COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE

The

C MPASS
M ISSOURI W ING MAY 2012
FOR A

P.O. Box 637 St.Charles, MO 63302 St. Charles County Smartt Airport 636-250-4515 Fax 636-250-4515 www.cafmo.org

MISSOURI WING

E XECUTIVE S TAFF
WING LEADER Col. Patrick Kesler 28 Confederate Way St. Charles, MO 63303 636-928-5687 636-250-4515 Wing wingleader@cafmo.org ADJUTANT / PIO OFFICER Col. Rick Rea 6854 Ardale Drive St. Louis,MO 63123 314-960-4927 col.rickrea@charter.net EXECUTIVE OFFICER Col. Bob Lawrence 111 W. Essex Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-494-7529 cell 314-894-3200 x103 work FINANCE Col. Steve Gossett 4 Limerick Lane O'Fallon, MO 63366 636-474-9763 314-306-5021 OPERATIONS OFFICER Col.Craig O'Mara 1085 Graywolf Court Fairview Heights, IL 62208 618-632-6113 home 618-558-7211 cell craigo777@juno.com MAINTENANCE OFFICER Col. Pat Fenwick 6 Heather Drive St. Peters, MO 63376 636-441-2856 SAFETY OFFICER Col. Chris Herrmann 309 Clearwater Drive Belleville, IL 62220 618-233-4782

B-25 BOMBER BASE

DAY - DAYTON, OHIO

20 Mitchells lined up on the runway at the Air Force Museum, Dayton, Ohio - April 18th, 2012 Doolittle Raiders - 70th Reunion

B-25 Doolittle Reunion Crew

May 5-6 Sound of Speed, St. Joseph, Mo B-25, TBM May 12 General Meeting - 1:30 pm May 18-20 Wings Over Whiteman AFB, MO May 19 Classic Cars & Warbirds, 10 am - 3 pm May 25-28 Salute to Veterans, Columbia, Mo., B-25, TBM June 9 General Meeting - 1:30 pm June 23 Kansas City, MO B-25 LHFE Rides July 13-15 Heart of America Wing Air Expo, Olathe, KS B-25 LHFE Rides July 14 General Meeting - 1:30 pm July 21 Warbirds Over Whiteside, IL B-25, Px, LHFE Rides August 11 General Meeting - 1:30 pm Aug. 24 - 26 Defender of Freedom, Offutt AFB B-25 August 31 - Sept. 3 Moline, IL B-25, TBM, PX Sept. 8 General Meeting - 1:30 pm Sept. 15 Hangar Dance Sept. 15-16 Scott AFB, IL B-25, TBM, L-3, PX Sept. 22 Camdenton, MO L-3. B-25 LHFE Rides, PX Sept. 29 STL Regional Airport (Alton, IL) Fly-In B-25, TBM, L3, PX Oct. 12-13 Clarksdale, Mississippi - B-25, LHFE Rides, PX Oct. 19-20 Mt. Vernon, IL B-25, TBM, PX, LHFE Rides

