A heritage of valor

  • Published
  • By Christopher McCune
  • 58th Special Operations Wing Historian
KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. --  Military memorials have been a ubiquitous presence in human civilization for thousands of years.

From public graves of the ancient Athenians and Roman monuments such as Trajan's Column, to modern memorials in Europe and the United States, which pay tribute to those who fought and died in the world wars of the early 20th century, their presence is ubiquitous in the landscape.

Whether as a testimonial to assumed glory or a somber reminder of personal sacrifice, the need for societies to commemorate those in their armed forces stands as a unique cultural marker, meant to preserve these individuals in the public memory for future generations.
The 58th Special Operations Wing is no different in this centuries-old tradition.

Throughout the 58 SOW campus, on the west side of Kirtland Air Force Base, can be found various commemorations and memorials to individuals associated with the wing and its mission. Some of these memorials predate the activation of the 58 SOW in April 1994, but the wing has preserved them in respect to their contributions to the special operations and personnel recovery community.

This two-part article will discuss the memorials in detail.

The oldest memorial present in the 58 SOW campus is Building 952, dedicated as Chapman Hall by the 58 SOW's mission predecessor, the 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing on May 6, 1977. Chapman Hall was named for Capt. Peter H. Chapman II, who was killed during a rescue attempt in the Quang Tri province of Vietnam on April 6, 1972.

Before its takeover by the 1550 ATTW in 1976, the building had been known as the Mecca Youth Center.

Following the wing's reassignment from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, that same year, the 1550 ATTW converted it to classroom space.

From 1976 to 1990, Chapman Hall also served as the home of a Rescue Museum, before expansion of the building's classroom space forced the wing to close it down. Most of these artifacts eventually came under the administration of the pararescue schoolhouse at Kirtland AFB, where they are currently displayed.

Another memorial building is Building 953, known as Brims Hall. It was dedicated to Lt. Col. Richard C. Brims in June 1991, and currently serves as the home of the 58 SOW's small computers division and help desk, as well as the graduate training instructor management section.

Brims was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1975 for actions during the Mayaguez incident, repeatedly exposing his aircraft to enemy fire in order to extract U.S. Marines during the assault on Koh Tang Island to recover the crew of the USS Mayaguez. Brims lost his life during a training exercise in Nevada on May 21, 1986.

One notable memorial on the 58 SOW campus is the Sam E. Parish Presentation Center in Building 916, named for Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Sam Parish. Once part of the Kirtland NCO Academy, it is now administered by the 58th Operations Support Squadron.

The center contains a number of artifacts provided by Chief Parish during its July 15, 2004, dedication.

In part two coming next week, we will cover memorials dedicated to Airmen directly associated with the 58 SOW and its mission predecessors at Kirtland Air Force Base.