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Click "Back to SiteMap" to see all the other web pages. ![]() Click on the banner above to go to the History Page Complements of "The Delta Business Journal" ![]() This is how Greenville Air Force Base looked in 1952. The T-33 Section was located at the top,left corner of the picture. Right side, center, of the picture was the T-28 Training Section. This is how the base looked in 1962. The last Pilot Training Class Graduated in September 1960, A few T-Birds remained for the remaining Flying Officers to complete their required flying hours for pay purposes and the last few T-33s left October 1, 1960. After the Pilot Training portion ended in 1960, The base stayed open for Fire Rescue Training, Medics, Personnel School untill 1962. All Military operations was shut down, and was officially closed In 1965, The base was given to the City of Greenville, Mississippi. Click on the banner to go to the New Greenville, Mississippi Web Site. Here Click to go to the Old Greenville, Mississippi Web-Site. ![]() The "Wing King's" bird was always the shiniest. When the Colonel wasn't flying, I remember seeing the "Crew Chief" polishing or performing maintenance on the Colonel's bird. The "Wing King's" aircraft was always located, on the ramp in front of Base Ops. Colonel Chick was an airman's Col.and was always accessible to the enlisted personnel. I remember well that it was a great honor to maintain the Col's bird, he had to have a broad knowledge of the aircraft and be available 24/7, and the airman that maintained it kept it in top shape. The selection of the "Crew Chief" was not just an appointment, that person went though a competitive process among other recommended personnel within the maintenance organizations. The selection board members used input from, supervisors, 201 file, his character, trustworthiness, appearance, efficiency reports and other informational items to confirm an airman for this position. I remember when I was selected to crew the VIP T-39 bird in 1961, when stationed at Elmendorth, Alaska. Went though quite a selection process, but eventually selected to crew the back-up Bird #2. The VIP Bird program was canceled for unknown reasons. The pilot was Lt. Gregory Neubeck. The damaged aircraft is pictured below. I recall that sometime during 1956 or 1957 there was a mid-air collision at night in the base landing pattern when one aircraft on downwind was hit by another aircraft that flew up and hit the right wing ripping away the whole flap system, and all of the aeilron, and most likely the drop tank was torn off as well. The aircraft with the damaged wing was able to land safely only because of the quick action by the Instructor Pilot, a Lt Gregory Neubeck. The other aircraft never recovered and crashed into the heavily treed area to the East and North of the outside runway. Because of that incident, Lt Neubeck was recognized and eventually reassigned to the Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, CA. Greg Neubeck was later selected for the manned Orbiting Lab Astronaut program in 1965, but the program was discontinued in 1969.
![]() The plaque, above, depicting Gary Powers as the pilot associated with this aircraft accident picture in the museum, could very well be wrong as illastrated in Dan Longley's account of the accident. This up-date is from a letter from Greg Neubeck the pilot of that Aircraft shown in the pictures, to Dan Longley a few days ago, he gives this account of what happened.
Greg Neubeck has been located and verified that it indeed was he that landed
that damaged aircraft after the mid air collision. He gave me
his view of what happened and believe me this was one hairy deal. I
learned that it actually was a head on collision rather than a from below mid
air. At the time the T33 did not have forward navagation lights so Greg
actually did not see the aircraft until just at impact. Apparently the
pilot in the other aircraft did see the inevitable impact and attempted to turn
away from it only to hit the trailing surface of Gregs T33 tearing off all the
control surfaces and about 4 feet of wing including tip tank. Greg said
the impact inverted his aircraft and while upside down he observed the other
aircraft impact the ground in a large explosion but did not see any
chutes. He instructed his student to bail out but the student said he
would ride it out with him. He learned later on that the IP of the other
aircraft, a Capt John Allen, had ejected shortly after impact and that the
student in that aircraft died instantly. Greg related the entire incident
to me including the barrier engagement they encountered dragging out every inch
of the chain on the barrier.