U PCOMING E VENTS

Saturday - May 12 - General Meeting - 1:30 pm

WING LEADER'S REPORT

Wow! What beautiful weather we have been experiencing! Guess what? May is forecast to be just as nice! Come on out to the Wing and enjoy all of the activities with the hangar doors open. Bring the relatives, kids, and friends out too. The 70th Doolittle Raiders Reunion went well and SHOW ME did us proud! Pilots Matt Conrad and David Thompsen conducted a bunch of LHFE rides and flew with precision in the 20-ship B-25 Mitchell dedication fly-by over the surviving five Raiders and the Air Force Museum. A great time was had by all and I think you will find some pictures and war stories later on in this issue. Col. John Lohmar performed the maintenance flight in the TBM on Saturday, April 21st and said it was in excellent condition. Thanks go out to all of the members who helped Cols. Dutch Meyerpeter, Dave Ceglinski, and Paul Conley get the big blue birds annual inspection and required maintenance done! I was in Oklahoma with the grandkids that Saturday, but I heard the Avenger really looked great and sounded awesome. Good work guys! Be sure to check out our website (www.cafmo.org) for the latest news and schedules. If you have any item or information you would like to add, please contact me or Col. Bob Lawrence. Bob has done an excellent job producing, modifying, and updating this great medium and I would like everyone to thank him for all of his continued hard work on this highly important part of our Wing which helps us get the word out. The scheduled Busch Stadium Cardinals baseball game National Anthem flyby on April 14th was cancelled due to a 2 hour weather delay. This delay took us out of the FAA waivered airspace window, so we were not able to conduct the flight. I would like to thank Col. Cecilia Holechek for all of her hard work in initiating and coordinating this event. We were ready, but forgot to schedule appropriate weather. However, Cecilia has informed me that we are working with the Cardinal organization to schedule some future flybys and that one might be in the picture for the 4th of July game against the Colorado Rockies at 6:15pm. Take a quick look at the front page schedule of events. Youll notice that the Wing Open House originally scheduled to be held on May 19th in conjunction with the Classic Cars & Warbirds event is no longer on that day. This change is due to the fact that we were invited to the Wings Over Whiteman Open House and Air Show which will be held on May 19-20. The B-25 and TBM are both scheduled and will be departing for Whiteman (in Knob Noster, MO) on Friday, May 18th. We are now anticipating having the Wing Open House in conjunction with the Pumpkin Drop event on Saturday, October 27th. Im sure I have forgotten some items, but am still recovering from my 8-day vacation with two of my grandkids. They were great and made me proud of how my son and daughter-in-law are bringing them up, but I will admit thats a lot of responsibility for a guy my age and its sort of a relief to return to my low-level (old F-4 reconnaissance term) management responsibilities at the Wing. I say that because I have found it doesnt take much leadership to get everyones dedication and work skills going out here. Each member seems to have a personal pride in what he or she does and it makes my job easy. About the only thing I have to feel responsible for is typing these monthly articles and keeping our Finance Officer happy. $teves the one that does all the hard, meticulous work that seems to go unnoticed by everyone. Guess thats because he functions in the background and never seeks recognition for his many, unselfish hours of paying bills, doing charts, and keeping Headquarters content and off our back buy

him a cup of coffee or a coke when you see him. He deserves it! Oh, and if the fridge is out of bottled water or soft drinks its probably his fault... Remember this!!! - With your help We can Keep Em Flying and have a great, rewarding time in life while doing so. Its always great to make new memories especially when they are associated with the memories of that Great Generation. Respectfully submitted, Col. Pat Kesler, Wing Leader

XO & MEMBERSHIP REPORT

Roster is now available By the time you are reading this I most likely have already sent out the updated roster. I will start with an apology on the timeliness of this. I had wanted to send this out sooner however with the lateness of sending out the Missouri Wing Due renewals put me behind. I have opted to send out the roster in two formats so that the members can have both an easy visual to work with as well as a format that you can sort and chop up for whatever reason. You will notice that I have listed the members in alphabetical order with the members highlighted in green as being new in 2012. Also on the lower part there is a segment that is highlighted in a reddish color. These are members that have not as of this Compass paid there 2012 membership dues so I am assuming that they are no longer wanting to be a member of the Missouri Wing. If you see yourself on that list and have paid your dues please remember that $teve and I are only human and we do miss a name from time to time. However if you see your name and realize that you really will miss the Compass and the fun filled, action packed times we have at the Wing then cut your check, send it in and well keep you in the loop. As always if there is anything you need or I can help with shoot me a note or give me a call. PX I'm happy to report that our newest items sold very well at the Doolittle Raiders 70th Reunion. While our set up at Grimes Field was a tad different than what we had planned we only had access to those that were interested in riding in one of the 10 B25s that were offering flights. This hangar was accessed by only a small percentage of the overall spectators however we are still pleased. (With the rides going on, Show Me was on a hot ramp each day so we couldnt get to the masses.) We also had a tremendous day at Wright Field. That Tuesday alone, on a small 28"x28" table, with four items; our new hats, the new B-25 T-shirt, the new Oval B-25 Window Sticker and of course our Challenge Coin, we sold roughly 70% of what another 25 sold using 2- eight foot tables, a clothing rack and what had to be 20 boxes In short the new items that we are presenting to the public are really selling and should bring needed profits to support our Wing. Fun Fact: We sold 75 of our new coins!!! A note to our members that are out of state or just not able to get to the Wing. In the last month we have had a number of people mail checks to the Wing and requested that we send items to there home. This is perfectly acceptable and we will be happy to send those to you. Just send what you want and a check to: CAF Mo Wing, P.O. Box 637, St. Charles, MO 63302-0637. The Challenge Coins are $10.00 for the members first coin and then $20.00 for each additional. The oval B-25 Stickers are $3.00. The hats come in Khaki or Olive and are embroidered and sell for $20.00. Finally the New B-25 T-shirts are $15.00 and I will get a picture of those in the next months Compass. To help keep the money we make in the Wing if you could add an extra buck or two to help cover the postage it would be appreciated! Thanks! Col. Bob Lawrence

