I have one regarding MSGT "Frenchy" Girard.  Seems that at some point there was a barracks inspection and the First Shirt didn't like the outcome.  I think there were extenuating circumstances, working late, etc., but anyway some of us in certain rooms got our pass pulled, and were restricted to base.  Now remember, these are young males with the usual raging hormones.  So, we sat in the BX bar, feeling sorry for ourselves (wrongfully punished!), and decided to go to town anyway.  So back to the barracks, SSS, hop in the car and off to fun in town. No problem.  Well, the next day we get orders to report to the orderly room, the first shirt wants to see you. Oh, oh now what. He puts us at attention and chews us out from one end to the other.  Then he asks us, one by one, if we did in fact leave the base without a pass.  No sir, says one.  No sir says two.  He comes to me, and I said Yes sir I did.  Etc. He chews our ----- again, tells us to get out of his sight and we did.  Moral of the story, 2 days later I get called to the orderly room, the clerk hands me my pass, says Girard said to give it to me.  The other guys are still on restriction.  To this day I don't know who turned us in but I know that he was a caring, honorable man and I was proud to serve with him. You can share this with whomever you please.
 

We were doing a flush and purge after a PLX, I don't remember what site it was.  As an MFT I didn't have any post PLX duties, other than wipe up the hydraulic fluid from the overhead door, but couldn't leave until the bus left after everyone was finished.  So we usually volunteered to help the MMTs and the Enginemen with the F&P.  You know, safety wiring the igniters, etc. When you do a flush and purge you run Tric(?), trichloroetheleyne, through the engine system to make it LOX clean again.  Anyway the fumes from that stuff are dangerous.  Well, one of the guys dropped a wrench down the flame tunnel.  So, he says I'll climb down and get it.  One of the guys, I think Sisely, says, no way, tie a safety line on.  So he did, and we lowered him down.  Needless to say, the fumes put him out, we dragged him back up and used the Scott Air Pack on him.  He was okay, and we never told anyone. A real breach of safety regs.  We were lucky that time.  You know, when you're young, you're invincible.
 

The discussion about de-activation reminded me of another story, as true as I can remember! Early in 1965 the word is we will deactivate & those with enough time left will be reassigned, but the short-timers will not.  Well, that year they  were having bomb-comp at Fairchild and all available, (read short-timers) personnel were made available for all kinds of details.  Painting hangers, raking grass, etc.  This does not appeal to me, (discharge date, 17 Oct 65) for the rest of the summer.  I nosed around the orderly room and discovered that there was an opening in the Missile Phase down Group for AFSC 54150A (MINE!!).  So off I go to talk to Capt. Gene Burby, the CO of that group.  I must have impressed him, because in a matter of days I had orders transferring to the 92 CES. Ha Ha, I tell my former work mates, you suckers have to paint, I have a real job! It gets better.  About a month later I begin to get visits from my former mates, who have received early outs.  They're going home!  I, on the other hand, am needed.  So it goes. That summer, of 1965, we had a program to test all the generators at all the sites to make sure they were still usable.  I was told that they were removed and sent to Viet Nam.  All the generators in the 567th passed, and I guess were all sent to southeast asia.

I keep remembering stuff.  I looked on the plaque donations page and noticed Gene Burbey's name.  That brings to mind another story. After we ( the missile phase down group in 92 CES) load tested all the generators, or most of them anyway, it was October of 1965, and my release date was the 17th.  The usual drill was that your last couple of weeks were spent clearing.   As in, I'll clear supply today, the chaplain tomorrow, etc. Well everything was on schedule so I went to Burbey to see when I could clear the duty section.  (Once you did that you were almost on your own).  I think he was a little put out because I was not re-enlisting, but that may be my perception.  Anyway he says, well, we have to supply some bodies for the change of command ceremonies, so bring me your clearance after the parade and I'll sign it. Can you believe it!  That means a regulation haircut, shined shoes, blues with the proper stripes, ribbons and badges.  And me with less than 2 weeks to go.  Needless to say, the parade was a success, and there I was in his office, in blues, clearance in hand.  True to his word, he signed it and I never saw him again.