Posted for "Ken"
<kkellner1@new.rr.com>:
This occurred in 2005 and to his credit the complainant, Mr. MacRae, tendered
a written apology which
was published in The Republic on July 9, 2005:
I read with increasing embarrassment and humility the response to my
unfortunate letter to The Republic concerning an Air Force Flyby ("A wake-up
call from Lukes's jets," Letters, June 23).
I
had no idea of the significance of the flyby, and would never have insulted
such a fine and respectful display had I known.
I
have received many calls from the fine airmen who are serving or have
served at Luke, and I have attempted to explain my side and apologized for
any
discomfort my letter has caused.
I was simply an uninformed citizen complaining about noise.
I have been
made aware in both written and verbal communications of the
four-ship flyby, and my heart goes out to each and every lost serviceman and
woman
in this war in which we are engaged.
I have been called un-American by an unknown caller and I feel that I must
address
that. I served in the U.S. Navy and am a Vietnam veteran. I love my
country and respect the jobs that the service
organizations are doing.
Please accept my heartfelt apologies.
----- Original Message -----
From: marv@lancair.net
To: lml
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2008 5:32 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Letter to the Editor & Response
Posted for "Dan Schaefer"
<dfs155@roadrunner.com>:
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 5:20 AM
Subject: Luke Air Force Base (west of Phoenix)
Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is
rapidly being surrounded by
civilization
that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that
it was
there long before they were.
A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back.
Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the
local
paper
complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the
mall.
When that
individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must
have
stung quite a bit.
The
complaint:
"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:
Whom do we thank for the
morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely
9:11
A.M., a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead
Mall,
continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good
fortune! Do the
Tom
Cruise-wannabe's feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying
to
impress the cashiers at Mervyn's early bird special?
Any response would be appreciated."
The response:
Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" On June 15:
At
precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from
the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave
of
Capt.
Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously
stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was
killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial
Day.
At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered
at Sunland Memorial
Park in Sun City to mourn the he loss of a husband, son and friend.
Based
on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet
noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the
playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as
I
gave them their son's flag on
behalf of the President of the United States
and
all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices
they
have endured.
A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those
who
give their lives in defense of freedom.
We are professional aviators and take our jobs
seriously, and on June 15
what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their
ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The
56th
Fighter Wing
will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the
widow
and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in
their
honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.
Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. , USAF
E. Anne Wasson d/b/a
Executype Office Services
Canandaigua, NY 14424
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