Veteran William Templeton US Air Force

Veteran Templeton, from New York joined the Air Force at 18 and served
from August 1956 until August 1970, thats 23 years. After a short stint in Amarillo, TX training on F100C's as a jet mechanic, Bill was pulled to the Strategic Air Command as a mechanic at Homestead Air Force base. Homestead was a dual wing base holding about
60 bombers. William was a member of 19th Bomb Wing & 20th Bomb Squadron
which traces its roots back to World War I. William worked on Post Flight
Inspections on the B47 bomber, specifically the 100 hour and 300 hour. He learned to work on
all 6 engines. A unique thing Bill mentions of the personnel is that
they all were senior members and all knew what they had to do...a very professional work group. In 1961 the B47's were being phased out and making way for the B52, so he was sent to Pinecastle (Then MCCOY) Air Force base to help maintain their B47's while others trained for the B52s. Later William cross trained on the HoundDog
missile, armament for the B52, he recollects that if the NAV systems
would fail they would use the missile NAV to get the plane back safely. IN 1966 William trained on Minute Man missiles in Montana, then to North Dakota to train for Minute Man
II and was a Missile Handling Chief where he was charged with much
training and quality control. Veteran Templeton is proud to have served, as a Missilier...'they won the cold war' and as we know Freedom isn't Free. Thank you for your service William.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• veteran
• air
• force
• b52
• b47
• inspections
• SAC
• MinuteMan

[cafe426]

My dad was an AC on a B-47 stationed at Homestead, 19 Bomb Wing. We lived on Texas Ave in base housing up until 1961. I watched the ceremony and landing of the first B-52s just before dad retired. My uncle was an engineer at Martin Marietta in Orlando. Great to hear your story...Thank you.

[380AMS]

Thank you William. You very properly and proudly described your terrific USAF career.

God bless you.

John

(formerly USAF Sgt. 380 AMS, PAFB SAC, NY)

[tatch12]

As a current MHTeer at Malmstrom AFB, this job is very humbling knowing that this weapon system can change history within 20 mins.

[wncdlc]

Thanks for your post....I, too, was a member of the 19th Bomb Wing...at Robins AFB, Ga.

[wncdlc]

Thanks for your post....I, too, was a member of the 19th Bomb Wing...at Robins AFB, Ga.

[PepsiPope]

Thanks for your service brother! I can't decide what Branch I will serve in yet.

[hnymooner]

Thank you Airman

Great career, and your clearly

a Great American...

Kirby

USAF Veteran 66-70

[WarzSchoolchild]

BTW. Your job was crucial! Check out Brian Hayes "A Lucid Interval" quote:-"...Errors caused by these limitations of digital machines are usually small and inconsequential, but sometimes every bit counts. On February 25, 1991, a Patriot missile battery assigned to protect a military installation at Dahrahn, Saudi Arabia, failed to intercept a Scud missile, and the malfunction was blamed on an error in computer arithmetic...."

[WarzSchoolchild]

Amazing piece of 'Archive' testimony. Have a wonderful retirement William, as we say in Scotland, "May the radient sun always shine upon your face and may a perfumed breeze be to your back, and fill your sails" Cod Bless.

[frankklaassen]

This is a great story William,

Frank Klaassen

Netherland