70TH ANNIVERSARY DOOLITTLE REUNION / GATHERING OF B-25'S

The bravery of the men who were part of the Doolittle Raid is something to honor and remember. Last months 70th Doolittle Reunion was also an event to remember, bringing together 4 of the remaining Raiders and 20 B-25s from all over the country. I was fortunate to be copilot on Show Me as we joined the reunion. Sunday morning, April 15th, broke to fair skies and tailwinds. After a thorough preflight we loaded the crew and the provisions baked for us by Col. Cupcake. Matt started the engines, the Colonels Hermann marshaled us out and we departed for Grimes Field in Urbana, OH. During the flight, everyone seemed to know who we were and what we were going to. St. Louis Approach cleared us into the Class B airspace as soon as we called for flight following, even though we hadnt asked for it. Indianapolis Approach thanked us for our volunteer work and Terre Haute let us know 2 B-25s were just ahead of us and that Jordan said hi. We were able to receive a glimpse of what our week might be like during the approach into Urbana. There was one B-25 in the pattern ahead of us and Ms Mitchell was waiting for takeoff. Matt made his normal excellent approach and landing and we taxied in to see the fences lined with waving crowds. We heard later it took cars an hour to drive the last 2 miles to the airport. It seemed like we had about 5 minutes to stretch after the flight and then everybody started working. Hubert went to get the car while the rest of us unloaded the airplane and Bob Moore set up shop for LHFE rides. The rest of the day seemed to fly by. We gave 2 LHFE rides, talked to many people and got things organized for the rest of the week. Bill Wehmeier was our safety officer and handled the briefing and organization of the riders. Bob Moore took care of the paperwork along with Bob Lawrence and the rest of the crew looked out for Show Me. These men really made Matt & my job easy. Three Mustangs, a P-40, Corsair & Zero replica flew in during the day. Everyone wanted to be a part of this event. One of Sundays highlights for me was a ride we gave to a veteran of the 82nd Airborne who had been in the Battle of the Bulge. Monday morning brought rain but it ended by afternoon and we were able to give another ride. Matt & I attended the pilot briefing for the Tuesday morning flight to the Air Force Museum on historic Wright Field. The briefing started with the introduction of Elmo Wojahn. Elmo is a survivor of the USS Hornet and was on the ship from its commissioning to its sinking less than one year later. He was aboard for the Doolittle raid. Dinner Monday night was a banquet at the Champaign Air Museums hangar. We enjoyed pork roast while an Air Force Band played Glenn Miller music. Tuesday we were all up early and departed the hotel at 5am. When we arrived at the airport, the B-25s had all been repositioned to be in the correct order for takeoff. Buddy cleared the dew off the window while the rest of us got our ship ready to go. Matt allowed me the honor of flying over to the museum and making the landing on Wright Field, something for which Ill be forever grateful. It was 44 degrees for engine start but the R2600s fired right off. I had to keep priming longer than normal after the mixtures came forward, about 30-40 seconds because of the cold, but they were soon running smoothly. Thank you to the mechanics for giving us such a nice airplane to fly. We had a flagman to time our departures in 90 second intervals. Our B-25 was Raider 17 and we talked to Doolittle Control for the approach to Wright Field, landing into the sun on

