Boom Operator Memorial – Altus AFB, OK
This memorial is a lasting tribute to those who gave the last full measure of devotion that freedom might survive lost in the steadfast performance of duty they, their crews, and families have the gratitude of an eternally thankful nation. It is with solemn pride and a heavy heart that we acknowledge these who have laid so costly an offering upon the altar of freedom and ensured we shall never forget their sacrifice.
Boom Memorial Names |
| KB-29 SUPERFORTRESS | |
| 7-Jul-51 | TSGT HENRY H. HILL |
| 7-Jul-51 | 1LT JACK W. KERN |
| 7-Jul-51 | CPL REGINALD F. RUSSELL |
| 7-Jul-51 | SSGT SCOTT L. WALLACE |
| 10-Jul-53 | SGT WALTER F. OLSEN |
| 26-Dec-56 | TSGT THURMAN RANIER |
| 10-Jan-57 | TSGT EDWARD C. CLEMONS |
| 10-Jan-57 | SSGT MICHAEL B. MCINTOSH |
| 2-Feb-57 | MSGT LAWRENCE M. GRIGORY |
| 2-Feb-57 | A2C ARTHUR B. KOSIER |
| 2-Feb-57 | A3C FRANKLIN D. SCHWEIGERT |
| KB-50 SUPERFORTRESS | |
| 13-Mar-57 | A2C ROBERT E. CRAIG |
| 13-Mar-57 | A2C BILLY B. ROSE |
| 8-May-57 | SSGT THOMAS E. O’CONNOR |
| 8-May-57 | A3C DONALD E. COSPER |
| 13-Aug-58 | A2C FRANCIS C. HERMANCE, JR. |
| 13-Aug-58 | SSGT NORBERT T. KNULTY |
| 22-Jan-59 | A2C IGNACIO W. SANCHEZ |
| 22-Jan-59 | TSGT WAYNE M. SOUDER |
| 4-Aug-59 | A2C THOMAS M. PAYTON |
| 18-Oct-60 | SSGT HARDIN A. BAILEY |
| 18-Oct-60 | A2C THOMAS J. LANE |
| 18-Oct-60 | A3C MICHAEL W. MILLER |
| 5-Mar-61 | SSGT HAROLD D. MEEUSEN |
| 5-Mar-61 | A2C CLIFTON C. TABOR |
| 8-Jan-62 | A2C PAUL M. CLAWSON |
| 8-Jan-62 | A2C CARLTON A. LINK |
| 8-Jan-62 | SSGT BILLIE D. MOORE |
| 9-Feb-62 | A1C GUY L. POWELL |
| 9-Feb-62 | A2C RALPH E. REUTZEL |
| 20-Dec-62 | SSGT ROBERT T. CRAIG |
| 20-Dec-62 | SSGT JAMES R. HAYES |
| 13-Aug-64 | SSGT WALTER B. HICKMAN, JR. |
| 13-Aug-64 | SSGT CAREY A. LIVINGSTON |
| KC-97 STRATOFREIGHTER | |
| 9-Nov-51 | SGT JAMES A. MAINS |
| 27-Jun-54 | A1C DAVID ARAMBULA |
| 27-Jun-54 | SSGT ROBERT O. GONZALES |
| 27-Jun-54 | SSGT VINCENT PROVENZANO |
| 23-Feb-55 | SSGT ROBERT E. ROSENCRANCE |
| 23-Feb-55 | A2C CHARLES J. SITFA |
| 4-May-55 | A1C MARVIN R. DEVRIES |
| 4-May-55 | A1C JOSEPH L. PRIDGEN |
| 13-Jul-55 | SSGT GEORGE R. MIGNOSA |
| 13-Jul-55 | SSGT MARVIN F. RUSK |
| 25-Apr-56 | SSGT DONALD S. DELPRIORE |
| 25-Apr-56 | A2C JURI E. JOONAS |
| 25-Apr-56 | SSGT KENNETH E. VANPATTON |
| 26-Jun-56 | TSGT BARDEL A. CRUM |
| 26-Jun-56 | SSGT ROBERT L. WALLACE |
| 6-Jul-56 | A2C WILLIAM L. FALCONER |
| 22-Jan-57 | SSGT JOEL V. BLACKWELL |
| 22-Jan-57 | SSGT RAYMOND E. NOAH |
| 18-Jul-57 | SSGT JACKIE J. JAMERSON |
| 29-Oct-57 | TSGT RONALD E. RUBLE |
| 12-Nov-58 | MSGT CURTIS W. KING |
| 12-Nov-58 | A2C JOHN M. SCSERBAK |
| 22-Jul-59 | TSGT JAKE SCHMIDT |
| 30-Mar-60 | SSGT SHIRLEY D. RENNER |
| 27-Jun-60 | TSGT ROBERT P. COSTELLO |
| 28-Feb-61 | SSGT ERNEST J. LEMOINE |
| 5-Nov-64 | SSGT GERALD W. SHULTZ |
