FReeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Dover Air Force Base, Delaware ~ 17 JUNE 2014

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World!! | The Canteen Crew

[laurenmarlowe]

 

 

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~

Road Trip: Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located two miles south of the city of Dover, Delaware.

Dover AFB is home to the 436th Airlift Wing (436 AW) of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), known as the "Eagle Wing", and the AMC-gained 512th Airlift Wing (512 AW) of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), referred to as the "Liberty Wing".

It was the only base to solely operate the massive C-5 Galaxy, with two active flying squadrons (the 3rd Airlift Squadron, which now operates the C-17 Globemaster III, and 9th Airlift Squadron) and two Air Force Reserve flying squadrons (the 326th Airlift Squadron and the 709th Airlift Squadron).

Construction began of Municipal Airport, Dover Airdrome began in March 1941 and the facility was opened on December 17, 1941. It was converted to an Army Air Corps airfield just weeks after December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was renamed Dover Army Airbase on April 8, 1943; Dover Subbase on June 6, 1943 and Dover Army Airfield on February 2, 1944. With the establishment of the United States Air Force on September 17, 1947, the facility was renamed Dover Air Force Base on January 13, 1948.

The 436th Airlift Wing traces its roots back to the 436th Troop Carrier Group of World War II fame that activated at Baer Field, Indiana on April 1, 1943. After months of training at Alliance Army Airfield, Neb., the group was assigned to the 9th Air Force, IX Troop Carrier Command, 53rd Troop Carrier Wing, in the European Theatre of Operations. Flying the C-47 Skytrain and based out of Bottesford, and later, Membury, England, the 436th TCG participated in four major airborne operations prior to the Allied victory in May 1945.

The 436th Airlift Wing is the active duty military host unit at Dover Air Force Base, which provides command and staff supervision, along with support functions, for assigned airlift providing worldwide movement of outsized cargo and personnel on scheduled, special assignment, exercise and contingency airlift missions.

The "Eagle Wing" is a subordinate of Eighteenth Air Force headquartered with the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The Eagle Wing consists of operations, maintenance, mission support and medical groups and 14 staff divisions. The wing has more than 4,000 active-duty military and civilian employees.

Home to the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, the Eagle Wing flies hundreds of missions throughout the world and provides 25 percent of the Nation's strategic airlift capability, projecting global reach to over 100 countries around the globe.

Read More About Dover Air Force Base HERE!

During WWII, the 4146 Base Unit was involved in secret rocket development at what was then known as Dover Army Airfield. The building complex where these military secret operations took place was Hangar 1301. From the 1950s to the 1970s, various fighter squadrons called the hangar home. In the 1990s after restoration and placement on the National Register of Historic Places, Hangar 1301 was given new life as the home of the Air Mobility Command Museum.

The Air Mobility Command Museum is a part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force's field museum system. Air Mobility Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. Its mission is to deliver maximum war-fighting and humanitarian effects for America through rapid and precise global air mobility.

Visit The Air Mobility Command Museum HERE!

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before. 

Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun!

We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity.

We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon.

We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 

[SkyDancer]

~ Hi Kathy!

~ This story is confirmed in Elmer Bendiner's book, The Fall of Fortresses. *Sometimes, it's not really just luck.* ~

~ ~

Elmer Bendiner was a navigator in a B-17 during WW II. He tells this story of a World War II bombing run over Kassel, Germany, and the unexpected result of a direct hit on their gas tanks. "Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit."

Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple. On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck.

The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11 unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had been parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought.

Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.

He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless.

Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read:

*"This is all we can do for you now... Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea."*

~So This Aussie Comes To America And Rents A Truck ~

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, #1...((HUGS))

How is life treating you? Is spring in full force headed for summer?

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Lauren!

***HUGS***



It's great to see you this evening! Thanks very much for tonight’s Road Trip to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware!

"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...did you sally forth today? Did John-Man get your new posey into the dirt?

It has been a zoo day today. They seem to be coming closer and closer. *sigh*

Maybe a little rain this evening.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Kathy!

*HUGS*

I did indeed Sally Forth this morning. My daughter Mary stayed over last night after Father's Day, and I drove her into work.

We burst through the Sally Port at 0550 - I delivered her to her place of work at 0635 - hit the Office at 0650.

Today was the first day I made into the new Office before 0700. The parking garage was not yet open and I had to circle the block a couple times.

The new gem is not yet in the ground, but John-Man finally got the anchor roots of Lady Banks out of the ground. I'll be off Wednesday, and then I will plant it.

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[AZamericonnie]

Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen
at more than 1,000 places across the U. S. and around the world.

Brad Fletcher - To All Our Mothers Children

Due South - The Good Guys

Perry Nunley - When Freedom Rings

FReeper musical artists. Let me know if you have a submission.

[Kathy in Alaska]

New office...any easier to get to?

Have fun Wednesday!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good Monday evening, Connie...*HUGS*...hope your day went well and you are seeing some daylight...working your way thru applications. Not a fun job.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Sand...((HUGS))...any progress by the new grand baby?

[Terry L Smith]

As a former 436th Supply Squadron Asst. Warehouse Supervisor, 1970-1971, 1974-1976, I was there when
the C-5 Galaxy (Fat Albert), was delivered, and all the
stores for the C-133 Globemaster were being ‘retired’.
I came back, after tours in SouthEast Asia, to Dover.
I left in 1976, due to an USAF requirement to
downsize their post-Vietnam, 5-year, E-5’s bloat.
(I found a career field with more challenges.)

Its a nice base. There WAS a burger joint across from the main gate, that had a “fat albert” burger. I think down near Lewes, was a small seafood place, complete with tide-warped decking, where you could watch the horseshoe crab migration.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

[Kathy in Alaska]

G’Day, Janey...((HUGS))...my earlier reply disappeared.

I’ve read this story before....The Jews did what they could with what they had. They saved a lot of lives.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Terry L Smith, and thanks for sharing your experiences.

And we thank you for your service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning/afternoon/evening/night Troops, wherever you are.

Thank you for doing your part to help keep all of us free and safe.

Thanks, unique, for the pastries.

Coffee is always on........

How about a donut?

Cookies?

Veggies?

Sandwich?

[Kathy in Alaska]

God bless and keep safe our troops worldwide.

Good night.

Statler Brothers ~ How Great Thou Art

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for this morning's thread, Lauren. How's it going?

Tuesday Morning Coffee Bump.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Everyone.

Good morning to our

Thank you, Lauren, for preparing the
Canteen for today’s activities.

Definitely going to check out Dover AFB.
We may retire over that way and
we will be looking for part-time work.

As usual, it was a crazy Monday.
Now, I need to make my rounds,
catch up on pings while it's still quiet.
Please stay.

Grab a cup of joe or tasty tea.

The FR Canteen is

Come on in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
pancakes,
conversation,
silliness,
and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above Honoring those who have served before.

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, Beach. How’s it going?