From Traci Kjelshus: Hello, I have been looking for pictures of my father. I know your email is for stories from people who were at Parks, but I was hoping you might be able to help me. My father has passed away and I am looking for any military picture I can find of him. (I have none). He was part of the Air Police Course from July 1956 to November 1956. I don't know what flight or anything he was a part of. His name was Alvin Challstrom. If you can't help that is fine, I am just trying any possible source to see if there is a class picture out there with him in it. Thank you
12-21-2020 A message from James Hill: I arrived Nov.1954 the last class for the year was underway.so I had to wait till after the year for a new class.so I just hung around the training area and watched the class that was underway.I got to know the instructors .I spent a lot of time ate the USO in Hayward an was invited to have Christmas dinnner with a family i CastroVallley needless to say I have fond memories of my stay in CA. a se note I went to France from Parks
06-25-2019 From Hugh D. Frye In 1956 I attended the
Air Base Defense course. I also practiced with Parks AF B rifle drill
team (Screaming Eagles). On St Patrick's Day, 1956, we marched the
parade from the wharf to City Hall bare bayonets, In forgetable.
06-07-2018 From Leonard Granger: When the Army drafted me in 1952 I went to DesMoines Iowa to take the physical and all. Came home and told my parents I was going to join the Air Force. Mom said you are in Army and they will call you up in a week. I said i am going to pray all the way to the the Air Force recruiters office I took my college degree and spoke a few minutes to the Air Force man and he said just how soon do you want to go in the Air force. I said right away, so I went with a group by train to Parks AFB just two days later. While going through Basic Training in about the 3 rd week, I was called to the Commanders office. He said, How did you get in the Air Force as the Army says they want you to report to Ft Ord here in California ASAP I told them I enlisted in Iowa and the recruiter never asked about the Army so I said nothing. Commander asked do you still want to stay in AF? I said yes so he and 1stSgt went into a room and talked. When they returned commander said if you want to stay AF tear a corner of this TWX, so I did, then 1stSgt tore off another and then the commander waded the TWX up and tossed in the trash can. Said go back to the training group.. YOU ARE AIR FORCE. AND I STAYED AF FOR 22 YEARS, retired as M/SGT. When I was going through basic training 1952 at Parks AFB, CA we had a gathering in a large hanger building and the Base Commander spoke to all of us about the importance of our training. As he spoke a pigeon from up in the top pf the hanger building flew down and drop his poop on the hat of the commander, Do one laughed and commander did not notice what had happened. as he had more decorations on his hat. Later the Air Police removed all the pigeons out of the hanger areas . After finishing Basic Training I was made permanent party. I had just got married and the next month was assigned the Supply Sgt in you will not believe???? YES====, the WAF Squadron and only man assigned that squadron. When M/Sgt Spernyak, the Base Commanders inspection Team Leader, visited the WAF he was surprised to see me. assigned there. He returned and rescued me to the Base Finance Office where I worked till re=enlistment. I was accepted for the Air Force Band as Base Drummer, and a Command Inspection Team But reenlisted to fill a AF space in Greece assigned to the US Embassy and Airport. Got to greet many as they arrived in Greece. Recall greeting Gomer Pyle and asked him if he had any breakfast. He said no , so I took him to breakfast. I also greeted Marylin Mansfield with hug. and the tour of duty will always be remembered. However, my wife came down with POLIO and was sent to Germany for treatments for over 4 months, I would catch a AF passenger flight every other week to visit her. On my last flight they said no AF this week so have to take a Navy plane to Naples, Italy and refuel and on to Germany. At Naples I was bumped off the flight by someone with a higher priority. That plane took off a C-47 and crashed killing everyone and I at the time with a wife and 2 children.
