Activation Ceremony

First, I apologize for the amount of time that has gone by between this great event and when I am writing the blog about it!  I have been swamped and quite frankly couldn't figure out the best way to write about our time there!  This particular ceremony was one that conjured up several different emotions in me.  In this blog, I will attempt to explain them all and tell you all I can about the wonderful time we had at the Activation Ceremony.

Late last year I was notified that my father's unit from DaNang, Vietnam was going to be reactivated.  My father was in the 20th TASS (Tactical Air Support Squadron) from April 1972 through June 29, 1972, when he was killed.  My dad was a Covey FAC (Forward Air Controller).  His call sign was Covey 87.  They had a Snoopy patch for their unit! 

The unit had be deactivated and reactivated several times in the past.  The latest was to be in January 2011 where it would become the 20th RS (Reconnaissance Squadron), and we were invited to attend the ceremony as their guests of honor.  Of course I would go!  To be a part of the history of my dad's unit would be an honor for me! 

After working with the Lt. Col. who would be the Squadron Commander, we got all the details in order and my husband, kids and I made our plans to go to up north...in the winter!  SNOW!  Much different than Texas!  The kids were thrilled, not only because we had a trip to take but also because one of their middle school friends had moved away in their 8th grade year and happened to live nearby.  We included seeing him as part of our trip!  Oh, they were so excited!

So, Thursday afternoon, we make our way to the event location and when we got there, the first thing that hit us was, you got it, the COLD!  We arrived there around 10:00 PM and met up with Lt. Col. Travis Burdine, a wonderful host!  We were immediately "at home" and felt completely taken care of.  We were surprised with the fact that we were staying on base, in the Officer's Quarters.  They had a really cute three bedroom, two bath home for us to stay in while we were there.  It was fabulous! 

The gate entrance!

The very first thing that happened once we got to the house was that we were shown around, given a tour, of the house by Lt. Col. Burdine and then decided to go unpack the car while he and my husband, Paul, ran up to the store for some drinks to keep in the fridge.  The kids and I all headed to the car and "slam", the door shut behind us.  OOPS, the key is inside and it automatically locked!  So, Elizabeth, my daughter, is credited with locking us out of the house within the first 30 seconds of our being there!

The best thing about the house was the two little trees in the front, they looked like little Christmas trees with snow all over them!  The snow covered the yard, it was beautiful.  We could see all kinds of stand alone plane displays from our front door...not that you could stand the front door being open too long!  Too cold!  Brr!


Our accommodations while we were there.

 When we arrived we were told some of the old 20th TASSers were hanging out for the evening but we were really too worn out to get dressed and go meet with them.  We decided to take it easy for the night and just get some sleep.  Having recently gotten over the flu and still dealing with a messed up right foot (I broke it a couple of months ago and it is still in a boot), I was ready to hit the sack!

Friday morning we woke up and were escorted to the Bowling Ally for breakfast!  They had the BEST biscuits and gravy!  Fantastic breakfast!  While we were there, some of the old TASSers showed up.  And, appropriately, the first thing they said to Elizabeth was, "Oh, yes, the girl that locked her family out of the house as soon as they got there!"  HA HA!  She was a good sport and quickly blamed it on me for leaving the key on the desk!  We got to see some old friends and make some new ones!  Paul had a computer buddy with Capt. Goldsmith!  They debated MAC vs. PC over breakfast! 

Every time I attend a ceremony I am constantly amazed at how nice, accommodating and open the men from my dad's unit are.  All of these men either knew or knew of my dad and they all made a point to come over and talk to me and my family.  It's always so nice to see them, it's like a little family reunion!

