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Mini-Biographies
I retired from the AF in
1975 as an E-7 with 22 years. I started in the flying business by attending flight
school at Randolph AFB in 1952. In those days a B-29 crew consisted of two gunners,
fight engineer, pilot and co-pilot. The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer were
flying an extra transition flight when another B-29 collided with them and cut
off the tail of the airplane. There were no survivors. Roy Emberland and I waited
until they formed another crew. We completed all of the requirements (survival
school, etc.) and ended up in flying 27 missions during the Korean War. The normal
tour of duty was either six months our thirty missions. We had over twenty in
a short time. The squadron was the 372nd in the 307th Bomb Wing. A Google search
will point you to their web site. The wing standboard got shot down with most
of the crew ending up a POWs. We were then made the wing standboard crew. Our
flying was uneventful except for one hit. We were always flying at night. I rotated
to Hunter AFB, GA and left the AF in October 1953. Back in the AF in 1955, and
back into gunnery at Lowery AFB were I eventually ended up as a B-66 gunnery instructor.
No flying in Denver but I did manage to get transferred to Spang in 1957 to the
42nd TAC which had just received RB-66C and D aircraft. Our ECM missions were
very interesting in that everyone was proud of the fact that we had discovered
previously unknown weapons in the eastern block. The 42nd stayed at Spang for
two years and then relocated to Chelveston. We were told the reason we had to
move was to make way for a F-100 squadron, stationed in France. That squadron
carried atomic weapons and Gen DeGaul wanted the say-so regarding them. The US
said "no" and Gen DeGaul said "OK then get them out of here"
England was very nice except there was little, or no, housing. Flying was interesting
in that we always had to have enough fuel when we got back to England to fly back
to Germany because of the weather. My total European was 39 months and included
marriage to a Luxembourg girl. We will celebrate our 45th year together in April.
I left the B-66 program in 1962 and went to the B-52 at Travis AFB where I
met Norman McDaniel. I was very surprised that he ended up in the B-66 program.
The TV History channel had a program sometime last year were I learned of Norman.
I transferred to K.I.Sawyer AFB again as a gunner in the B-52H. One day it occurred
to me that I had no skills for employment after my AF tour. I got off of flying
and started in the computer data center standing in front of a sorter in 1965
I attended Northern Michigan University, University of Maryland in Weisbaden,
Germany, Hampton Instiitute in Hampton, VA and received a BA in Business and Management.
I have since earned a MS in Computer Science. I started my own software computer
company in 1982 and still enjoy that type of work. I always did enjoy but haven't
been in an airplane in over six years. Too busy working.
You might also
want to mention on your web site that there is a AF
Gunners Association. We meet every two years somewhere is the US.
B-66
Wing Commanders submitted
by Lionel L. Barfield, Jr. (02/18/2004)
Just
a little clarification; Col Kemp was the Wing Commander in '61, his vice Col Victor
N. Cabas took over from him and then Col Spain came in. I think Col Spain was
CC when we lost the B-66 in East Germany if so he didn't stay long. Col Cabas
made B/Gen, the following was sent to me about him last year:
Retired
Brigadier General Victor N. Cabas called me to tell me that his beautiful daughter,
Laurie-Anne, died in her sleep last Monday (18 August 2004). She was 52 years
old. He is just now able to talk about it and notify a few people. That is about
all the details I have.
Many
of you served with Vic Cabas, as I did, during your military careers. After flying
as a fighter pilot in WW2, he spent the rest of his career in tactical reconnaissance
holding down many jobs, including Wing Commander in Vietnam. Vic
& Norma Cabas can be reached at 31021 Marne Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90274;
310-541-3935; His E-mail address may be ncabas@aol.com. If that does not work
use Military.Retiree@losangeles.af.mil. Vic is the Director of Retiree Activities
at Los Angeles AFB.
There was another Wing Commander that was either
just after Col Cabas or right after Col Spain. My memory is a little vague there.
Also, it might be good to add some information about the "10th TRW's Flying
Command Post", aircraft 467 which was a "C" model assigned initially
to Alconbury, (was transferred in '64 to Toul minus the enlisted comm troops)
was modified with the addition of seven more UHF Radios (six were wired for automatic
relay, signal came in on one frequency and out on another), the HF Radio (ARC-21)
was replaced with an ARC-65 Single side band HF radio (the only one in the fleet).
There were six Avionics Communication Technicians on non-aircrew status and there
were always two flying when 467 flew. The Comm troops flew in positions 1 and
2 and sometimes in 3 (for check-out or to get their time in) and there was always
an officer which was usually an EWO officer (the primary was Maj Sebanga, spelling
could be off) in position 4. Position 4 was the go-between from the rear to the
front and he always "reminded" the Pilot that there were warm bodies
in the back. This plane had external tanks and the Chaff tail (they tried the
gun tail for awhile). Col. Kemp was in command when this was modified, as I remember
being told, lightning had hit it and burned the wiring up in the wings, so instead
of sending it back to Brookley AFB, AL to be "fixed", he decided he
wanted a "Flying Command Post" or "Flying Relay Station" and
as Wing King he got it. There was an Airman First Class Comm troop, Ronald Carson
that did most of the work and a SSgt Ed Chastain (Ret CMS, deceased) and SSgt
George Steele (Ret CMS) that were part of the first group of flyers. I lucked
out when A1C Charlie Gautier kept puking when he flew and had to come off status
and I was next. Then there was A1C Richard (Dick) Maheu and A1C Michael Ezzell,
there were a few more but at this typing I can't remember. Anyhow this can be
a start for you, if you so desire. Time for me to finish.
I'm Lionel L.
Barfield, Jr., home phone is (478) 922-6302, work is (478) 926-6799, and work
e-mail is Lionel.Barfield@Robins.AF.MIL
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