Tuesday, September 30, 1997
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff praises Abilene-Dyess
partnership
By BETH HALLMARK Staff Writer
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Ralph Eberhart had encouraging
words for Dyess and Abilene communities at a joint Chamber of
Commerce/Dyess banquet Monday night honoring the Air Force's 50th
anniversary.
Citing support from local community leaders and elected officials,
Eberhart said Dyess Air Force Base will remain strong in the coming
years.
"I've heard many stories about the special relationship
between Abilene and Dyess," Eberhart said. "You can't
think of Dyess without thinking of Abilene, and you can't think
of Abilene without thinking of Dyess."
Abilene's military support began well before the construction
of Dyess, Eberhart said, starting with cavalry posts in the area
in the 1800s.
Eberhart described the area's World War II days, when 60,000
soldiers were stationed at Camp Barkeley near Abilene.
"We made a mistake in '46 because we closed Tye Army Air
Field," Eberhart said. "That's a mistake we'll never
make again," he added, drawing applause from the banquet
attendees.
It was in the 1950s that a group of Abilene city leaders approached
leaders in Washington, D.C., with funding and land for an Air
Force base, meeting with then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson. They also
met with the Air Force's Vice Chief of Staff.
"They convinced him that this was exactly the right place
to have an Air Force base," Eberhart said.
And ever since, Abilene has supported its base, Eberhart concluded.
Eberhart also had words of praise for the men and women of
the Air Force, past and present, as he spoke of the service's
50th anniversary.
After asking World War II veterans to stand, he commented,
"That's our golden legacy, the people who won the cold war."
Though the anniversary was a time to reflect, Eberhart said,
it was also a time to look to the future.
"Today's world is so much better, and our duty is to keep
it that way," he said.
At Monday night's joint celebration, Abilenians also got a
few lessons in military tradition.
The evening's first order of business was a series of toasts
- with glasses full of sparkling grape juice - honoring the Dyess-Abilene
relationship.
"It feels good to be here among friends," said Brig.
Gen. Michael McMahan, Dyess' 7th Bomb Wing commander. "What
better way to celebrate the Air Force's anniversary than with
our sister wing - the city of Abilene."
A final military toast with water was given in honor of prisoners
of war and those missing in action.
Pointing to a small table with a single place setting and empty
seat, McMahan explained how the table symbolized the remembrance
of POW/MIAs.
Even the act of cutting the Air Force's anniversary cake was
full of symbolism. The official cake-cutting duty was shared by
Eberhart, the top-ranking officer in the room, and the youngest
airman in attendance, representing the service's legacy and its
future.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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