So after breakfast we made our way over to the Stealth Bomber!  Jake could not wait for this.  We got to see it up close and personal....ok, not too personal!  We were allowed to walk around the outside of the plane and look all our hearts desired.  We were not, however, permitted across the red rope they had surrounding the plane, or to take pictures.  No pictures allowed.  To enforce our good behavior, there were armed guards surrounding the plane.  Nice little M-4's (or that's what they looked like!)...loaded and ready for use!  So...I'll mind my manners!  Plus, it was like 19 degrees out there and I was freezing!  So, after a nice walk around (far around) the plane I made my way back inside to hang out in the warmth!

But not for long!  We were now headed to the stagnate B-52 so that I could get a better history of the plane that my dad used to fly in out of Thailand in 1970.  We were accompanied by Maj. Dan Taylor and a couple of 20th TASSers.  They gave me all kinds of interesting details about the plane and the crew that would have flown in it.  Again, it was FREEZING outside!  And to make things worse, I stepped in a pile of snow with my boot...and got snow in the toe of it!  The boot is an orthopedic boot, so it is an open toed one...not too handy in the snow!

From there we attended a luncheon where we had a great meal.  I guess it's true, the Air Force does have the best food!  It was very nice, and it was there where we really got to know and become close with Maj. Dan Taylor.  He was awesome!  We had a blast hanging out with him that day. 


The B-52 that was on display.

 During the luncheon, Col. William Tart gave a speech/lecture on various aspects of the mission of this newly reactivated unit.  Without knowing what I can and cannot divulge to the public, we will leave it at that!  He was a great speaker and very nice man.  We enjoyed meeting him as well!

From there we toured the new 20th RS building.  It was fantastic, very well done.  We were told that just a few short days/weeks that area would be considered top secret and we would not have been allowed in!  Woo hoo...we saw it first!  That was cool!  They had a wall going down one of the main hallways that had all of my dad's pictures up there.  When I turned the corner, the first thing I saw was a very large sketching of my dad's military photo.  I immediately got a lump in my throat, it was amazing.  Simply amazing.  Then I found out that Lt. Col. Burdine's 11 year old daughter had drawn it just a few days prior to the ceremony...and it only took her a few hours to do it.  Incredible.  I can still see it perfectly clear,  it was absolutely an honor to him.


The artists rendition of my dad's picture.  She did a truly amazing job.

We were then given a tour of the control room.  You know the control room in Transformers?  Well, it was a lot like that!  It was so cool!  I almost felt like I was in a movie!  I am sure a lot of very great work will take place in that room.  I know my dad would have probably loved to have seen it! 

Control room...there is nothing top secret on the screens, it is all prerecorded looped videos



Not the best picture of me, but hey...I love my jacket!  This was also prerecorded demo videos.

The mission of the 20th RS seems to be very close to that of the 20th TASS.  The major difference is that these men and women will be able to do it and remain quite a bit safer than the FAC's were a long time ago.  It is so comforting to know that strides are being made to ensure the safety of our troops...and maybe fewer kids will be left without their dads (or moms) in the future.  Congratulations to all of them, I hope they enjoy their role in the history of the Air Force.  It's truly amazing how things have changed and improved.

From there we went to the Activation Ceremony.  Now this was a real treat for us!  We got to see a Change of Command Ceremony.  How awesome was THAT!  Congratulations to Lt. Col. Burdine!  It was so cool to see how that is done!  I sat next to his mother, she was so very proud of her son!  Can you imagine?!  It must be such an honor!  The ceremony was fantastic and the 20th RS was official!  The unit members were all so nice and fun to be around!  One of them had the last name "Bennett"...we decided we had the best last name ever!  She was sweet!


Change of Command ceremony, it was an honor to see this.

 We wrapped up the day with drinks and appetizers...and cake...at the Officer's Club.  We all got to sit and visit with eachother and listen to stories of then and now.  I brought the Medal of Honor with me so that people could see it and read the citation.  I think they enjoyed being able to see one up close and personal.  I admired the amount of respect shown to the Medal.  It was surprising to me how many of them didn't want to pick up the shadow box that I have it mounted in.  They would rather just look at it on the table.  It was interesting, a learning experience for me.  It was very nice to spend time with everyone there and get to know more about the 20th RS and to hear more about the 20th TASS.


