Batcat Memorial Speech June 29, 2001 Remarks spoken by Les Robbins, at the memorial ceremony and dedication of 551st memorial plaque at Connie Park at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, June 29, 2001. Thank you for the introduction, John (John Loftus, M.C.). Good morning: [greetings and recognition to the following] General Ed Eberhart (Commander In Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Commander, Air Force Space Command), Brigadier General Ben Robinson (Commander 552nd Air Control Wing), Major Alan Will (Reunion Point of Contact for BG Robinson), Dean Boys (Reunion cochairman), A.J. Northrupp (Reunion cochairman), All Connie crews, and families, Members of the 552nd Air Control Wing, All other honored guests. Your accomplishments, achievements, your demonstrated courage have inspired a whole generation to follow your footsteps. 16th century poet and clergyman John Donne wrote in his sonnet "No Man is an Island, Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." Today we toll the bell for 22 Batcats of the 554th Reconnaissance Squadron who gave their lives flying combat missions during the Viet Nam war. As part of the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing, the 554th Recon Squadron Batcats flew primarily over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos locating targets for interdiction by US forces. The 553rd Reconnaissance Wing was activated February 9, 1967, as part of the Air Defense Command. Its operational flying units were the 553rd and 554th Reconnaissance Squadrons. Thirty specially configured EC-121R Super Constellations began flying combat reconnaissance missions from Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in October, 1967. These reconnaissance missions were for the purpose of monitoring and reporting the data received from sensors that were primarily air-dropped; some were hand placed, along suspected or known enemy infiltration trails in Laos, North and South Vietnam, and Cambodia. The normal crew compliment was 18 officers and airmen. Many of our missions included direct support to Marine fire bases in South Viet Nam which were being approached for attack by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. Locating and having destroyed and disrupted the Communist forces, the tons of ammunition, guns, fuel, trucks and other military supplies prevented thousands of more American names being added to the 58,000 engraved on the Wall in Washington. During any given 24 hour period, there were eight Batcat missions in flight; either outbound to, inbound from, or on-station. I flew on two of those crews while at Korat--the only two crews that were lost. Understand, that for me, this memorial service is especially personal and meaningful. As the Radio Operator (RO) on Major Ted Lang's crew in the 964th AEW&C Squadron completing a six and a half month College Eye deployment to Udorn and Korat, I received orders to Otis AFB for training as a Combat Information Monitor (CIM) in the 553rd Recon Wing. While at Otis, I met and first flew with most of the soon-to-be Crew 39 and Crew 40 members of the 554th. I was also reunited with many former crew mates from my earlier flying assignments in PACAF, ATC, Air Rescue, and AEW&C. At Korat, I was a CIM on Crew 40, and having been an instructor RO in the 964th, sometimes flew as RO, and many times, as ACICO. When the Crew 39 RO went on emergency leave with an early PCS, I was temporarily assigned from crew 40 to Crew 39 as RO. Being an experienced Instructor RO at McClellan, I soon began getting SSgt Paul Faulk checked out as the Crew 39 Radio Operator. After several weeks I signed him off as qualified, and I returned to Crew 40. They crashed on the very next flight, call sign BATCAT-21, on April 25, 1969. All eighteen perished. My tour ended and I rotated to the States in June, 1969. Then, on September 6, four members of my old Crew 40 died in the crash of BATCAT-19. My life was forever changed by those events; I wanted to be a better man. I hope I have become one. Today's service stirs many memories. We came to that war from all over. Our crews were made up of young and not so young men from the cities of New York, the farms of Iowa, the plains of Texas, the mountains of Colorado, ranches of Wyoming, the lakes of Minnesota, the West, East, and Gulf coast states, and Hawaii. Some of us were well-experienced flyers in the Connie and other aircraft, while for many it was a first experience--their first operational flying, and first overseas assignment. We were all dedicated to our mission; proud of being BATCATS, and of what we did. Daniel Webster said, "God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it." How well that speaks of our mission then, and to your mission now. You are truly the guardians of American liberty. As crews, we spent much of our off-duty time together. I remember all of the Crew 39 and 40 members well. After playing many games of poker and winning too much money from the younger members, I quit playing poker . It just didn't seem fair. One of the Crew 39 CIMs was especially bad at poker (both at Otis and at Korat). Since he had no desire to quit, I gave him a book that I hoped would help his playing; The Education of a Poker Player, by Herbert O. Yardley. Unfortunately, I never found out if it helped. I recall some trips to Bangkok. One of our favorite places there was a particularly good bakery, where we would buy boxes of the world's best Danish pastries and take them back to Korat to share with the rest of our crew. Earlier, I spoke of tolling the bell. It tolls the memory of those brave men who, in Abraham Lincoln's words of 1863, ... "gave the last full measure of devotion." Their sacrifice allows us to more fully appreciate life. Our memorial looks not only to the past, but to present and future generations of Americans to remind them of three things: First, that freedom is not free and citizens that are not willing to pay its price can only be made free, and kept free, by exertions of those better than they are. Thank God that each generation of Americans produces the patriots willing to risk all to guarantee the blessings of freedom and liberty to their countrymen. To all of their countrymen, even those unwilling to do for themselves. Second, that the price of peace is eternal vigilance. No one knows that better than you, the warriors of the 552nd Air Control Wing, and the former crews of the Super Connies of the 551st, 552nd, and 553rd Wings. On the day the first man disobeyed his creator, the world became a very dangerous place, never more so than today. To ensure peace, we must continually prepare for war; to build and to train for battles we pray will never come. One day God ... will make all wars cease. Until then, our call is to watch and remain alert. And, finally, those who purchased our peace must never, never be forgotten. A nation that cares for those who have borne the heaviest burdens of citizenship in battle will never lack for a new generation to dare greatly in the cause of freedom. But pity that nation about which may be said: God and the soldier they adore In time of danger, not before. The danger past and all things sighted God is forgotten and the soldier is slighted. Our memorial service calls a new generation to remember our Connie veterans. I call on you to consider these things as we call the roll of the 22 BATCATs. Crew 39, who lost their lives 25 April 1969, in the crash of EC-121R, 67-21493, Call sign BATCAT-21: TSgt James H. Belflower TSgt Albert N. Booker Major Thomas M. Brandom, Jr. A1C Michael J. Cotterill SSgt Jerald C. Davis A1C Ronald C. Deforrest TSgt Warren C. Delaney SSgt Paul Faulk TSgt Kenneth W. Fowler Lt Col Emerson E. Heller Capt George R. Kidd Major Paul R. Lunsford 1Lt John R. Marsh Lt Col William C. McCormick, Jr. Sgt Mitchell Messing SSgt James D. Moore Sgt Mark M. Steeley Sgt William D. Stepp These four members of Crew 40, who lost their lives in the crash of EC-121R, 67-21495, Call sign BATCAT-19, on September 6, 1969: Sgt Julius C. Houlditch, Jr. Sgt Arnold Noel Jaco Major Joyful J. Jenkins SSgt Gunther H. Rehling. We honor these men today. We and future generations as well must always remember and never forget those who sacrificed to ensure our liberty and freedom. EC-121R Memorial Ceremony Speech by Thomas Robbins Remarks spoken by Les Robbins, at the memorial ceremony and dedication of 551st memorial plaque at Connie Park at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, June 29, 2001.