bucky asked that I put a note on the 225^th Observer blog asking all of you to pray for healing and peace for Norma, and peace for Pete.  They both know that God is in control and in the middle of their circumstances, but that also it does not make their situation any less stressful.

I had written a short note and had sent it off to Bucky for proofing; in the meantime we had gone camping and had not gotten the revised note online.  Then on July 9^th, Bucky sent me the following:  “Gordy, Some very sad news.  Norma Glisch just passed away at 1.10 PHX time today.  NO plans as of yet.  Pete (her husband) called me and Larry Wilkerson to tell us and asked that we pass the word.  Pete will call me once he makes some preparations as to where and when they may have a ceremony.  I called Terry Clark, who also lives here in Jacksonville, and he is waiting for the obit or anything Pete will tell or send me and will then put it in the next Mohawker that goes out.  So for now just keep Pete and family in our prayers as we know that is the BEST help.”

I’ll keep you all posted on this blog and please also check the OV-1 Mohawk Association’s newsletter for Terry’s article.  And please keep praying for Pete Glish as he copes with Norma’s passing.

Savannah Reunion 2013

(Blogger’s Note (June 20, 2014):  I wrote this during and after our 24^th Annual Reunion in Savannah and then just never got around to publishing it.  Sometimes I find myself losing enthusiasm for my connection with my service in the Army, and it takes a while for that enthusiasm to refresh itself.  Anyway, I’m back and hopefully with be adding some more articles to the “The 225^th Observer” more regularly.)

On Wednesday morning, Sept 4^th, at zero-dark-thirty I waited by the window for the shuttle to Seatac Airport to take me to my flight to Savannah for our 24^th annual OV-1 Mohawk Association reunion.  My trip was routed through to a connecting flight at O’Hare.  While I was waiting for my flight in Chicago, Larry Jacquez from Visalia, California, spotted me as the flight was called.  Larry was in the 244^th Aviation Company, 502 Trans. Detachment at Can Tho; we were booked on the same connecting flight.  I had met Larry several times before at previous reunions and it was good to catch up.

After an uneventful trip, we landed in Savannah, a beautiful old city that is rich in history from the American Revolution and Civil War.  We caught a shuttle to the hotel and got settled at the Hilton Savannah Desoto.  I went to the lobby and ended up being invited to dinner by Steve Easley with several Spuds from the 131^st and their wives.  We went to The Olde Pink House and had a wonderful dinner and good fellowship with guys who I hadn’t previously known very well.  This was a perfect start to a great reunion!

During the course of the weekend I met many old (I hesitate to use the word “old”!) friends.  Willie Woods, an observer in the 225^th called me out of the blue nearly a year ago and we have conversed many times on the phone, but this was the first time we had seen each other since Vietnam!  Don Goodwin, who was a pilot when I first got to Phu Hiep, was there.  We had talked on the phone and emailed for a long time, but this was the first time we had had a chance to chat and get to know each other face to face in over 45 years.  What a kick!  I briefly met Larry Journell from Virginia.  Larry was an observer in the 225^th, but I didn’t get to know him then; it was great to meet him now!  Joe Beckham introduced me to Lloyd Piersawl, who flew Mohawks in Korea and Germany.  Again, I did not Lloyd, but any friend of Joe’s is an instant friend of mine.  Don Goodwin was a pilot in late 1968 early in my tour at Phu Hiep; I believe he was at the first reunion I attended in Lost Wages in 1998.  However, we had not really seen each other in 45 years!  What a kick to catch up and renew a friendship.

As far as I know this was the largest contingent of Blackhawks/Phantomhawks that have gathered at a reunion, at least in my recollection.  Here’s a list of the 225^th Aviation Company, Savannah 2013 Detachment: Bob Baugh, Joe Beckham, Don Bernstein, Tony Chapa, Gordy Darragh, George Drago, Joe Floyd, Don Goodwin, Ed Gulesserian, Larry Hagland, Steve Hammons, Larry Journell, Bill McNease, Henry Mohan, Bill Page, Ron Pitcock, Bob Riha, Steve Sachs, Ernie Serna, Allan Summers, Jim Thomas and Willie Woods.

We visited the Mighty Eight Air Force Museum ; the 8^th Air Force flew hundreds of bombing missions over Germany during World War II, eventually being instrumental in bringing Nazi Germany to its knees and ending the war in Europe.  One of the last B-17s built (this one under license by Douglas) is being lovingly restored there and is on display.  It’s gorgeous! 

I visited Savannah’s riverfront, part of which is paved with round rocks that were left from ships from Europe that discarded their ballast  (the rocks) that would be replaced by the cargo loaded for the return trip.  I also walked around the historic downtown a bit.  There are 22 “squares”, four of which were part of the original 1733 design of the city.  By 1851 there were 24 that were built into the original design of this wonderful old city.  When you walk around it you can just feel the history.

Our friend George Drago shared at Saturday evening banquet the circumstances around him being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism while he was in the 225^th.  I ran for XO but the membership elected Tom Hummel, who was an observer in the 131^st.  Bill McNease of the 225^th was elected as the new Membership Director and Terry Clark was elected as the Website Administrator.  I will fill out the rest of my second term that ends on December 31, 2014, as Secretary of the Association.

It was great fun, as always, seeing friends from the Army and sharing our war stories, however embellished they are.

Too much fun sitting and b-s-ing and drinking Bud with Bill Page, Larry Hower (not of the 225^th, but nevertheless a great friend!), Ed Paquette, Joe Beckham. Larry Hagland, Noble Atkins, lots of other guys.  Reminiscing with Steve Sachs, George Drago.  Seeing men like Don Goodwin who, like I said before, I hadn’t seen since 1968 (or maybe it was since 1998 at the LV Reunion, I don’t remember for sure…that seems to happening more as time goes on).  Anyway, it’s still too much fun, maybe more than should be permitted, for us older guys!

On the way home on Sunday I met a young Private (his name is Race Baker) at Savannah airport who was fresh out of AIT and going to his duty station at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks, Alaska.  It was fun to talk and encourage this young man who has decided to make the Army a career.  I’m hoping to keep in touch with him as he progresses on his chosen path.

There were 22 members of the 225^th in Savannah this year…I think this is a record.  All you other guys I hope will be in the “Big D” in September 2014 for the Silver Anniversary Reunion.  We will have some sort of 225^th Aviation Company, 2014 Dallas Detachment gathering there then also.  See ya then!