The 20th TASS...the "old guys"!



The new leaders of the 20th RS with myself and my family!

Later that night, we decided to go to dinner with Maj. Taylor so we went to a steakhouse off base.  It was so much fun!  He is a great guy.  Our kids really hit it off with him and he seemed to really like our "family dynamics" as he called it!  He missed his family, who will join him at his location later this summer.  I am very sure they miss him as well, he must be a great dad!

The next day we left to start home.  After a while on the road, we found the Osceola Cheese Factory.  It has all kinds of cheeses and you can sample them.  They are fantastic!  We didn't have a way to keep all the cheese cold on the way home to Texas so we just bought one.  The lightly smoked bacon cheddar.  Oh my.  It is so yummy!  I strongly recommend them if you love cheese like we do!  They have a website too, look them up!


Osceola Cheese Factory...worth the stop!

  

It was SO COLD!  Paul, Elizabeth and Jake bravely stood for the picture!


We stopped to see our kids' friend, David.  As soon as he walked in, I recognized him!  He hasn't changed at all.  We all had a great time and a good lunch before we had to get back on the road.  His dad came to get him and we left.  The rest of the trip home was fun, as usual!  Our kids travel GREAT!  We saw the most amazing sunset.  It was beautiful!  We also met a puppy at a rest stop!  He was cute!


Jake, David and Elizabeth...it was great to be able to get them together again!

 A special "thank you" to the base, the 20th RS, Maj. Dan Taylor and Lt. Col. Burdine.  If I didn't name someone else specifically, it was not intentional!  ALL of you were wonderful!

I did not post the exact location due to security issues.
I was not able to post several pictures that I think would be very interesting due to the nature of security.  I didn't want to post anything that would compromise them or their mission.

Thanks for reading, pass this link on to anyone you think may be interested!  Before you leave, be sure to click on "FOLLOW" in order to follow this blog!  There are some interesting and exciting plans in the works...I don't want you to miss out!

20th RS/20th TASS Ceremony

My family and I recently returned from the Activation Ceremony of the 20th RS.  We had a fantastic time, I cannot wait to share it with you!  I am working on that blog now and should publish it within a couple of days!

Stay tuned and keep on writing your own stories!  Send them to angelaengele@gmail.com

Thanks,
Angela

January 20, 2011

Good morning to everyone!  So much is going on, I wanted to take the time to share the latest with you!

We are still working on the website, please be patient while we get it up and running.  In the meantime please "follow" this page.  There is a button to click on that will make you a follower of the blog, please be sure to click on that!  Also, please "like" my Facebook page.  There is a link to it on this blog!

I wanted to explain what I need from everyone with regards to "stories", I don't think I explained it well before.

My goal is to collect any and all stories related to military service.  When I have contacted people, I think they assume I want stories about my dad and how they relate to him.  I do not!  Course, if you knew my dad...feel free to write about him as well...but I want YOUR history.  Your service is what I am interested in.  Additionally, if you did not serve but are related (by family or friend) to someone who did serve, I want your stories as well.  I want to know how the military has impacted your life.  I want stories ranging from the desk job that you had in the military to the job defending the front line!  It doesn't matter to me, if you were in the service, or were impacted by someone who was, tell me your story!

My goal is to allow the community to appreciate and respect all aspects of the military and those who serve.  If you enlisted in the military, you are my hero.  I do not care if you were injured or have some wild war story.  I care that you served.  I care that your family and friends write in and tell how proud they are of you and anyone who served.

For example, I could write about my dad.  I could write about my ex-husband.  I could write about all the men who I have met through the years that knew my dad, and those that didn't know him but served and served proudly.  I could write about my mother and how I saw how my dad's death impacted her both positively and negatively.  I could write about my husband's family history of service.  I could write about all the wives I have talked to and how they have bravely supported and stood by their servicemen.

