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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.

Col. Colonel John Chick's personal T-33.
    The


Colonel John Chick's personal T-33.
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.

As I recall...........
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.



Dan Longley remembered this incident.
The first hand account was passed on to him by the pilot, soon after the accident.
The pilot was Lt. Gregory Neubeck.
The damaged aircraft is pictured below.

Gregory Neubeck has been located.
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. 

Dan Longley remembers this incident....as well.....

If you recall the time a T33 just off a test hop blew up on the north flightline when they
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.

Dan Longley was assigned to Wing Hq Sq and worked in Personnel.
Chuck Northway sent this in....

I was stationed at Greenville from 1957 thru 1961.
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.

Greenville Air Force Base, 1955.

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.

Got an e-mail from a W. A. (Bill) Smith and he sent this observation of the
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.

James Moore seen the base this way

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,


barracks


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.


Base Headq.
Greenville Army Flying School, Greenville, Mississippi."
"Post Headquarters Building, Greenville Army Flying School, Greenville, Mississippi."
and
"Greetings from Greenville" on the right.


06thhanger
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 Hatley
Remembers 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.

EVOLUTION OF THE USAF AIR
TRAINING COMMAND & PATCH 

Present Patch: 1993.....Present
 
Air Education and Training Command consists of 13 bases, more than 43,000 active-duty members and 14,000 civilians. The command has responsibility for approximately 1,600 aircraft. The only change to the patch was the addition of "Education" on the banner.
 

Worn from: Early 1950's. - till around 1993...

ATC installations between 1942 and 1993 ranged from a peak of more than 600 installations during World War II, to a low of 13 when it was redesignated July 1, 1993. Command headquarters was located in Fort Worth, Texas, and Barksdale AFB, La., during the mid- and late-1940s. This change represents the updated version of the patch and addition of the Shield and Banner with "Air Training Command" in the banner.

Worn from: 14  October 1949 - Early 1950's.

The colors of the patch represent those traditional to the air force.  The torch of knowledge is symbolic of learning and provides the air force, represented by the star and wings, with technical education and flight training.  The original training command was established 7 July 1943 at Fort Worth, Texas.  In 1949, the command moved to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois under its new designation.

  

The Training Aircraft used in the training of Aviation
Cadets at Greenville Air Force Base.

 
 

T-33A "Shooting Star"

    The T-33A "Shooting Star" was America's first jet trainer entering
service in 1948.  Students received 120 hours in the T-33A prior
to graduating from Basic training.  Training in the T-33 included
transition, aerobatics, advanced instrument flying, and formation flying.

SPECIFICATIONS:
 Span: 38 ft.10 In. 
Length: 37 ft. 9 in.
Height: 11 ft. 4 in.
Max Weight: 15,000 lbs.
Engine: Allison J33 of
4,600pounds of thrust
Cost: $123.000
PERFORMANCE:
Maximum speed: 543mph.
Cruising speed: 455 mph.
Range: 1,000 miles
Service Ceiling: 47,500 ft.
 
 

T-28A "Trojan"
 
The T-28A "Trojan" went into production in 1950 as a replacement for the T-6 "Texan." Students received 40 flight hours in the T-28 while in Basic flight training prior to checking out in the T-33A "Shooting Star" Training in the T-28 included transition, aerobatics, instrument, and formation flying.

 SPECIFICATIONS:
Span: 40 ft. 7 in.
Length: 32 ft.
Height: 12 ft. 8 in.
Weight: 7,812 lbs without
external load
Engine: Wright R-1300 of 800 hp.
Cost: $123.000
 
PERFORMANCE:
Maximum speed: 283 mph.
Cruising speed: 190 mph.
Range: 1,000 miles
Service Ceiling: 25,200 ft.
 
 
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.

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