Vermont Air National Guards visit PAFB Museum, Air Force vets

PLATTSBURGH | A sense of purpose is honored in every step at Clyde A. Lewis Air Park. Its two carefully restored military aircraft gleam in the sun just beyond the Plattsburgh Air Force Base Museum. On a midday in May, museum founders and a large contingent from the base airplane restoration team welcomed a group of active duty airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard. The visit blended active duty and veteran conversation that switched back and forth over 50 years of Air Force and guards service, a continuum that has seen technology advance at light speed. Some of the visiting Vermont guards were pilots, others maintain aircraft and logistics now guided by progress in computer science. They were intrigued by the gear and hands-on knowledge of their predecessors. And though they span generations, the airmen clearly shared an enduring connection to freedom, camaraderie and flight. Lt. Col. Frank Baehre (USAF Ret.) and Col. Joseph B. McNichols Jr. (USAF Ret.) helped connect the guards to regional air defense history. Helmets and uniforms they wore, along with procedure manuals and the planes they flew, are part of the collection preserved at the museum and Air Park. Chief Master Sergeant Walt Kotzur (USAF ret.), who flew 200 tours in Vietnam, and Master Sgt. Robert Tallion (USAF ret.), a master aircraft technician, shared some of the unique qualities of the planes they spent years arming and years since restoring. Vermont Air Guardsman Avery climbed up the ladder into the cockpit of the B-47E Stratojet, "Pride of the Adirondacks," and settled into the pilot's seat. The windows are hazy with age. Six throttle sticks give a sense of how powerful six engines could be. Controls panels are missing dials, but in row upon row, they indicate how complicated the crew's job was. The view from the seat commands perspective. "This is great," Avery said, testing the swivel and tilt in the seat. For McNichols, the visit was a welcome connection with men and women who now do some of what he did for 27 years. "They got to see the old Air Force base. That was a whole lot different than a base on an airport. It also helps to talk to a bunch of old guys who have done it already," he laughed. "They've invited us over there now." Museum curators and the Plattsburgh Aircraft Restoration crew plan to make the trip soon. What connects them, McNichols said, is community service. "Especially sitting in that cockpit. I did 27 years. I flew airplanes. I led combat groups. I'm one of the few Vietnam vets that went to Gulf One to Saudi for nine months. But it is always about the people and their dedication to serve community. Some people come into the museum to learn. Listen to your elders." Through the Cold War era at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, the mission was preclusion. Part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) defense system, the 380th Strategic Aerospace Wing was established from the 380th Bombardment Wing in 1964. They had an air refueling squadron, a strategic missile squadron, a combat squadron group and a medical group. The base had been in Air Force use since 1955 with a history of military employ that dates to before the War of 1812 and included several years during World War II with the U.S. Army Air Force. "Our role in the Cold War was nuclear deterrence and the air refuelers did everything worldwide." Military strategy changes as geopolitics shift. "But it changes by generations, too," McNichols said. The Air National Guard's visit put Air Force evolution in perspective. Having a uniformed group of airmen listen and ask about the planes, the tools, the equipment and appreciate the hours, months and years spent restoring B-47E bomber and FB-111A jet gave veterans a chance to answer well-placed questions. Kotzur and Taillon both spent a large part of their military career here, and much of the past five-plus years rebuilding and reclaiming the planes and the grounds at Clyde Lewis Air Park. Both worked on the B-47E when it was in service. Their explanation of handling and how the thermonuclear weaponry fit in the bomb bay was living history. The heavy bomber was equipped with an exterior Jet Assisted Take-Off (JATO) "horse collar" rack that carried rows of 1,000-pound rockets, adding thrust for rapid take-off procedures. Kotzur was able to find one of the empty canisters, and showed how the JATO was attached on the rear section of the plane. The equipment is rarely used today. Though PAFB closed in 1995, the company and friendship of airmen endures. The museum tells not only the story of the role the air base played in SAC and in defense, but also the human story of the company it kept. The PAFB Museum is located at 31 Washington Road in Plattsburgh. It is open to the public. The Plattsburgh Aircraft Restoration crew has a series of memorable challenge coins on hand to help raise funds for their work. Learn more about the museum online: plattsburghafbmuseum.org It is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The B-47E is only open for interior viewing on specific tours. Plattsburgh Aircraft Restoration has tracked its renewal progress in photographs and updates on Facebook: facebook.com/Plattsburghaircraftrestoration

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Vermont Air National Guards visit PAFB Museum, Air Force vets

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