You can write several different stories, feel free to write a story about each person or event that you feel close to.  There is no limit to how many submissions you can make!  Write away!

See, all stories count!  I dare say that everyone has been impacted on some level by the military.  Even if your experience was negative, I want to know it.  As you all know, I could probably write a negative letter if I chose to!  My dad being killed when I was 2 1/2 years old is not something that leaves a "good taste in my mouth", but I tend to choose to look on the bright side about it.  He died doing what he loved and believed in. 

Regardless of your story, please just try to keep it "clean"!  And any negative letters are welcome, just please keep them respectful.

Please send all letters to my dedicated email:  angelaengele@gmail.com

Once I receive your story I will send you a release form.  Please fill the release form out and email it back to me.

This project is going to take time, but I promise you we will all be proud of it when it is finished.  However, I need your help, I need your stories.

Thank you so much for your interest in this project, I look forward to reading your stories and thoughts!

Thank you,
Angela Engele
angelaengele@gmail.com
214-601-8055 (if you have questions)

January 12, 2011

A quick update!

Things are moving along nicely!  Still working on the website and non-profit status!  I will be filing for non-profit status on Monday, January 17th!  So exciting!  I will keep you all posted on that as I get more information.

My family and I are headed to an Activation Ceremony tomorrow, honoring the 20th TASS (Tactical Air Support Squadron).  We are very excited about this trip and hope to meet a couple of new people who may have known my father!  I'm also excited to see a few of those I have previously met, it will be great to catch up!

Everyone stay warm and be safe!  I can't wait to really get things rolling once we return from our trip.

Feel free to contact me at angelaengele@gmail.com should you wish to either volunteer or donate.  If you would like the "inside scoop" on what is being planned, please email me!  Also...pass this link on to anyone and everyone you may have in your circle of friends that would be excited about a project honoring and remembering those who have served in our fabulous military.

Take care!
Angela

Happy New Year!

We wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!  Hope you all had a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve!

Take a moment today to wish the troops and their families a Happy New Year, hoping that this year will keep them safe and returned home shortly.  For those who are stationed and serving here at home, Happy New Year and thanks for "holding down the fort" and keeping us safe!

This New Year, I would like to see the membership to this page grow and grow!  Please pass on the link to this page and ask people to "follow" the page!  Trust me, there are some pretty exciting things coming up.  It will take a little time and a lot of volunteers, but it will get done and it will be something we can all play a part in and be proud of!

Please visit the "Volunteers Needed" and "Donations Needed" tabs to see if there is anything you can do to help.  Some things will take quite a bit of time, others will not!  Please help!

Happy New Year to you all!

Angela

Update!

Sorry the updates are not coming very quickly...there is so much going on right now!

We are working on the website right now; I will keep you posted on the progress as often as possible.  In the meantime, please keep spreading the word about the blog, have people "follow" it so that they can be kept up-to-date!

Be sure to check the Volunteers Needed tab and Donations Needed tab in order to help with the project!  Any and all help is welcome, contact me so I can give you more specifics if you need them!

Thank you all and I will post updates as often as I can!

Angela

Cajundome Re-Dedication

On Veteran's Day, 2010 the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana re-dedicated the Dome to my father.  The ceremony was very nice and the updates done to the monument and the area surrounding it are wonderful.


Plaque placed at existing monument at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana

My husband and children joined me along with my father's brothers and one of his sisters.  I was honored to have several other people attend as well.  Mike Brown, the backseater that was with my father when he died.  Jim Hodgson, the Director of the OV-10 Association and a family friend, flew to Lafayette to be with us and I greatly appreciate that.  Many others that took time out of their schedule to be there.  Finally, Raymond Boute, my father's best friend in high school, was able to make it.  I had talked to him years ago and was actually able to meet him.  That was a fantastic surprise and I was so thankful to be able to meet him and spend time with him.

