Home
Up
All About Us
Sign In
Association News
6WS(Mob) History
The 6th Dimension
The Weather Lore
Alumni Reunions
Good Ole Days
Hey, It's Me!
Final Launch
Obituaries
Our Links
Site Map

Members Only

 

 

Tinker AFB, OK

Click on picture to enlarge, Click on Browser's Back Arrow to return.

  Tinker AFB ~ 1961

Tinker AFB

TAFB Base Operations Building.

Avenue F

Near main entrance and Midwest city.

MATS C-124s

Transports of MATS 1707th Air Transport Wing at Tinker.

Balloon Release

6th Weather crew prepare for balloon release.

6th Weather

2 1/2 ton truck used on many projects and to carry jamesways.

5 Ton Van

This truck was used as an office/working area in the field and housed equipment to record upper air soundings.

5 Ton Van

Also was used to pull the rawinsonde tracking equipment on a small trailer. Truck was also called a "6 By".

Bongo's Mercury

Robert 'Bongo' Bongiovanni's Mercury in front of a large helium trailer.

GMD 1 & 2s

Looking at rawinsonde pads at South-40, our maintenance area and launch site.

A Sparkling GMD

A GMD all painted and shipshape after a rehab.

From South-40

View of Tinker AFB from S-40 with 7 C-124 Globemasters on tarmac.

TAFB Chapel

View of chapel across street from barracks at the end of a duststorm, which then turned into mud.

Hangars in Distance

The hangars and two water towers are visible after duststorm which left red haze in area.

John Schumacher and Gerry Guay

My NCOIC and Best Man at my Wedding.

Guay's '55 Chevy

My new car which I just drove from Massachusetts to Tinker.

Click on picture to enlarge, Click on Browser's Back Arrow to return.

Tinker AFB ~ 1962  - Pictures by and comments by Chet Wilcox

Click on picture to enlarge, Click on Browser's Back Arrow to return.

6th Weather BAQ

Chapel and BAQ parking lot

Dormitory hallway

Bunk set-up in dorm

Typical closet in dorm

Will Rogers Turnpike building

Oklahoma countryside oil wells

Norman, OK dirt road

Lots of beef

And lots of pork too

 

 

Tinker Surroundings ~ 1966-1967  - Pictures by and comments by Lee Webb

Click on picture to enlarge, Click on Browser's Back Arrow to return

Lee W, Ernie S, Ron G - OKC Fair 1966

South of Tinker

Fence South of Tinker

South of Tinker

Near Jesse Chisolm grave

Night lightening

Oklahoma countryside

Old homestead Western Oklahoma

Old homestead Western Oklahoma

Heading South to Fort Worth

RR tracks after sunset

Small town Eastern Oklahoma

Big Cloud

Sunset near OKC

Sunset South of Tinker

Tractor near Jesse Chisolm grave

Tractor near Jesse Chisolm grave

Western Oklahoma

Western Oklahoma

Open fields in Western Oklahoma

Western Oklahoma

Western Oklahoma windmill

Western Oklahoma windmill

Fort Gibson National Cemetary

Lee Webb OKC Fair 1966

Fence South of Tinker at sunset

Western Oklahoma w/Cumulo Nimbus cloud

OKC Capitol after MLK's death

C-141 at sunset Tinker AFB

Tower near OKC Capitol

6th Weather Basketball Tourney Winners '57

The mobile unit cagers went undefeated through the tourney against 10 teams in the league. Sitting: A/1c Joseph Lake, A/1c James Winder, A/1c Roman Marak, A/1c Edward Herman, A/2c Larry Jenkins, and SSgt Joseph Haney, coach. Standing: A/3c Richard Barndt, SSgt William Ribble, Lt Richard Hager, A/2cFrank Schoff, A/2c Roy Freiburger, and A/3c Carry Hunt.

Tinker Flight around 1968 -1970. Can you fill in the names of these guys? L Grp, (L to R) unk, TSgt Joe Kerwin, unk, unk, A1C Bob Chapman, A1C Ed Flenz.    R Grp, (L to R) A1C Pete Mills, A1C O'Halloran, unk, A1C John Bright, unk, A1C Ron McDonald, unk and MSgt Rudy Villareal.

Tornado Alley Project  - Sgt Bob Chapman works a rawinsonde run at El Reno, Oklahoma. 1968

6th Weather Squadron Rocketsonde Section - with David Gironda Sr.