Had that not held their next engagement would have been the perimeter fence. attempted to wash the plane,(I remember this,) It happened just outside 3506th hanger, I was working in PE at that time, sometime around 1955/1956) James (Jimmy) Adams (3506th FLMS) was one of the mechanics assigned to wash that aircraft. I remember they tried to "hang" him and a Jerry Ault for the damage to the plane but the investigation revealed that it blew through no fault on their part. I last saw Jimmy sometime during mid 1971 while he was hospitalized at Wilford Hall (Lackland AFB) with terminal lung cancer. They eventually discharged him in early 72 and he passed away shortly thereafter. I was with the 3505th PTS as an aircraft dispatcher. As a matter of fact, I dispatched the last T-33 to ever fly out of Greenville. Ralph Braswell ("Check Six") Was in pilot tng. at Greenville in 1955. Him and I remember an incident that occoured, a crew chief was running up the engines on a C-46 thansient A/C in front of Base Ops, and it jumped the chocks and killed an instructor pilot and demolished our coffee shop. old base to me. I got a kick out of it, and thought some of you might also, When stationed there in 1963 for tech school (Medics) the joke was: "If you took a short walk on the base and failed to pay attention, you could be AWOL". The base was that small. I grew up in Greenville and sold the Delta Democrat Times on the base as a kid in the early 50's. My younger brother and I had a pass on the old blue bus that ran back and forth from Greenville to the Base to sell our papers. We would walk and could go most anywhere we wanted to on the Base to sell papers. My favorite places was the Mess Hall, to get an ice cream sandwich, ( they were always three flavored.) Then to spend time in the Hangers, I liked the T-28's but fell in love with T-33's ( what 12 year old boy wouldn't ?) Then the last stop would be the Base Hospital. We would try to visit every one that was in the Hospital at that time. Then catch the bus back to Greenville. Twenty two years later I learned to fly at the old Base. Can you beleive it ........When he turned 17......he joined the Navy, but we forgive you...
This little bit of History was sent in by James Moore, he lives in Greenville,
I have corrected myself on these Barracks. From all the research I can muster, The Barracks we lived ( 3506th ) in was like the ones in this picture. My research has revealed that the 3508th barracks had the awnings over the upper and lower windows. The Fire excape was a wood ladder mounted on the wall beside the steps, and the upstairs access was on the inside and not as this picture shows. The stairway in the picture was added on thourgh, most likely, by a local or state ordinance. The Handicap ramp was also added later. These pictures were taken around 1943 and on into the first part of the 50's. The base at that time was named "Greenville Army Flying School" and were printed as postcards The Greenville Airport, as it is commonly called, began its life in 1941 as the Greenville Army Airfield, a training facility for military pilots. After World War II, the airport was decommissioned and closed for a brief period and later reopened as a contract flight school, which was also relatively short lived. With the onset of the Korean War, the airfield reopened under the name of Greenville Air Force Base sometime around the first part of the 50's. The following Pictures is of the original Army Flying School at Greenville, Mississippi. James Moore, of Greenville, Mississippi, sent these in and has graciously allowed us to post them on our web-site.
Greenville Army Flying School, Greenville, Mississippi." "Post Headquarters Building, Greenville Army Flying School, Greenville, Mississippi." "Greetings from Greenville" on the right.
This is the original hanger of the 3506th
Flight Line Maintenance Squadron.
Periodic Inspection and Orderly
Room was located here.
This was sent in by Jim HatleyRemembers the time the T_Bird came in for a belly landing and set the grass on fire. The fire trucks went out to put out the fire one used all the water he had and got out to help fight the fire and the fire truck caught on fire and burnt to the ground. I was a witness to that incident.
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T-28A "Trojan"
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Greenville Air Force Base Museum
The 3506th and the 3508th FLMS, The Greenville Airmen. would like thank the previous mayor, The Honorable Mayor Paul Artman who formed the original Committee to set-up the Museum, and Ben Nelkin's untiring work and contribution to the successful completion of the "Greenville Air Force Base Museum"
Standing room only at the Grand Opening of the Greenville Air Force Base Museum during the 2002 Reunion of the 3506th and 3508th Flight Line Mainteance Squadrons.
The Air Terminal was used to house the New Greenville Air Force Base Museum. 2002 Reunion of the 3506th and 3508th Flight Line Mainteance Squadrons was held at Greenville, Mississippi during The Grand Opening of the Museum. The Museum was officially opened on 10-12-02. Click "Back to SiteMap" to see all the other web pages. Webmaster Billy R. Smith © 2002/2003/2004/2005/2006/2007/ BRSmith6@cox.net- All rights reserved. |