New officers and board members were elected on April 1, 2011 by mail-in ballot. These are the new officers and board members.
Chairman of the Board - George Dockery Email
George Dockery is a retired USAF pilot whose troop carrier carrier dates back to the late 1950s. He is heavily involved in airlift-related organizations, including the Airlift/Tanker Association of which he is an original member. George lives in Centennial, Colorado
Vice-Chairman - Jim Elmer Email
Jim Elmer is a retired USAF navigator whose troop carrier career goes back to the early 1960s. He served at Tachikawa, Sewart and Little Rock. Jim is heavily involved in veterans and military organizations, including the 815th TCS/TAS reunions. Jim lives near Little Rock.
President - Dennis Ybarra (Deceased)
Dennis Ybarra is a retired USAF pilot, His association with the tactical airlift mission started at Clark when he was initially assigned to the 29th TAS after several years in SAC. He returned to Dyess and spent many years in tactical airlift. After his retirement from the Air Force he took a job as airport manager at the former Roswell AFB, New Mexico but is now fully retired. He lives in Roswell. (Sadly, Dennis passed away at his home on May 16, 2011. Mike Welch, our former VP, has assumed the duties of president.)
President - Mike Welch Email
Mike Welch is a retired USAF loadmaster who started out in C-124s at Hickam, then cross-trained to loadmaster and was assigned to the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron at Pope. He served with the 606th Air Commando Squadron at Nakonphanom, Thailand. He returned to Charleston AFB, SC and spent the rest of his career in MAC. After retiring he joined the C-17 program at McDonnell aircraft and is now with Boeing, Mike is heavily involved in both the Airlift/Tanker Assoc. and the Professional Loadmasters Assoc. He lives in Hermosa Beach, CA.
Secretary and Executor - Sam McGowan Email
Sam McGowan is a USAF loadmaster veteran. He served with the 35th and 779th Troop Carrier Squadron, and 29th and 773rd Tactical Airlift Squadrons. He is a professional pilot and an avid writer on troop carrier and other military subjects, including numerous magazine articles and two published books. He is the author of an as yet un-published history of the troop carrier/tactical airlift mission. He lives in Missouri City, Texas just outside of Houston.
Treasurer - Tom Stalvey Email
Tom served four years in the USAF as a loadmaster at Sewart AFB, Tennessee with the 62nd TCS/TAS and Clark AB, Philippines in the 29th TAS. He recently retired from Sun Bank in Atlanta, where he was a vice-president of property management. He lives in Marietta, GA.
Board Member - Alfred "Ace" Bowman Email
Ace Bowman is a retired USAF navigator. He served with the 6485th Operations Squadron, 815th Troop Carrier Squadron and 315th AD headqurters and with the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart AFB, Tennessee. He was part of the SAWBUCK II C-123 deplolyment to South Vietnam. Ace lives in Modesto, California.
Board Member - Hector Leyva Email
Hector Leyva is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 62nd and 776th Tactical Airlift Squadrons and was on the first mission over An Loc in 1972. Hector lives in San Antonio, Texas
Board Member and Founder - Ralph Bemis Email
Ralph Bemis is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 347th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 29th, 50th, 61st and 62nd Tactical Airlift Squadrons. Ralph was a member of a C-130E crew that was shot down during the siege of An Loc and was immediately rescued. He holds the Silver Star. He lives in Cabot, Arkansas.
Board Member - Bobby Gassiott Email
Bobby is a retired USAF navigator who was on the same Stan/Eval crew with Carl Wyrick in the 464th TCW at Pope. He served with the 21st, 347th, 776th, 778th and 815th Trcop Carrier Squadrons and with 315th Air Division as a Stan/Eval navigator. He was the lead navigator on the Dominican Airlift. He lives in Bastrop, Texas.
Board Member - Jim Esbeck Email
Jim is a retired USAF maintenance technician. He served with the 463rd Organizational Maintenance Squadron and the 51st Fighter Interceptor wing (attached to the 35th TCS) at Naha AB, Okinawa. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.
Board Member Andy Vaquera Email
Andy is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 8th Aerial Port Squadron and the 433rd Tactical Airlift Wing. He lives in San Antonio.
Alternate Board Members:
Tom Wark - Email
Tom Wark served as a loadmaster with the 778th TCS at Pope AFB, NC in the mid-1960s, and participated in the famous DRAGON ROUGE/RED DRAGON and DRAGON NOIR/BLACK DRAGON hostage rescue missions in the Belgian Congo in 1964. After leaving the Air Force he became a professional pilot and is retired. Tom lives in Tavares, Florida.
Don Hessenflow - Email
Don Hessenflow is a retired USAF public information officer who started out with the 464th Troop Carrier Wing at Pope AFB, NC in 1964. He now lives in San Antonio, Texas.
Don Hessenflow is a retired USAF public information officer. He started out
Legal Advisor:
Ernie Gassiott - Email
Ernie is a USAF pilot veteran. He served with the 778th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 50th and 345th Tactical Airlift Squadrons. Ernie was a participant in the airlift evacuation of Kham Duc. Ernie recently retired from the practice of law. He resides in Livingston, Texas.
served with the 778th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 50th and 345th Tactical Airlift Squadrons. Ernie was a participant in the airlift evacuation of Kham Duc. Ernie recently retired from the practice of law. He resides in Livingston, Texas.