Below are some pictures of the event and those that attended with me.  The monument seen in the pictures has been there since 1987 and will be professionally cleaned to match the bronzing in the above picture.  The Cajundome has gone to great lengths to make this a very nice display.  If you are ever in the Lafayette area, please stop by and take a look!  You won't be dissappointed!

Jim Hodgson, Angela Bennett-Engele, monument to Capt. Steven L. Bennett and Mike Brown




Jake Buck, Angela Bennett-Engele, monument to Capt. Steven L. Bennett and Elizabeth Engele.  My kids are just wonderful!

 Again, we had a wonderful time.  A big "Thank you" to the Cajundome and all others involved in making it happen.  They presented me with a very large flower arrangement as well, it is beautiful and on my mantel at home!  Thank you so much for your hospitality.  Everything from the ceremony to the luncheon was wonderful.

Below is the speech I gave at the ceremony.  I am including it in this post as I feel it represents a story...much like that like which I am asking you to send me!  Still looking for stories, be sure to send them in!

Angela Bennett-Engele's Speech:

Thank you all for coming today, this Veteran’s Day, to celebrate the Cajundome’s 25^th Anniversary!  A special thank you to the Cajundome and to the 82^nd Airborne Division Association’s Acadiana Chapter as well as the Lafayette Rotary Club and all others involved in today’s event.

I’d like to thank them for their role in bringing my father’s story to life for those who live here, in this city, which meant so much to him.  He went to school here, from Youngsville Middle School (where the library is now proudly named after him) to Youngsville High School (where he was the co-captain of the football team…known quite affectionately as “the Ox”) to USL where he learned to fly and loved it, met my mother, graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and upon graduation joined the Air Force.  He asked my mother to marry him at the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse here in Lafayette…just a piece of useless trivia for you!  Finally, and fittingly, he was buried here…at Lafayette Memorial Park Cemetery, off Pinhook…where he belongs, at home.

I remember in 1987 when the Cajundome was originally dedicated to my father and how much my family appreciated it then.  To be invited to and included in the rededication now is especially nice as we visit the Cajundome whenever we are in town.  Although I live in Texas, whenever I come to town I drive by and stop to take a look and grab a picture or two!

I believe my father would have been humbled and quite a bit amazed to have an arena dedicated to him in his home town.  I think he would have been proud to be such an integral part of the city.  Many of his family still lives here and what an honor it is for them to have this memorial local for them to visit!

I was pleased when I learned of how interested the public had been to learn more of my father and of who the man was on the memorial in front of the Cajundome.  It proves that people have not turned a blind eye to the importance of paying respect to those who have fought and died for our country.  I am even more pleased to hear that the Cajundome committee and those other groups and organizations involved did not turn a deaf ear to the pleas for more information but rather decided to educate their community further.  It shows what strong ties you have with your patrons, and they will appreciate being heard.

I hope that all who visit here will take the time to look at the new additions which are being added as well as the memorial previously placed here.  In reviewing what is put up, I hope it instills in them a need to learn more about others who acted in ways like that of my father.  He was not the only hero to come out of Vietnam, or of any other war.  If memorials like this do one thing, other than honor my father, I hope they bring awareness to the sacrifices that all men and women make on a daily basis for all of our freedoms and rights as American Citizens.

Every time I see or hear of a memorial being held for any service member, I feel proud to know that if nothing else, that group of attendees will leave feeling a sense of patriotism in a way that…up until that day…they have never felt before.  There is something about things like this type of event, which causes pride to well up inside of me.  I hope you all feel it too.  I hope you all take it with you when you leave.  I believe it is the spirit of those who have gone before us, coming back…in the form of all things American…the flag, the flyover, the monument, the pride of patriotism.  They didn’t die for nothing, they died for us!  That’s a good thing, thank you all for coming!