The summer of ’57 came and the class took a get acquainted tour. We traveled to most, if not all, the major air commands. It was a whirlwind tour, and I only remember bits and pieces. We visited Wright-Patterson AFB (Air Material Command and Air Force Research and Development Command) where I got to ride in a centrifuge. I pulled seven gees and held my left arm up the whole time. As long as you’re lying down, gee-force is overrated.
We got some off-base time. Several of us went together into Dayton. The one thing I remember was stopping at a soda shop and ordering banana splits. When the waitress asked, “Do you want strawberry, chocolate, or caramel topping?” JT answered, “Yes.” That confused the waitress because apparently at that time in Dayton you ordered banana splits with one topping.
We went to Hamilton AFB (San Rafael, CA) to learn about Air Defense Command. The one thing I remember was that we had a dance where they had arranged for us to meet local young women. My companion for the evening was rather plain looking except when she smiled. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen nearly enough.
I believe that was the year we went to Tinker AFB (Oklahoma City). Once again we had local companions arranged. My date was the daughter of the base or wing commander. She was a beauty and she had a boyfriend. Besides the dance we went swimming together at the base pool. When she came out, she was holding her top on and asked me to fasten it. Boy, was I fumble fingered.
I’m pretty sure we toured SAC headquarters. I’m not sure about TAC, because we visited Norfolk and the Navy the next summer. It was a busy two weeks, and we got really familiar with C-124s. Ben described them as something you got into which shook for a while, and you got off somewhere else.
We spent a brief summer academic period where our topics were primarily military. We even got to play a war game scenario to see how much we had learned. The one thing I remember about that session was someone came up with a new anti-aircraft missile. We had found out about the Nike Ajax and the Nike Zeus while we were in California. Our missile was named the Nike Jesus and had divine guidance (I’m pretty sure Greg dreamed that up. He was as irreverent as they come).
That summer gave us our first leave. I don’t remember a whole lot about it strangely enough. I know I went back to Delaware. I remember that we got a lot of help getting home, and I learned about space-A travel. I’m pretty sure I went to see Thoroughly Modern Millie with Carol from Wilmington. It was at an outdoor theater in the round. It was the only time I dated her, and I don’t know why I didn’t date her again.
I know this is short, but so was that summer. It was back to class as third classmen.