It is not general knowledge but I almost declined my commission just minutes before graduation. I was very unhappy with the assignment that I received. I thought surely they would make me an Avionics Officer in SAC because of my prior enlisted experience; instead I was to go to Munitions Officer school with an assignment to ADC. It was only because of the urging of Tom McGraw and some others at the graduation ceremony that I went ahead and accepted the commission. They had convinced me that I could get my AFSC changed once I got out in the field. They were right but it wasn't that simple!
After I completed an antiquated munitions course at Lowery AFB, I was sent to Bunker Hill AFB, IN where I was expected to manage a nuclear weapons storage facility. When they discovered that I wasn't truly qualified to do such a thing, they put me in charge of the armament section and the loading crews. I didn't know much about that either!
Not too long after that we received an inspection and my section failed it miserably. While in the process of trying to rectify the numerous errors, the 30th air Division Commander, a BG, made a visit. He assembled all the officers and began to rant and rave about the inspection and all of a sudden he announces, � For your information the armament officer is fired�. Nice way to get the axe!
What happened next is in some ways like a bad dream then in other ways quite humorous. The Commander was a real �jerk� and directed that I be given a bad OER! The orderly room clerk was feeding me carbon copies of the drafts of my OER; consequently I had a rebuttal ready as soon as the Commander handed it to me. I got it in the morning and although I had 10 days, I gave it back to him after lunch. He just gave me a cold stare and dismissed me without a word. Now comes the good part, the OER is supposed to be reviewed through channels and then I�d get placed on the control roster. Ha, I had the thing appealed and it was removed from my records before it got to Headquarters. Now this really irked the old man and I knew that wasn�t the end of it.
They didn�t know what job to give me; I was just doing odd jobs when low and behold the Avionics Officer got a humanitarian transfer. I couldn�t believe it but the old man told me to go to the Avionics Section. I said sure if you give me the AFSC. They did some mumbo jumbo with a classification board and gave me the entry level AFSC.
Well that wasn�t the end; as I said this guy was a real �jerk� and he directed another bad OER. My reporting official an I shared the same office and he would take my OER to the old man and return with it because it wasn�t bad enough; he would throw it into the waste basket and I would retrieve it. Needless to say that one was also pulled before it got to Headquarters.
Wow, you talk about a ruffled colonel; he wanted to know who I knew that was taking care of me?
Now ADC comes down with a message that says �all entry level Avionics Officers would be sent to school or upgraded�. At lasts a way out of this nightmare! No way, more mumbo jumbo and I�m fully qualified.
About this time the Squadron is to be disbanded and I got sent to Duluth International Airport. The vindictive � jerk� finally got me a bad OER and the control roster; I didn't have much success with that one. Well Duluth wasn�t too happy to get an Officer on the control roster and I was put in charge of the Missile shop; I had 5 Airman under my direct supervision.
I got a call from the Chief of Maintenance one day and he says OPS called and there is an inbound T33 with a code �something� aboard and he wants Lt. Wright to meet him at OPS. It was my ex-reporting official and he handed me a letter that got the last OER removed from my files and after the Chief of Maintenance read it I was assigned to the Avionics Section. VICTORY at last!!!.
I had a very enjoyable tour at Duluth, did some good things got good tickets and made Captain. Even got to fly the F106B at Mach 2;but the highlight was a high altitude flight at Tyndall during a deployment, we got up to 65,500; I never knew the sky was so dark blue. Of course I was flying because the aircraft had a history of the fire control system screwing up in flight but we could never find any thing wrong with it. I was able to analyze the problem and it flew 10 sorties without a write up. That made a lot of points with the pilots and I earned a degree of creditability with them (as much as they would allow a maintenance guy)
I left there in 1965 for, Bentwaters England with a Commendation Medal and a very good taste in my mouth, as I was hot for SEA.
My 4-� years at Bentwaters was quite enjoyable; I worked for good people and I had excellent people working for me. I got to travel quite a bit and collected some antiques. In Jun 1969, when it came time to rotate, I fully expected 30 days in the states and then SEA; that�s what happened to other Maintenance Officers. But low and behold; I get assigned to 9th AF �s IG staff at Shaw AFB SC and notified that I made Major and selected for regular; Whew! All were surprises and gladly received.
The IG job wasn�t too hot but I got good tickets and it kept me out of SEA. Back surgery kept me on the base until I retired in April 1975 after 22!/2 years service. I was glad to end my career with several commendation and meritorious service medals; not bad considering such a miserable start.
We settled here in Sumter and have lived in the same house for 31 years. I enjoy the many fine fishing lakes and the warm weather. After retirement I took a job as salesman for a chemical company; 2 years later I owned the company. I did quite well until it got real competitive and I lost interest. I was able to get in some college, (2 years) but then the fish started biting and I took a sabbatical, never went back, shame on me as I was doing pretty well.
Phyllis and I will celebrate our 49th Anniversary on October 11, 2000. We have 3 children, (Mike 44, Pat & Sue 42) 6 grandchildren, 4 cats, and a 94-year-old mother in-law. Life is good and the Lord continues to watch over us. I am active in the church and spend spare time fishing when the wife doesn�t have some chore for me.
I have done a lot in the AF that I�m quite proud of, but my proudest is OCS and the opportunity to meet all you fine people. We owe a debt of gratitude to Don for making it possible for us to come together in this manner to renew old friendships.
MAY THE PEACE AND JOY OF THE LORD BE WITH YOU ALL
I found a few pictures from 40 years ago --
Dancing
Max Hottell
A group
Out Front
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