Chairman of the Board - 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.
Vice-Chairman - Carl Wyrick Email
Carl Wyrick is a retired USAF pilot. He served with the 377th, 10th, 47th, 346th and 776th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 315th Air Division and with the 144th Tactical Airlift Squadron. He was a member of the MULE TRAIN C-123 deployment to South Vietnam and was the lead pilot in the Dominican Airlift in 1965. He was the personal pilot for 315th Air Division commander Col. Charles W. Howe. He lives in Big Spring, Texas
President - 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
Vice-President - Rodney Crawford Email
Rodney Crawford is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 29th, 62nd and 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadrons, the 62nd Tactical Airlift Training Squadron and the 2nd Aerial Port Squadron. He recently retired from Boeing and lives in Huntsville, Alabama
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 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.
Tony Girtman - Founder Email
Tony Girtman is a retired USAF flight engineer. He served with the 40th and 35th Troop Carrier Squadrons, the 815th Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing. He lives in Runway Bay, Texas
Ernie Gassiott - Legal Advisor 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.
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. He was the lead navigator on the Dominican Airlift. He lives in Bastrop, Texas.
Billie B. Mills Email
Billie is a retired USAF pilot whose career is a history of the troop carrier/tactical airlift mission. He was a radio operator in the Berlin Airlift before becoming a pilot. He served with the 29th, 39th, 40th, 773rd and 774th Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Squadrons, 13th Air Force and Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. He was one of the first C-130 pilots and often flew with the Four Horsemen aerial demonstration team. He was the aircraft commander on the C-130A crew that pioneered the tactics used by CAT pilots flying Air Force C-130s over Tibet and elsewhere in East Asia. He was a participant in the evacuation of Kham Duc and was awarded the Silver Star. He took the first AWADS equipped C-130 squadron to Southeast Asia. He lives, in Daphne, Alabama
Sherman "Gomer" Pyle Email
Gomer is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, the 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 315th Tactical Airlift Wing. He is still active in the air transportation business. His home is in Niceville, Florida.
Craig C. Clifton Email
Craig is a retired USAF flight engineer. He served with the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 29th, 347th, 772nd, 773rd and 774th Tactical Airlift Squadrons. He resides in Orangevale, California.
Charles "Chick" Anderson Email
Chick is a retired USAF flight engineer. He served with the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 29th, 347th, 772nd and 773rd Tactical Airlift Squadrons. He lives in Boise, Idaho.
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.) He lives in Tucson, Arizona.
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:
Jim Ostrem Email
Jim is a retired USAF pilot. He served with the 347th and 779th Troop Carrier Squadrons. He lives in Lanesboro, Minnesota.
Joe A. Newman Email
Joe is a USAF maintenance officer veteran. He served with the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing. He lives in Ocean Park, California
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.
Vice-Chairman - Carl Wyrick Email
Carl Wyrick is a retired USAF pilot. He served with the 377th, 10th, 47th, 346th and 776th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 315th Air Division and with the 144th Tactical Airlift Squadron. He was a member of the MULE TRAIN C-123 deployment to South Vietnam and was the lead pilot in the Dominican Airlift in 1965. He was the personal pilot for 315th Air Division commander Col. Charles W. Howe. He lives in Big Spring, Texas
President - 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
Vice-President - Rodney Crawford Email
Rodney Crawford is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 29th, 62nd and 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadrons, the 62nd Tactical Airlift Training Squadron and the 2nd Aerial Port Squadron. He recently retired from Boeing and lives in Huntsville, Alabama
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 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.
Tony Girtman - Founder Email
Tony Girtman is a retired USAF flight engineer. He served with the 40th and 35th Troop Carrier Squadrons, the 815th Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing. He lives in Runway Bay, Texas
Ernie Gassiott - Legal Advisor 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.
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. He was the lead navigator on the Dominican Airlift. He lives in Bastrop, Texas.
Billie B. Mills Email
Billie is a retired USAF pilot whose career is a history of the troop carrier/tactical airlift mission. He was a radio operator in the Berlin Airlift before becoming a pilot. He served with the 29th, 39th, 40th, 773rd and 774th Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Squadrons, 13th Air Force and Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. He was one of the first C-130 pilots and often flew with the Four Horsemen aerial demonstration team. He was the aircraft commander on the C-130A crew that pioneered the tactics used by CAT pilots flying Air Force C-130s over Tibet and elsewhere in East Asia. He was a participant in the evacuation of Kham Duc and was awarded the Silver Star. He took the first AWADS equipped C-130 squadron to Southeast Asia. He lives, in Daphne, Alabama
Sherman "Gomer" Pyle Email
Gomer is a retired USAF loadmaster. He served with the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, the 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 315th Tactical Airlift Wing. He is still active in the air transportation business. His home is in Niceville, Florida.
Craig C. Clifton Email
Craig is a retired USAF flight engineer. He served with the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 29th, 347th, 772nd, 773rd and 774th Tactical Airlift Squadrons. He resides in Orangevale, California.
Charles "Chick" Anderson Email
Chick is a retired USAF flight engineer. He served with the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron and the 29th, 347th, 772nd and 773rd Tactical Airlift Squadrons. He lives in Boise, Idaho.
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.) He lives in Tucson, Arizona.
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:
Jim Ostrem Email
Jim is a retired USAF pilot. He served with the 347th and 779th Troop Carrier Squadrons. He lives in Lanesboro, Minnesota.
Joe A. Newman Email
Joe is a USAF maintenance officer veteran. He served with the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing. He lives in Ocean Park, California