lot drove home to me how special this was. Once all the aircraft were safely on the ground we all taxied back down the runway, lining the planes up for public viewing. Every day of the reunion was incredible, but this one especially so. I actually had a 4 star general named Donald Hoffman tap me on the shoulder (I had my back to him), shake my hand and thank me for coming! There was also a gentleman from China who stopped by and showed us a piece of corroded aluminum he claimed was from one of the Raiders B-25s. Dinner that night was a banquet with the Raiders on the floor of the Air Force Museum. It was a fantastic atmosphere with lights, flowers, and great food. During the banquet Matt accepted a plaque from Richard Cole for our wing. Wednesday morning we toured the restoration facilities at the Air Force Museum. The Memphis Bell restoration, D-21 drone, XC-99 and a MiG 25 dug out of the Iraqi desert were the highlights of that tour for me. We had an 11:15 brief, 12:10 engine start & 12:15 radio check in for the 20 ship formation flight over the memorial ceremony. There were actually two formation passes, one of sixteen ships and one of twenty. We were Raider 17 again and were in both formations that overflew the ceremony, keeping our 500 ft separation. We werent supposed to be in the first formation but one of the first 16 B-25s couldnt keep formation and we slid up one spot. I heard later that the ground shook under the roar of 20 B-25s and 40 R-2600s passing overhead. We had breakfast Thursday with the Doolittle Raiders at the Champaign Air Museums hangar, gave one more ride and then loaded up to fly home. After landing back at Smartt Field everyone pitched in to get Show Me back in the hangar, unloaded and paperwork filled out. I was lucky to be part of a great crew. Bob Moore, Hubert Looney, Pat Fenwick, Buddy Welsh, Bill Wehmeier, Bob Lawrence and Matt Conrad did an outstanding job during this special event. It was a privilege to be a small part of the 70th Doolittle Reunion and Gathering of B-25s. The week of April 15, 2012 is one that I will never forget. Col. David Thompsen

WHAT

WEEK!

This was the best show that I have ever had the pleasure of attending. With the 20 Mitchells in attendance, it was even better than two years ago when 17 were there. The people at Urbana had the event well organized and the LHFE rides were surprisingly popular and helped defray the expenses with a substantial profit left over. By far, the best part for me was the opportunity to talk with the many veterans which were in attendance. I even had the opportunity to have a few moments of conversation with Richard Cole {Doolittles co-pilot). This occurred during the Tuesday night reception at the Air Force Museum. I happened to stroll away from the food & booze area to the area that had the Doolittle artifacts and history. As I was reading the information on the raid, Richard Cole walked over with one of the museum guys. At first I just kind of listened to what they were talking about and when the museum guy left, I started talking with Cole and asking him some things about the raid. One item I asked him about was that I had always heard that Lawson had forgot to set the flaps on his plane at take-off. He said that that wasnt accurate. He said that Lawson had set the flaps before take-off but that a large wave was about to crash on the deck and that Lawson retracted the flaps because of the wave. When he reset the flaps he did not get the control in the detent and it sprang back. The big question in my mind was how he felt being in the first plane with the shortest take-off path. Scared, nervous, apprehensive? He reflected on this for a couple of seconds and then said without the slightest amount of boasting or cockiness: No, we had trained for it and it was just our job. Col. Bill Wehmeier What a classy guy and a true hero!

GRIMES FIELD - URBANA, OHIO - DOOLITTLE 70TH REUNION 2012

Pat Fenwick shaking hands with USS Hornet survivor.

Hubert Looney meeting Doolittle Raiders. < Col. Matt Conrad receiving the cupcake rations from Col. Cupcake (Angie).

Raider Goblets

Doolittle Raiders

When queried by the Wing Leader about his recent actions at the Doolittle event, the Maintenance Officers response was Im a beaten man. Just a shell of a once proud individual.

Matt accepts plaque from Doolittle Raider. Dave and "his girls".

B-25 crew at DQ with young admirer.

