I'm starting to feel old. I was in Aviano as a USAF dependant from 1962-1965. It was a small base back then, with about 600 military personnel supporting one small tactical unit of F-100's. There was no on-base dependant housing, and most American families lived in Pordenone or Sacile.
The biggest thing to happen during that period was when the Thunderbirds performed on an Armed Forces Day. I don't think we ever imagined a White House visit...
I was stationed at Aviano on July 4th, 1976, the US bicetennial. We had a huge air show with many aircraft demonstrations and the Italian flying team performing (forget their name).
I'll be travelling in Italy this April and plan to spend a couple of days in the Aviano area.
MoodyBlu