MSgt William J. Treadway and MSgt Clifford T. Jones receive the Commendation Medal

 

Tinker AFB ~1960 - Pictures and Story by Dave Weiner

After graduation from Weather Observer School (AFSC25231) at Chanute AFB, IL and a short leave at home in Tomah, WI.  I took my “new” 1947 Ford from Tomah to Chicago and got on the famous route 66…drove on my first divided highway, experienced my first toll booth, drove through the Ozarks, met some really great people and finally arrived at arrived at Tinker in June of 1960.

I checked in at the orderly room, an old T series building…facing the orderly room, the supply building was directly across, the 6th Weather Squadron motor pool was on the left.  Somewhere past the motor pool was the chow hall. The first person I met in the orderly room was Mr. Stricker CWO W4…  I snapped to attention thinking that he was the commander.  After a chuckle I was send to the office at the end of the building and reported in to Col. Pusin.

I was assigned to the barracks… on the corner directly across from the gym.  I remember going to supply reporting in to Sgt “Digger” Crowder to get linens etc., then to the post office etc. (photo’s in barracks)

The next thing I recall is that we “new” troops were introduced to “South 40”… the introduction sticks in my mind vividly… we got the honor of unloading a truck load of helium tanks and racking them.   Having been raised in Wisconsin, I  hadn’t experienced the heat, wind and blowing red sand of Oklahoma…nor the abundance of sand burrs.  I quickly found out what a Jamesway was and enjoyed the air conditioning…in Wisconsin only the restaurants had that!  As I recall our OJT consisted of time at S 40, the training building and lots of details around the squadron, sorting linen, moving boxes, policing the truck parking lot.  We also got to help assemble the gear for projects that were scheduled.  There was of course ample time for “breaks” at the BX. 

I had met a girl at Chanute that was a lot more serious than I… her dad was a retired General.  I discovered that dependants of general officers could do about anything… when I was summoned to the flight line to meet her… she had decided to come down for a few days!  She stayed at the Fleet Wood apartments with Bruce Egger and his wife. 

Somewhere during that time frame, I met Sgt. Clifford T. Jones at S 40.  Cliff was forming a team for a short project to Utah…it was called “Team 8”.  I was really interested in getting out “on project” after spending time at S 40.  I also felt a real need to get as far from Tinker as possible for awhile!  This project was classified, I don’t think we had mail service and damn sure didn’t have phones.

In a heart beat, I talked to Sgt. Jones and volunteered for the project.  He took me to the orderly room to meet with Mr. Stricker.. I was assigned to Team 8 by Col. Pusin.

Ed Hermann and I were assigned to our “own” deuce and half Truck. (photo) By the time we were ready to depart, that truck shined like Ed’s boots!  We became proficient in Rawin… at least we thought we were… we could fill and launch a balloon at S 40… learned the techniques for using a reel to launch… and I loved working the winds… in those days it was anything to stay away from the charts!! (photos) I recall that we got some OJT at Ravu also… enough for me to be sure that more excitement awaited “on Project” than stuck at Tinker.

On a Wet muggy morning in August we formed up our convoy in the motor pool parking lot…  to suffer through an invocation by Col. David C. Barrow.  I remember vividly watching the look on SGT. Jones’ face…decided right then that I NEVER wanted to get on his wrong side, and I don’t think I ever did!  At any rate we finally got on the road… I believe that we  had 5 or 6 trucks and the 5 ton van with the hydrogen generator and  a Jeep.

The first night out we made it to Liberal Kansas (To be continued)

Operation Horse Stall

Wendover Bombing and Gunnery Range (R 258)

Site Location: Lakeside Test Site, Utah

September 1960


Up
Nuclear Tests '56-'58
Nuclear Tests '62
Nuclear Tests '62 #2
Sferics
Tinker AFB, OK
Photo Mapping '62
Photo Mapping '62 #2
Photo Mapping '62 #3
Photo Mapping '63
Others..
Others #2
Others #3
Irv Watson 66-70
David Gironda Sr

For links to additional picture web pages taken by Doug Wilson click on:  Port Moresby #2  -  Wewak #2


Home All About Us Sign In Association News 6WS(Mob) History The 6th Dimension The Weather Lore Alumni Reunions Good Ole Days Hey, It's Me! Final Launch Obituaries Our Links Site Map

Send mail to Weatherman@6thWeatherMobile.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 05/11/22