| 19-Dec-64 | TSGT JAMES R. BILL |
| KC-135 SRATOTANKER | |
| 27-Jun-58 | MSGT DONALD H. GABBARD |
| 25-Nov-58 | TSGT RONALD L. CHAMPION |
| 31-Mar-59 | TSGT HERMAN A. CLARK |
| 15-Oct-59 | SSGT PAUL R. THOMASSON |
| 3-Feb-60 | SSGT GEORGE W. SHORT |
| 9-May-62 | SSGT WALLACE R. ADAMS |
| 10-Sep-62 | TSGT JOHN L. DUNCAN |
| 10-Sep-62 | TSGT KENNETH A. QUINN |
| 27-Feb-63 | TSGT DANIEL C. CAMERON |
| 21-Jun-63 | MSGT DANIEL F. DONAHUE |
| 28-Aug-63 | MSGT CARL H. BURRIS |
| 28-Aug-63 | TSGT RAY L. FISH |
| 8-Jul-64 | SSGT ROBERT L. GRAVES |
| 4-Jan-65 | SSGT JIMMY TARDIE |
| 16-Jan-65 | SSGT REGINALD R. WENT |
| 26-Feb-65 | MSGT CAREY W. ADDISON JR. |
| 3-Jun-65 | TSGT LESTER M. ALLSOP |
| 17-Jan-66 | MSGT LLOYD POTOLICCHIO |
| 17-May-66 | TSGT HARRY L. ALEXANDER |
| 19-May-66 | SSGT CHARLES E. STUART |
| 19-Jan-67 | MSGT ORVILLE MONTGOMERY |
| 17-Jan-68 | TSGT CHARLES C. CHAPLIN |
| 30-Jul-68 | SGT CHARLES A. OLVIS JR. |
| 30-Jul-68 | SSGT HURSCHEL D. PRIDDY |
| 2-Oct-68 | TSGT EARL B. ESTEP JR. |
| 22-Oct-68 | SMSGT HOWARD B. BENGE |
| 19-Dec-69 | SMSGT HOWARD G. BENFORD |
| 3-Jun-71 | SSGT RICHARD D. ROUSHER |
| 13-Jun-71 | TSGT HUBERT MILES JR. |
| 13-Mar-72 | SGT BRUCE J. KLAVERKAMP |
| 25-Mar-75 | SMSGT JACKIE V. EGBERT |
| 7-Dec-75 | SGT DAVID M. WANDEL |
| 6-Feb-76 | SSGT LLOYD D. BAKER |
| 26-Sep-76 | TSGT GARY L. CARLSON |
| 19-Sep-79 | SMSGT ALBERT L. EVANS |
| 13-Mar-82 | TSGT DONALD J. PLOUGH |
| 19-Mar-82 | MSGT RICHARD A. CROME |
| 27-Aug-85 | TSGT CLAUDE F. ARDEN |
| 27-Aug-85 | SSGT DESIREE LOY |
| 17-Jun-86 | SSGT QUINN L. DEWITT |
| 13-Mar-87 | SSGT RODNEY S. ERKS |
| 13-Mar-87 | SMSGT PAUL W. HAMILTON |
| 11-Oct-88 | A1C ROBERT L. PARHAM |
| 20-Nov-88 | MSGT JAMES L. BORLAND |
| 31-Jan-89 | CAPT ROBERT LEWELLYN |
| 31-Jan-89 | SSGT DAVID VICKERS |
| 20-Sep-89 | MSGT CHERYL HELGERMAN |
| 20-Sep-89 | MSGT WILLIAM J. MALICO |
| 4-Oct-89 | A1C JACK D. CUPP |
| 19-Nov-97 | MSGT ROBERT “TUG” MCGRAW |
| 13-Jan-99 | TSGT RICHARD D. VISINTAINER |
| ADDED SINCE BOOM MEMORIAL DEDICATION | |
| KC-97 STRATOFREIGHTER | |
| 27-Aug-56 | A1C WILLIAM R. DENNIE Jr. |
| 27-Aug-56 | A3C RICHARD A. RIDLON |
| ADDED SINCE BOOM MEMORIAL DEDICATION | |
| KB-29 SUPERFORTRESS | |
| 8-Apr-54 | A2C FREDERICK L. MARSHALL |
| 8-Apr-54 | A2C WAYNE D. WHITSELL |
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About
Access my entire collection from the OneDrive link below:
I have amassed a very large collection (over 1,000) of air to air refueling pictures and want to share them on this website. My collection includes many rare pictures (ever see an A-10 refuel from a KC-97?) of over 120 different receiver types. Whenever possible I will try to provide a link to the source(s), but I have been collecting the pictures for years on my hard drive and it may be very difficult to track down the original source.