THE FIRST KEY TO SAFE MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT IS TEAMWORK

Air show season is upon us. Yesterday, we launched the first mission of the year. In order to set the safety tone for air shows I want to address teamwork and mission. Teamwork - you have heard all the neat slogans; Together Everyone Achieves More; There is no I in team; and you can probably think of several more. What we need to focus on, is how our wing views teamwork to ensure no one gets hurt at home or on the road. When you travel to a show, you are part of the Air Show Crew. The Air Show Crew includes the PX team, as well as the crews of all the planes. Even broader, any wing member at the show is part of our Air Show Crew. While we all want to enjoy the perks of being at shows, our first priority has to be towards our mission. From pre-departure activities at the wing, to arrival, through the show, from show departure to home station bed down, the mission needs come first. Things like prepping the plane for launch, down-uploading cargo or bags, wiping her down after a flight, or servicing the plane are all part of our mission. Helping out at the PX or with our other aircraft is also an essential part of the mission. These duties have to come first and require teamwork to get them done quickly and effectively. Once the mission work is complete, your personal desires can come into play. BUT before you start off to view other venues, hit the chow tent, or make photograph runs, you need to make sure you are taking care of the team. I dont want to make a long list of things that should be done before you start your wanderings, but here are some things to consider before departing: - Is there anything else that needs to be accomplished? - Has every one had at least one break recently? - Is someone else more in need of a break? - Do those working need anything I can bring them before I leave? - How long can I afford to be gone before the next event? - Have I informed the rest of the team Im about to depart, where Ill be and when Ill return? Unfortunately, last year I heard complaints of teamwork breaking down or being non-existent. Last year was last year, and this is a NEW season. This year I challenge each and every wing member to be more mission-oriented and far more considerate towards their team. Personally ensure things that need to get done (mission) are done as you take care of each other, help each other, and are considerate of each other (team). One member recently shared a story with me, how a former P.I.C. who would not depart from an air show until the PX crew was packed and ready to depart. Now that is TEAMWORK!! This should be the norm for all shows. There will be times that the aircraft will need to depart ahead of the rest of the team, but those should be minimal and efforts should be made to help the PX crew/other aircrews as much as possible prior to departure. Each of us needs to do our part to ensure that all team members are safe when accomplishing the mission and all team members return home safely. The crew is not there to support youyou are there to support the crew. It is simple: Until the work is done, dont start the fun. Safely accomplish the mission!! Col. Chris Herrmann

Col. Bob Lewis volunteers four days a week at The Cedars Retirement Village in Chesterfield, MO. Recently Bob had the privilege of interviewing Norman Berger a resident of the facility. Here is the text Bob emailed to me: Today I am talking to Mr. Norman Berger, a resident at the Cedars Retirement Village in Chesterfield, MO. During World War II, Norman was attached to the 345th Bombardment group in the South Pacific. The 345th were known as the Air Apaches and consisted of four squadrons of B-25 Mitchell light bombers. Norm ran the Bomb Dump and was responsible for arming the air crews with bombs and ammo for the bomb runs. Norm, give us some background about yourself. I grew up in the City of St. Louis, attended Soldan High School, and then the University of Missouri. I was drafted in early 1943 at Jefferson Barracks and was assigned to the Field Artillery. Later I requested a transfer to the Army Air Corp. I took basic training at Santa Maria Air Base in California and then I was sent overseas to Australia for further training. Then I was assigned to the 345th Bombardment group at Port Moresby New Guinea. The bomb group was already set up and my job was arming the B-25s with 500 #, 200 #, and 100 # bombs and 50 Cal. ammo. I was in New Guinea for 10 months and then with the island hopping, I set up several other bases and ended up in the Philippines with the rank of Tech Sergeant. I was wounded when a bomb exploded, but was not seriously hurt and I recovered. I was then transferred to Okinawa preparing for the invasion of Japan when the war ended. I came home on a troop ship and was discharged at Jefferson Barracks. I later joined Levitz Furniture and I got to know Gary Levitz who flew a modified P-51 at the Reno Air Races. I enjoyed the annual reunions with all my buddies in the 345th and read about them on their website. Love those Billys. Lest We Forget. Col. Rick Rea / PIO, Adjutant