02-14-2017 10-26-2015 From Russell Moore Greenville SC After finishing basic training at Lackland AFB in Texas, I was assigned to 3629th Student Squadron Class 1026 Air Police Training from Feb 1956-May 1956. I enjoyed the Judo Classes and Traffic Control the most. I traveled from Greenville SC to Pleasanton CAL by train which took three and a half days. Long ride. During the time I was there the University of San Francisco had their 60 game in basketball winning streak going so I took a bus to Berkley to see them play California one weekend. With no ticket, i found one from a student for five bucks.The team featured Bill Russell and K.C Jones but was a disappointment because the score ended up being 7 to 4 as Cal froze the ball all of the time of the game. Probably one of the lowest scoring games in history of college basketball. After finishing Air Police training, I was assigned to Goose Bay AFB in Labrador for one year, then to Shaw AFB, Sumter SC for the remainder of my 4 year enlistment. Would love to hear from anyone in that class if any are still living. Sincerely, Russell G Moore
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09-13-2015
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12-10-2015 This posting was to be short-lived, however. Since Parks had no runway, it was of limited use to the Air Force and was, therefore, scheduled to close permanently later that year and everyone would be reassigned to another base. Buildings were being shuttered and equipment was being salvaged or scrapped. This included removing the two-way radios from the Air Police pickup trucks in which we patrolled the base. The only way to contact our operations center was by phone from one of the buildings still in use. Until a unit phoned in, OPS had no way of keeping tabs on its patrol units. Without the close scrutiny of the “cat”, the “mice” were free to play. I had met one of the gals who lived in the WAF barracks. It was early one evening, dark, and I was bored. On a lark, I drove around to that billet and honked the horn, thinking maybe she’d come out. Somebody did come out, ran to the passenger door, jumped inside and kissed me. I did not know this WAF; she drew back and said, “Who are You?” Turns out she had been dating another AP named Joel and she assumed it has been he waiting outside in the Air Police vehicle. Once we’d sorted thing out, I asked, “Well,you wanna go for a ride?” She did. We began dating. After about three months, we discussed getting married. This proposition was too sudden for me. I suggested that, since Parks was soon closing, why not wait until we both got to our next postings, write to each other, and see how strong our feelings for one another remained during the coming months apart She was having none of it. I never saw anyone wade through military paperwork and red tape as fast as she did. What could I say? We had one last hurdle to clear before permission to marry got final approval; counsel with the base chaplain. After about an hour, we got the O.K. So, Lou from Elyria OH and Ruth Zemke from St. Paul MN got a license at the Alameda County Courthouse and tied the knot in Oakland on July 17, 1958. As we walked out of the church, I said, “O, My God, what have I done?" Ruth tersely replied, “You married me and you’re glad!" We finished out our tours
at Sheppard AFB TX. That chaplain commented that, even though he was
granting approval, he doubted it would last. That was 57 years ago;
shows how much he knew.
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08-24-2012
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09-12-2011 airforce.togetherweserved.com |
08-08-2011 |
03-03-2011: |
01-21-2011: |
2010-12-07: |
2010-12-07: |
2010-05-06: |
2008-12-25: (13 Dec) (25 Dec) He did put up the flight pictures, I retrieved them and they are at the FotoTime site: Flights 351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358 Let me see ... there are like 55 names on each page; eight pages; more than 400 names. I typed in the names of my flight-mates, so search engines will find them on these pages; however, the eight flights there are just too daunting a prospect, so if any member of those groups are willing to do the job and email me the lists, I'll put them here. Just too much other stuff to do. Plus, I'm pretty lazy, lately. Keep those cards and letters coming. I'll catch up, eventually. /s/ Frank Sheffield fsheffi1@san.rr.com |
2008-10-12: |
2008-10-08: |
2008-09-27: I had to write to you after reading your website about Parks AFB. Looking at the class picture of your flight I knew it was one from Hawaii. My dad and I reside in Hawaii and when he received his basic training at Parks AFB in October of 1955 he was with Flight 374 and it was a flight with boys from Hawaii. Their flight was nicknamed "Sons of Hawaii". His T.I. was Airman 2nd Class Gomes who was also from Hawaii. Both your flight and my dad's flight was made up mainly of "Buddhaheads". After basic my dad went to Gunter AFB, Alabama for tech school and then to Tachikawa AB, Japan. My dad retired from the USAF in 1975 after 3 tours in Japan. |
2008-09-04: I want to know about Watanabe,
Howard T. Where he is residing now or he is still alive
as of now!!! Because my aunt name Estella Reyes wants to meet!!!!!!!
