|
.
Subj:
Two Letters About A F-16 Flyby (s552c)
From: ginafm on 8/13/2007
|
 |
Luke Air Force Base
is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being
surrounded by civilization
that complains about the noise from the
base and its planes,
forgetting that it was there long before they
were. A certain lieutenant
colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on
the back. Apparently,
an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB
wrote the local paper
complaining about a group of F-16s that
disturbed his/her
day at the mall. When that individual read the
response from a Luke
AFB officer, I hope it stung quite a bit.
............
The complaint:
"Question of the day
for Luke Air Force Base:
Whom do we thank for
the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at
precisely 9:11 a.m.,
a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low
pass over Arrowhead
Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at
approximately 500
feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-
wannabes feel we
need this wake-up call, or were they trying to
impress the cashiers
at Mervyns early bird special? Any response
would be appreciated."
...........
The response:
Regarding "A wake-up
call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday):
On June 15, at precisely
9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship flyby
of F-16s from the
63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew
over the grave of
Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air
Force officer who
was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and
was killed in Iraq
on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a.m. on June 15, his
family and friends
gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to
mourn the loss of
a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter
writer's recount
of the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure
you didn't hear the
21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words
to the widow and
parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's
flag on behalf of
the President of the United States and all those
veterans and servicemen
and women who understand the sacrifices they
have endured. A four-ship
flyby is a display of respect the Air Force
pays to those who
give their lives in defense of freedom. We are
professional aviators
and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15
what the letter writer
witnessed was four officers lining up to pay
their ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank
for the morning air
show?" The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you,
forward your thanks
to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and
thank them for you,
for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the
most honorable formation
of their lives.
Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
CO
63rd Fighter Squadron
Luke AFB
From: MikeChristo
on 9/2/2007
Yes, this one's true.
But in case you haven't seen the rest of the story, I thought it might
interest you: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/wakeup.asp |
|