Chairman of the Board - George Dockery Email
George Dockery is a retired USAF pilot whose troop carrier carrier dates back to the late 1950s. He is heavily involved in airlift-related organizations, including the Airlift/Tanker Association of which he is an original member. George lives in Centennial, Colorado
Vice-Chairman - Jim Elmer Email
Jim Elmer is a retired USAF navigator whose troop carrier career goes back to the early 1960s. He served at Tachikawa, Sewart and Little Rock. Jim is heavily involved in veterans and military organizations, including the 815th TCS/TAS reunions. Jim lives near Little Rock.
President - Dennis Ybarra (Deceased)
Dennis Ybarra is a retired USAF pilot, His association with the tactical airlift mission started at Clark when he was initially assigned to the 29th TAS after several years in SAC. He returned to Dyess and spent many years in tactical airlift. After his retirement from the Air Force he took a job as airport manager at the former Roswell AFB, New Mexico but is now fully retired. He lives in Roswell. (Sadly, Dennis passed away at his home on May 16, 2011. Mike Welch, our former VP, has assumed the duties of president.)
President - Mike Welch Email
Mike Welch is a retired USAF loadmaster who started out in C-124s at Hickam, then cross-trained to loadmaster and was assigned to the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron at Pope. He served with the 606th Air Commando Squadron at Nakonphanom, Thailand. He returned to Charleston AFB, SC and spent the rest of his career in MAC. After retiring he joined the C-17 program at McDonnell aircraft and is now with Boeing, Mike is heavily involved in both the Airlift/Tanker Assoc. and the Professional Loadmasters Assoc. He lives in Hermosa Beach, CA.
Secretary and Executor - Sam McGowan Email
Sam McGowan is a USAF loadmaster veteran. He served with the 35th and 779th Troop Carrier Squadron, and 29th and 773rd Tactical Airlift Squadrons. He is a professional pilot and an avid writer on troop carrier and other military subjects, including numerous magazine articles and two published books. He is the author of an as yet un-published history of the troop carrier/tactical airlift mission. He lives in Missouri City, Texas just outside of Houston.
Treasurer - Tom Stalvey Email
Tom served four years in the USAF as a loadmaster at Sewart AFB, Tennessee with the 62nd TCS/TAS and Clark AB, Philippines in the 29th TAS. He recently retired from Sun Bank in Atlanta, where he was a vice-president of property management. He lives in Marietta, GA.
Board Member - Alfred "Ace" Bowman Email
Ace Bowman is a retired USAF navigator. He served with the 6485th Operations Squadron, 815th Troop Carrier Squadron and 315th AD headqurters and with the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart AFB, Tennessee. He was part of the SAWBUCK II C-123 deplolyment to South Vietnam. Ace lives in Modesto, California.
Board Member - Hector Leyva Email
Hector Leyva is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 62nd and 776th Tactical Airlift Squadrons and was on the first mission over An Loc in 1972. Hector lives in San Antonio, Texas
Board Member and Founder - Ralph Bemis Email
Ralph Bemis is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 347th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 29th, 50th, 61st and 62nd Tactical Airlift Squadrons. Ralph was a member of a C-130E crew that was shot down during the siege of An Loc and was immediately rescued. He holds the Silver Star. He lives in Cabot, Arkansas.
Board Member - Bobby Gassiott Email
Bobby is a retired USAF navigator who was on the same Stan/Eval crew with Carl Wyrick in the 464th TCW at Pope. He served with the 21st, 347th, 776th, 778th and 815th Trcop Carrier Squadrons and with 315th Air Division as a Stan/Eval navigator. He was the lead navigator on the Dominican Airlift. He lives in Bastrop, Texas.
Board Member - Jim Esbeck Email
Jim is a retired USAF maintenance technician. He served with the 463rd Organizational Maintenance Squadron and the 51st Fighter Interceptor wing (attached to the 35th TCS) at Naha AB, Okinawa. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.
Board Member Andy Vaquera Email
Andy is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 8th Aerial Port Squadron and the 433rd Tactical Airlift Wing. He lives in San Antonio.
Alternate Board Members:
Tom Wark - Email
Tom Wark served as a loadmaster with the 778th TCS at Pope AFB, NC in the mid-1960s, and participated in the famous DRAGON ROUGE/RED DRAGON and DRAGON NOIR/BLACK DRAGON hostage rescue missions in the Belgian Congo in 1964. After leaving the Air Force he became a professional pilot and is retired. Tom lives in Tavares, Florida.
Don Hessenflow - Email
Don Hessenflow is a retired USAF public information officer who started out with the 464th Troop Carrier Wing at Pope AFB, NC in 1964. He now lives in San Antonio, Texas.
Don Hessenflow is a retired USAF public information officer. He started out
Legal Advisor:
Ernie Gassiott - Email
Ernie is a USAF pilot veteran. He served with the 778th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 50th and 345th Tactical Airlift Squadrons. Ernie was a participant in the airlift evacuation of Kham Duc. Ernie recently retired from the practice of law. He resides in Livingston, Texas.
served with the 778th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 50th and 345th Tactical Airlift Squadrons. Ernie was a participant in the airlift evacuation of Kham Duc. Ernie recently retired from the practice of law. He resides in Livingston, Texas.