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2008-07-05: My name is Earl Neiss and I received my basic training at Parks AFB as a member of Flight 12. It was on March 21, 1952 that I was sworn in at the Los Angeles Induction Center, boarded a train in Glendale, California and arrived at Parks about 3:00 a.m. We were issued bedding and bunks and got all of about an hour and a half of sleep before we were rousted out to begin our 8 weeks of basic. A rude awakening. We didn't get fatigues, boots, uniforms or any other G.I. clothing for maybe a couple of weeks, but they got us started learning the UCMJ and cleaning up the base along with all the other duties in our civvies. The base had only been open 5 days. The axiom was, "If it moves salute it, if it doesn't move pick it up, if you can't pick it up, paint it". Sure, we scraped paint, finished the barracks and cleaned up the grounds, but as I look back on it, it wasn't altogether too unpleasant and could have been a lot worse. Our Drill Instructor was "Sgt" Louie Zamaroni and his assistant was "Corporal" Cannon. Zamaroni's rank was A/1c. Cannon's an A/2c. I seem to remember that they were still wearing Army chevrons. Officers were still wearing the 'pinks and greens' left over from the U.S. Army Air Corps. Although Zamaroni wanted us to believe he was tough as nails, we all knew that inside he was really a softie and we really liked him. After a little while we could tell he liked us as much as we liked him. He taught us some intricate marching formations, a lot of Jody Cadence and some slightly risque marching songs which really picked up our morale. The training was thorough and seemed to last forever, but when it was over we were proud and made quite a hit with our marching on parade day and received our orders for our first assignment. There were no class pictures or yearbooks. I didn't even get to go to specialty school. Just a simple written exam, a bypass of Photography School at Lowry AFB, Colorado, an AFSC and assignment to Luke AFB in Arizona where they were still flying Mustangs. These were soon phased out for the first jets at Luke, the Republic F-84G which were the aircraft used by the newly formed Thunderbirds at Luke. There I served as a Gunnery Film Assessing Technician. After about a year I shipped out to Yokota Air Base in Japan (5th Air Force) as a photographer in the Base Photo Lab and finally a few months at March AFB, California where, in 1956 I was discharged. All in all, I believe that my time at Parks was a positive experience and that I was well prepared to take on the next 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. |
On 2007-03-11 Donald F. Thomas, Sr., checked in again with a photo of the pillowslip he sent to his mother from Parks. The text says: MOTHER To one who bears |
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Lovely sentiment.
I'm certain there are many Parks alumni who sent similar gifts. To
see Don's earlier contributions click here.
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Here's a 2006-08-11 message from
Brent Bachman: |
Here's a 2006-05-06 message from
John Central Crowe, Jr.: |
Here's a 2006-04-07 message from
Jimmy Self: |
Here's a 2006-02-07 message from
a member of Parks Flight 221: I'm in the back row far left.
We were Flight 221 graduating in July 1955. I spent ten years
on active duty flying as an Airborne Radio Operator with over 5,000
hours in the air. |
And one on 2006-02-08, from Flight
284: |
I have a couple-three emails
from another Flight 289 alumnus: |
25 April
2005 - a very sad note: |
I have a message from Donald
F. Thomas, who says he was in Flight 53 at Parks, from
April through June, 1952. He "...was on detail after detail cleaning
out the new barracks for new flights coming in. Scraped paint from
the windows and cleaned floors and latrines..." I guess we can
say something about the beginnning of Parks as a Basic Training site.
I wonder if anyone out there can say when it closed... He met his wife, Joyce, while
at Goodfellow, and they will celebrate their 51st
anniversary in August (2004). Congratulations! |
Miss Beth Blote wrote on
December 31, 2003, to say: Today I was searching for more information about the group photo I have that my Father, Palmer Louis Blote, went through Basic with. I have only two other names, Bob M. Hood, Ted Dwelle of Fresno, CA in the picture. I don't know what the numbers and letters mean, 3289 B.M.T.S., but the photo was taken by Keith Cole Studios March, 1953. I wasn't born until 1960. My brothers were born at Travis AFB in Mar. 1954, and Mar. 1956 in Fairfield. I thought I'd write to say how great your site is. I thought I'd ask, even if it's a long shot, to see if you can help me scrape up any more information about these guys or where to find more info. Thanks for any assistance. |
PG Miller wrote on May
13, 2004, to say: |
John Hansen wrote on August
7, 2004 to say: |
Art Poutre wrote on August
18, 2004, to say: |
WR Craig wrote on September
21, 2005, to say: I was at Parks AFB from Aug 18 to Nov 2, 1955 in Flight 305. A/3c Harper was our TI. I went on to Amarillo, TX for jet mechanic training and then on to Presque Isle AFB in Maine. |
"USAFE" wrote
on October 28, 2005 to say: |
Parks
Parks 2 Sheppard
Little Rock Barksdale
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