Base celebrates 75th anniversary with banquet, golf

  • Published
  • By Bud Cordova and Argen Duncan
  • Nucleus writers
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Whether swing dancing, swinging a golf club or just getting in the swing of an evening out, Kirtland Air Force Base personnel and community partners celebrated the base's 75th anniversary with a golf tournament and banquet Saturday.

"History makes you smarter, but heritage makes you prouder," said 377th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Eric Froehlich during his welcoming address at the banquet.

Froehlich said the reflection back on history shows, to the credit of the thousands of individuals who have served at KAFB, the base is a crucial asset for the Department of Defense.

Saturday morning, the tournament at Tijeras Arroyo Golf Course on base drew in almost 145 people. The team of Tech. Sgt. Christopher Grimes, Senior Airman Jason Wagner, Terry Barker and Erik Harp won.

"They shot a blistering 52, beating out five other teams who shot 54," said tournament spokesman Staff Sgt. James Annison, who organized the event with Grimes and Tech. Sgt. Becky Annison.

Saturday evening, about 500 people attended the anniversary banquet at the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Special Operations Wing hangar. Danielle Crawford of the Public Affairs Office coordinated the event with help from her co-workers.

The banquet had a 1940s theme, to remember the opening of KAFB on Jan. 7, 1941. Period attire and static displays of World War II vehicles from the Roadrunner Convoy Military Vehicle Preservation Association helped bring the theme to life.

Former commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak was the guest speaker. Harencak, now commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, stressed the importance of people.

"If there is one thing I have learned in my years of service, it is this: We have the fastest computers, the most precise weapons; we have lasers," he said. "But as great as these weapons are, the greatest asset to the Air Force doesn't come with a tail number or serial number. It comes with a Social Security number."

Banquet attendees honored four World War II veterans: Maj. Gen. Francis Nye, Tech. Sgt. Thomas Grasser and Navy Ensign Dale Guest, who attended, and Sgt. Al Putnam, who was unable to come.

Four Purple Heart recipients -- Byfield "Flash" Gordon, Thaddeus Kocon, Robert Nolen and Roger Newall -- also received recognition.

"We in the military, active-duty, right now stand on the shoulders of giants, and having them here was a tremendous honor," Froehlich said at the end of the banquet.

Following the meal, which the Mountain View Club catered, the Jordan Fredrick Band provided live entertainment. The music was a mix of swing and other 1940s styles.

In addition to many members of base leadership, community leaders such as Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry and Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull attended.

"I thought this was the perfect event to demonstrate the close relationship between the base and the Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and New Mexico community," Froehlich said.

With the base and community having grown up together over the last 75 years, he said, that relationship was never more relevant than it is now.