Luke AFB 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 make the 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.
Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.
USAF
