Luke Air Force Base is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being
surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the
base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they
were.
A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the
back.
Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke
AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that
disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the
response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.
The complaint:
"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:
Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely
9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over
Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500
feet. Imagine our
Good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call,
or
were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird
special?
Any response would be appreciated."
The response:
Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday): On
June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship flyby of
F-16s
from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the
grave
of Capt.Jeremy Fresques.
Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed
at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At
9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial
Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.
Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the
jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of
taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave
them
their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all
those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices
they
have endured. A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force
pays
to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are
professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what
the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their
ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?"
The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to
the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it
was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of
their
lives