WING MEMBER INTERVIEWS 345TH BG VETERAN

A LINDBERGH STORY YOU WONT FIND OF HIS BIOGRAPHIES

IN

ANY

With this May being the 85th anniversary of the Lindbergh flight, it brought to mind an old family tale. Back in the early 1920s my grandmothers brother (My greatuncle?) had a general store in the small village of Machens in north St. Charles county. The building is still in existence although it has now been converted to a residence. As most people know, Lindbergh flew the mail route from St. Louis to Chicago before his famous flight. One day when he was flying this route, he developed engine trouble and landed in a large open field across the road (Highway 94) from my greatuncles store. After landing he walked over to my great-uncles store to use the phone to call Robertson Aviation to have a mechanic come over. While he was waiting for the mechanic to show up, and just sitting around talking with my great-uncle, he had a couple of candy bars. Finally the mechanic arrived and Lindbergh went out with him to the plane. They got the engine fixed and Lindbergh got in and took off. When my great-uncle would relate this story, he always concluded with the comment, ....and that young man never did pay me for those candy bars!!! Col. Bill Wehmeier

ACCOUNTING 101
When you think of an accountant you probably envision a person who is boring, stodgy, likes being alone with his computer and calculator, and gets more excited about figures in a book rather than figures in bikinis. Maybe a little bald. However, an accountant is worth his weight in HB pencils if he can provide an organization with timely, accurate, important info that can help management run the company efficiently and even help with its survival. As with any staff position, a good accountant can provide many reports. However, there are three main, basic ones that are a must. These are the Income Statement (also known as Profit and Loss), the Balance Sheet, and the Statement of Cash Flow. Income Statement: This is the easiest to understand and read. It is simply a listing and summation of your incomes, less your expenses. The difference is your profit or loss. You can do this statement for any period, from daily (rare) to annual (usually issued to management, stockholders and financial institutions.) Most reports are done monthly or quarterly . Not only do these statements report the current financial results, they can also be done to compare to a previous time period to help spot trends, or compare to a budget/forecast to see if you are on track. Here at the Wing we do a combination monthly, year-to date, and a comparison to the previous year. We also do an Income Statement for each plane, one for each Wing event, and a 10 year comparison version to see long term trends. Balance Sheet: This statement lists and summarizes your Assets (stuff you own that has value), your Liabilities ( amounts or services that you owe to persons), and Equity (also known as Net Worth). The formula is: Assets Liabilities = Equity. A simple example is if you own a house worth $250,000 and it has a $75,000 mortgage, your Equity is $175,000. Like the Income Statement, understanding this report is easy but analyzing a Balance Sheet can be a little more complex. Do you have a lot more Liabilities than Assets? If so, youre bankrupt. Dont have enough cash to pay your bills? Youre insolvent. Too much debt compared to your Assets or Equity? You could be in financial trouble (like being under water with your house). There are many more ratios and relationships to look. Here at the Wing we have a very strong Balance Sheet because of our sizeable bank accounts and endowment fund, compared to almost no debt. Statement of Cash Flow: One of the most common reasons for a companys failure is lack of sufficient cash. A company can be profitable but be in financial trouble because it cant pay its current bills. How can that be? It could be that there are too many sales that are unpaid (Accounts Receivable). It could be that too much profit was used to buy more inventory than was needed. It could be that too much cash was used to buy long life equipment instead of getting a long term loan. Maybe its profitable but is not generating enough cash to pay too much debt that is due. The Statement of Cash Flow answers the important question where did the money go? It shows from where and how much cash came in and for what and how much the cash was sent out. The difference of course is an increase or decrease in your period ending cash balance. Having this data, plus a good analysis of your Income Statement and the Balance Sheet can help to keep your organizations or personal financial situation in good shape. Summary: Now that you have read this, you are automatically eligible to be Finance Officer. See you at the next election. Col. $$ GENERAL MEETING - 1:30 PM Apr 14, 2012

THANKS DUTCH!

