8 FS veterans reunite

  • Published
  • By Airman Sondra M. Escutia
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Six men who made their mark in Holloman AFB history recently revisited the place they were stationed together 40 years ago.

Former crew chiefs from the 8th Fighter Squadron, who once worked on F-4 Phantoms at Holloman, received a base tour September 26 in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the "Black Sheep's" arrival.

"It's good to come back with this group of people and see all the changes that have been made to Holloman," said Mr. Larry "Nerves" Narveson, one of the veterans.

During the tour, they visited Heritage Center and many posed for a photo with the F-4, the aircraft which one veteran joked "gave him all the headaches of his career." After viewing the aircraft, they went inside the building where the memorabilia seemed to have brought back memories, as the veterans began to share stories.

They then were taken to the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, Detachment 1, where they were able to show their family members the cockpit of a modified QF-4 Phantom II, which the squadron uses as full scale aerial targets.

Later, the veterans got the opportunity to view a static display of the F-22A Raptor, which was a first for most of the veterans.

"That was the highlight of the tour for me," said Mr. Narveson. "I worked in aviation for a long time and it's nice to see we're advancing and keeping our military strong."

All six of the veterans worked together in the 8 FS when it was relocated from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to Holloman in 1968, and all keep in touch to this day.

Mr. Walter Crawford, better known by the nickname, "Bubba," said he enjoyed the tour and reuniting with the men he once oversaw as the flight chief.

"I was just totally amazed and impressed with [the F-22]," said Mr. Crawford. "The whole tour brought back memories for me."

He had tears in his eyes when he mentioned the only thing that bothered him was that many of his comrades were no longer around to be there, but said he shared great memories with every man on the tour.

Col. George Torres, 49th Maintenance Group commander, met with the veterans and had a few words of appreciation for them.

"It was the lessons learned from you men that we've taken and applied here," he said. "Your legacy is still living and very strong here."