I noticed that right away when I first saw the pic. My eyes went right to Prez Bush, then to her. What an honor for them both! (And what an honor for my Dad's picture to be next to that!)
MeeknMing: Congratulations and thanks to your Dad for his Air Force Service. Please tell us more about him today....
I am really happy to have Dad added to the Military photos! Thanks!
Dad retired in 1975 from the USAF, as a Master Sergeant. He worked on the flightline in what they called "Crash Control". That means "Fire Department". He was a Fireman for 26 years.
He went in the AF in 1949 and was first stationed in the Aleutian Islands - a Radar Site I believe. (Watchin' those Ruskies, I'm sure!). Mom & Dad married in 1951. They met because my Mom's family knew my Dad's Uncle and they happened to meet there at Uncle Elish's (sp?) house.
My younger brother and I were born in the mid-50s. One year after I was born in San Marcos, Tx (Gary AFB), we started moving around. First stop was Panama. My brother was born there.
We have lived in Texas, Panama, Idaho, Washington State and The Azores, Portugal. Dad did isolated tours in Goose Bay, Labrador, Thule, Greenland and MacTan Island, The Phillippines. As a family we have been to Germany (sans moi), Spain, and Athens, Greece. When we were in the Azores, my brother had braces. Mom and Dad alternated every 3 months flying to Germany to have him serviced for his braces. (I never got to go - Wah ! lol).
I wouldn't trade military life and all the moving we did for anything. When I was a kid, we knew a lot of military families. We were all in the same boat, so to speak. When a civilian kid would ask if I hated moving all the time, I remember thinking: "Huh, doesn't everyone do this?" LOL! (Oh, btw, how many people do you know that has the seal of the Department of Defense on their H.S. Diploma? hehehe).
Dad retired from the Air Force (Carlswell AFB, Ft. Worth, Tx) on a Friday, and started his civilian job on the following Monday. He was an inspector of fire protection water sprinkler systems for Grinnell.
They moved out to East Texas (Quitman) in 1978 and he worked for Tyler pipe for ~15 years and then retired from there. He lives about 10-15 miles from where he was born. They say that you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. That's my Dad!
Rest in peace, Mom . . .