2005 Reunion, Nashville, Tennessee
2005 Reunion Itinerary
Tony Ykema HQ 84th BS
Howard Weger, Pilot 97th BS
Gift from the Commemorative Air Force
Tony, Howard, Lewis Dillon 84th BS with wife Vernal
Registration fun
Major Harold F. Olsen, Executive Officer 97th BS & James Wadsworth, 97th BS
Harold & James
Major Olson and Crew Chief Lewis N. Dillon, 84th BS
Major Olson and Lewis
Lewis' "fruit salad". Each bomb is a 47th BG reunion.
Close up of Lewis' reunion. Perfect attendance!
Vernal, Lewis & Tony
Forrest R. Allen & Major Olson
Old friends meet again
Hospitality room
Hospitality room
Party time
Party time
Tech Sergeant Buford E. Wimberly, Armorer 97th BS. Survived two wars
Forrest R. Allen & Buford E. Wimberly
Armorer Sergeant Steve Majors, 84th BS. In Ernie Pyle's article, and Frank Hummer's pics
Pilot Clifford Branstad 84th BS, & Sergeant Steve Major, 84th BS
Margaret Hunter & Steve Major
Banquet
Lt. Col. Ed Yielding, pilot of last SR-71 flight. Father was in 47th. Gave stirring story of flight
Pilot Cliff Branstad 84th BS, and Lt. Col. Ed Yielding doing some hanger flying
Map of last SR-71 flight. 3/6/1990. 4 speed records. Ship is now in Udvar Hazy Museum. D.C.
Record setting SR-71 flight 3/6/1990. Serial #972. Flight statistics
Turret gunner Jimmie Velasquez 97th BS and granddaughter
Jimmie Velasquez
Bombardier/Navigator Robert Hunter 84th, Pilot Clifford Branstad 84th lower left, Jimmie Velasquez
"Whatchabeendoin?"
Listening and learning
Turret gunners Ed Masterleo, & John Metivier, both 97th BS. John flew missions with my father
Ed Masterleo and his wife
Ed bailed out of doomed A-20 over Appenines wounded, joined the Partisans, got back to his Squadron
Ed signing my book on the 47th
Hospitality room during break
A-20's
30 of the Group's members signed my book on the 47th, YEA!
Side bar- when in Nashville… Buddy Emmons' Sho-Bud steel guitar, and Joe Maphis' Mosrite guitar
Barbara Mandrell's quad neck steel. I'm sure it weighed a ton
Johnny Paycheck's guitar "Shove It"
Broadway from tiny window in Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium stage. For 5 bucks, they would take a picture of you holding a guitar. We passed
Ryman Auditorium stage
Ryman Auditorium stage
Ernest Tubb's Record Shop
Pete Drake's "talking" steel guitar
Nashville neon
Ernest Tubb's record shop