If you find any errors on this site or have additional information about the topic please let me know and I will update the page.
Every great picture has a great story to go along. I have many great pictures, unfortunately I don’t have all of the stories. If anyone has additional information on any of the pictures featured on this site I would love for you to share your story. I am especially interested in documenting the old piston powered tankers, their stories are slowly fading away. This site is all about documenting the nitty-gritty details, so if the more specifics you have the better (quirks, ect…). Likewise, if anybody has unique air refueling pictures I would love to see them. You can send info to the address below:
Please use the comments section below the images as a place to discuss the picture and leave further information for others to read. Your discussion adds greatly to the historic value of this site and to the legacy of air refueling crew members.
Below is a brief list of things I am looking for, but any info is welcomed.
- Photographs and information about
Boeing 747 tankers.I would especially like pictures of the boom operator’s compartment, instruments, and panel. Please get in contact with me via the email address above if you have any information about the 747 tanker. - High resolution pictures of the KB-29P/KB-50/KC-97 Boom Operator’s Station and Panel
- KB-29/KB-50/KC-97 Flight Manuals
- F-86
F-104F-16XL in contact (boom pod or external view)- S-3 Viking on
BDA/MPRS/WARP/KC-10 CLD V-22 on KC-135 BDA (I know this picture exists)YC-15- X-32
- Any unique or rare air refueling picture
Blogroll
SSgt Bill Burly was killed on February 2, 1957 in the accident out of Sculthorpe England. Frank Schwiegert took my place on the crew and was killed on his first flight on the KB-29p. Would appreciate it if you would add his name. Manny Alegria, MSgt retired boomer
A1C Bruce Klaverkamp was In the first :baby-boom class at Castle AFB. I, a retread was in the same class and he did as well as anybody in the academic classwork. After we went into flight training, I rarely saw until we both arrived at Carswell AFB. The flight he was on was an annual checj]k for thr boom and nav and also an instructor check for the nav. The flight had staff IP giving a PUP ride to a stan-eval co-pilot. This staff IP had a reputation for making idle-engine approaches After the refueling, nav-leg and check rides were complete, The evaluator-navigator for some unremembered reason had the crew do a taxi-back and let off the aircraft The evaluator boom operator had every intention to fly out the mission, but when the aircraft taxied in he changed his mind, The aircraft took off and on the first approach crashed and killed all five crewmwmbers — including the stan-eval co-pilot whose wife had a new baby on Friday and he was killed that following Monday
Thank You for having the Memorial to Boom Operators displayed…and the larger sized picture available…
I didn’t know James R. Bill, who perished in the 19 December 1964 crash at E. Harmon AFB, NFLD. But, I had become very aquainted with his step-daughter who had lived at the base during the crash.
I have just refereed her and her husband to this beautiful page.
I was not a Boom Operator. I was Radio Maintenance at the control tower.
I’d just come on shift to discover the graveyard shift ATC controller still in shock after the crash…
Can you tell me where this Memorial is located?
Again, Thank You!
Ted Ward
The memorial is at Altus AFB, OK.
Thank you for letting me share in your special Boomers Memorial group. You guys and gals are really a very special group of people.
It is a privilege to meet you.
I was a radio maintenance tech at E Harmon AFB between Sept of 63 through March of 65. It was another privilege to have served with you guys..
Ted Ward