One of the main reasons the TBM Avenger will be able to attend the upcoming airshows is connected with the man with the deep baritone voice that MCs our annual Hangar Dance. Hes also a very highly experienced, licensed mechanic with an incredible aviation background. Col. Dutch Meyerpeter and his lovely wife Louise recently moved to St. Peters. This allows him closer access to the Wing and this move has turned out to be very beneficial to our organization. Dutch has spent a great deal of time the last few months at the Hangars working closely with Cols. Dave Ceglinski, Paul Conley and many other hard-working members to go over every inch of our Blue Beauty. The results are obvious and my hat is off to him for his dedication, leadership and expertise in bringing the Avenger back to her post-inspection airworthiness. He has also generated a great deal of enthusiasm. Many of our new mechanical-type members have been taken underneath his wing, gotten their hands dirty, and jumped right in under our licensed mechanics supervision. They saw their efforts payoff when pilot John Lohmar cranked that big Wright Cyclone. When the blue smoke cleared and the wings were spread, they were all rewarded in watching and hearing the results of their labor when the naval war bird roared down the runway, lifted off and performed a flawless, uneventful test flight. Thanks again Dutch, Dave, Paul, Ken, Kevin, John and All for the hundreds of hours you spent and are spending on this historic aircraft. The TBM, B-25, and L-3 are visual, audible testaments to our Wings mission and I am honored to work with guys and gals who volunteer so much time and sweat-equity to insure these symbols of freedom continue to spread their wings and fly. Col. Pat Kesler
FOR SALE I have worked with a company to develop a Show-Me cloth name tag. The company provided these samples which I scanned into a picture. The name tag is on an OD Green background with an orange border, wings and information. At their own expense, the company developed the CAF Colonel wings especially for us; pictured on Angellas name tag. They already have on file most US Military Specialist badges such as the command pilot wings depicted on mine. The tag comes Velcro-backed for easy attachment to flight suits and flight jackets. The tag can have one or two information lines. The cost for the name tags is: 1 tag with 2 logos (wings/girl) and two lines of info - $15 2 identical tags with 2 logos (wings/girl) and two lines of info - $20. Ill be posting order forms at the Wing or you can e-mail me your order at B-25Pilot@msn.com. Col. Chris Herrmann

SHOW-ME NAME TAGS

No Meeting was conducted do to numerous activities associated with a scheduled Busch Stadium flyby and preparation for the upcoming Doolittle Raiders 70th Reunion.

COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE

MISSOURI WING P.O. Box 637 St. Charles, MO 63302-0637

MAY 2012
Hot Springs Missouri Wing Crews

HISTORY

OF CHALLENGE COINS Air warfare was a new phenomenon during World War I. When the Army created flying squadrons they were manned with volunteer pilots from every walk of civilian life. While some of the early pilots came from working class or rural backgrounds, many were wealthy college students who withdrew from classes in the middle of the year, drawn by the adventure and romance of the new form of warfare. As the legend goes, one such student, ordered small, solidbronze medallions (or coins) struck, which he then presented to the other pilots in his squadron as mementos of their service together. The coin was gold-plated, bore the squadrons insignia, and was quite valuable. One of the pilots in the squadron, who had never owned anything like the coin, placed it in a leather pouch he wore around his neck for safekeeping. A short while later, this pilots aircraft was heavily damaged forcing him to land behind enemy lines, resulting in his capture by the Germans. The Germans confiscated the personal belongings from his pockets, but they didnt catch the leather pouch around his neck. On his way to a permanent prisoner of war facility, he was held overnight in a small German-held French village near the front. During the night, the town was bombarded by the British, creating enough confusion to allow the pilot to escape.

The pilot avoided German patrols by donning civilian attire, but all of his identification had been confiscated so he had no way to prove his identity. With great difficulty, he crept across no-mans land and made contact with a French patrol. Unfortunately for him, the French had been on the lookout for German saboteurs dressed as civilians. The French mistook the American pilot for a German saboteur and immediately prepared to execute him. Desperate to prove his allegiance and without any identification, the pilot pulled out the coin from his leather pouch and showed it to his French captors. One of the Frenchmen recognized the unit insignia on the coin and delayed the execution long enough to confirm the pilots identity. Once the pilot safely returned to his squadron, it became a tradition for all members to carry their coin at all times. To ensure compliance, the pilots would challenge each other to produce the coin.

Go to cafmo.org to see the Compass in color.

Chester Davis (2) John Eskew (2) Matt Conrad (6) William Malone (18) May Tim Mohr (18) (21) John McCarthy (27) Tim Schantz (28) Birthdays! Eric Downing (28) Geoff Watkin (30) Compass Deadline: June Newsletter - Need info by May 23 July Newsletter - Need info by June 22