Tyndall dedicates Aerial Gunnery School monument

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  • By 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  In honor of Airmen who trained at what was once the Tyndall Field Flexible Gunnery School of the U.S. Army Air Force here, the base held a monument-dedication ceremony April 10, at Maxwell Flag Park.

"Today we gather to recognize and celebrate the 67 thousand Airman of the Army Air Corp who passed through Tyndall Field for aerial-gunner training before heading overseas during World War II," said Brig. Gen. Darryl Roberson, 325th Fighter Wing commander. "Many of these American heroes made the ultimate sacrifice and never returned home from the war."

According to the monument write-up, the intention of the monument is "to highlight Tyndall's long and distinguished history through its progression as an enlisted aerial gunner training base, to the preeminent air dominance training wing, now host to the Air Force's most advanced aerial combat platform - the F-22 Raptor."

"This dedication ceremony was the vision of the first Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, Paul Wesley Airey," said Senior Master Sgt. Lawrence Greebon, Tyndall Paul W. Airey NCO Academy director of education and monument project officer. "We now have realized that vision. Chief Airey was a graduate of the gunnery school and a staunch believer of the Air Force's traditions of honor and legacy of valor. It's a long overdue recognition for the sacrifice made by these American patriots, and with the Chief's recent passing, the dedication of this historical marker is even more poignant."

Of the 150 attendees at the event, there were several special guests to include the family of Chief Airey, as well as former graduates of the Tyndall Field Aerial Gunnery School and Mr. Gerry Walter, who was a prisoner of war alongside Chief Airey.

The monument features a bronze plaque emblazoned with the history of the training received by the aerial gunners, attached to a 4-foot-tall granite block. A ledge in front of the plaque showcases a reconditioned 18-inch railroad tie from the Panama City Train Station, the very railway more than 61,667 Americans traveled between 1941 and 1945 to then Tyndall Field to receive their training.

"Honoring Tyndall's historical role in training Airmen to serve such a pivotal role in World War II helps us better appreciate the sacrifices they made to secure the global air dominance we now possess," said General Roberson. "The dedication of this monument only further cements that these noble warriors' legacy will never be forgotten."