Leon
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THE COMPLAINTLuke AFB 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, it must have stung quite a bit. (I hope!!!)
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 t he 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 make the call for you, and 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.
Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.
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thebizman
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Amen....I live near Luke AFB and am very proud of the men and women that serve there. What you didn't see was the response to the letter writer over the next full week by others that feel the same as I. The letter to the editor section was a full page for four days and then it tapered off. I don't know if the letter writer every responded or just slinked off, but the lieutenant colonel DID receive a lot of praise for his response.
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Leon
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Hi Lee,
Thank you for proving this was real.
Although it was a positive thing to uphold the Commander for what he did, it
is another thing to know that it was a true event.
Peace,
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