Guest Book 1997

4453rd CCTW Guest Book
1997 - 1998

Col. George A. Devorshak
(10 Apr 1998)

Subject: Phantom Phlyer

Tom, you've put together a great page that brought back memories of my checkout in the F-4 at MacDill. I was in the 12th TFW, 558th TFS, and started my F-4 transition from the F-84 in late 1963. My first 4453rd IP was Capt. Doug Peterson (he's now our U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam), and I remember so many of the guys I flew with to this day. Those were great days, and all the super Phantom Phlyers and Phyxers made it even greater.

Col. George A. Devorshak USAF(Ret)

Chuck Lobalbo ( palaka@velocity.net or balbo@worldnet.att.net )
(3 Feb 1998)

LARRY GROVE AND CHUCK LOBALBO ARE LOOKING FOR SOME OF THE GUYS OF
4453rd's O.M.S. AND F.M.S. THAT REMEMBER US BETWEEN 1963-1967. FROM
MACDILL TO DAVIS-MONTHAN

Buck Seibert ( BUCKSEIBERT@Prodigy.net )
Kentucky
Home Page: ( http://pages.prodigy.net/buckseibert )
(26 July 1997)

Subject: 4453 Combat Crew Training Wing

I was one of 4 airman sent to an empty office building at MacDill in November 1962. On arrival, we met SMSgt Haynes and Col Frank K. Everest. One of the other airman had a military drivers license so we went to the motor pool, checked out a truck and went to base supply to get two desks, two office chairs and 4 folding chairs. As you can see, we were there from the very beginning of the 4453rd. Actually, the 4453rd didn't activate till early in 1963. This was somewhat of a problem as SMSgt Haynes or Col Everest would send us on an errand and we would identify ourselves as part of the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Squadron. Since it hadn't been activated yet, we would get a lot of grief. Eventually, we furnished the office building with more desks and put up partitions. We ran errands for the 1st Sgt and the Col. We collated flight and maintenance manuals and many other things that I cannot recall 35 years later. I do remember one day a new NCO reported in. I sat just outside Col Everest's cubical so I was handy when he needed an errand. I also had big ears. This new NCO asked if he should buy a home or rent. Seems he had heard a rumor that the 4453rd, (which still hadn't activated), would be moving to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. Col Everest laughed and said they were spending big money to build a simulator etc. and that we would be at MacDill a long time. Go ahead and buy a home. In Jan 1963 I went TDY to Miramar NAS, Calif for F4 Powerplant school. Three of us bought a 54 Ford for $90 and drove it back to MacDill. (This is a story in itself) We had to stop numerous times in the desert because of overheating problems. One of the stops was in Tucson and I remember seeing a sign with an arrow saying Davis-Monthan AFB x miles. I recalled the conversation between Col Everest and the NCO and thought I was glad we would be at MacDill. It was less than a year later at a Commanders Call at the Base Theater at MacDill that Col Everest announced that within a few months we would be transferring to Davis-Monthan. I always wondered if that NCO had some real scuttlebutt or it was just a coincidence. I would love to ask Col. Everest about this. I truly believe he didn't know anything about it at the time.

After my return from Miramar, I was assigned to the Engine Shop. I worked Periodic Maintenance and Minor Repair. With brand new aircraft and new tooling, we had few problems. General Electric Aircraft Engines sent us several technicians from their Ontario, Calif service shop to give us some pointers and to help train us on the J79. I remember two. Redus and Valus. I hope that is the correct spelling. One of our Tech Reps was Tom Dozier.

We moved to Davis-Monthan in increments over a period of a couple of months in 1964. I was in the second last increment to leave MacDill and after a Delay en Route to visit home, I arrived in Tucson in July or August 1964. I learned to love the desert and Davis-Monthan AFB. We heard a rumor that we would be trading in our T33's, (which were used for navigational training), for T38's which were new to the inventory. I wanted to go to school on the T38's engine, the J85, so I managed to get myself assigned to the T33 section of the engine shop. We never did get those T38's but I had some great times working the T-Birds. I received an honorable discharge on March 26, 1966. I now work for G E Aircraft Engines and I live in Northern Kentucky. I have a home page at http://pages.prodigy.com/HDHP15A. Please drop by for a visit.

Buck Seibert

Tom Pirtle ( thpirtle@pirtle.org )
Tremonton, Utah
Home Page:( http://www.pirtle.org/index.html )
(28 Jun 1997)

Subject: 4453 Combat Crew Training Wing

I was assigned to the 4453rd CCTW at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona from Feb 1967 to Jan 1972. I came to DM from Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam where I was with the 12th TFW. I was an avionics tech. working Nav gear on the F-4s. Along with the F-4's we had 5 T-33's, which had all the old nav. gear that I had seen in tech. school. Some of the spare parts for the T-33 came from the boneyard at DM. The first time I saw Tucson, Arizona was in Nov 1964, while on leave from tech. school at Keesler AFB. My father had retired from the Navy and was living there then. After spending a good part of my life in Washington state I thought Tucson was pretty desolate. Little did I know that the Air Force had future plans for me. I was still at DM when the 4453rd was deactivated in 1971 and the 355th TFW was reactivated with A-7Ds. All the F-4 assets were transfered to the 58th TFTW at Luke AFB. My previous assignments were: Lackland AFB; Keesler AFB; Holloman AFB / 366th AEMS; Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam / 391st TFS & 12th AEMS. I was a Ssgt when I left the Air Force with an honorable discharge on 21 Jan 1972.

Tom Pirtle