The next annual B-66 Destroyer Association Reunion will be held in Dayton, Ohio starting Thursday August 26 and ending on Sunday August 29, 2004. It will include the official dedication of its memorial to all B-66ers who lost their lives in B-66 operation. More details will be forthcoming. Proposals for the memorial can be seen at

by C. Reuben Autery, MajGen, USAF (ret)

For details

B-66 Memorial

As you know the Association has taken on the task of building a Memorial to those who lost their lives in B-66 operations. The Memorial will be built on the grounds of the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Although we have a few suggested memorial designs in hand, you are encouraged to participate in this activity by submitting one of your own. If you are so inclined, submit a sketch of your design to: Gerry Parker, 4022 Arnold, Houston, TX 77005, by the 21st of March.

Our intentions are to dedicate the Memorial during our 2004 Reunion. However, if the flow of contributions does not increase we will have to adjust these plans. As of now we have received just over $1,000, when an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 is required to complete the project. Now is the time to take pen in hand and write that check that I know you have been intending to do. Your contribution is tax deductible. Make your check payable to 'B-66 Destroyer Association - Memorial.' Send it to: Dave Henry, Treasurer, 8008 Plantation Lakes Drive, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986. Together we can make it happen.

The Memorial will include all the names of those who lost their lives in B-66 operations. Ron Darrah has taken the lead in identifying those individuals. He has done a great job with the help from many of you, especially Cliff Parrott, in complying the attached list; however, it is not complete. We must include all the names of our fellow aviators who lost their lives in B-66 operations on the Memorial. Please, review the list and provide any additional names and details, and or corrections to: Ron Darrah at darrah@prodigy.net and Cliff Parrott at B-66doctor@aol.com.
(Note: Ref the Unknown Navigator, 95th BS, 1956/57, Houston thunderstorm/pilot Dave Moore - the remarks should read Aircraft landed short of north runway Hurlburt Field with Capt Richard Dinger, pilot, and S.P. Klatz, gunner - both fatal.)

Sons and Daughters of B-66ers

We continue to receive requests from sons and daughters of those we flew with many years ago.

Phil Putnam, the son of Lt. Col. Joseph W. Putnam, would love to hear from any of you who knew his dad. Joe Putnam, who passed away in 2000, was with the B-66 at Sculthorpe and Spangdahlem in the mid 50s and early 60s. Phil's e-mail address is: putnam@swcp.com

Pamela Pedroli Paris, the daughter of BG Attilio 'Pete' Pedroli, is the family historian and is currently doing her father's story. Pete was with the B-66 at Takhli. He was shot down by a MIG on the 14th of January 1968 and rescued a day or so later from Laos. Please share your stories about Pete with Pamela at: pparis@tds.net

Scott Hegland's request for information about his dad, D.J. 'Butch' Hegland, was in the last issue of the newsletter. However, we provided a wrong e-mail address. Please correspond with Scott at: scotthegland@adelphia.net

Locator Service

We currently have over 1000 on our Lost Friends List. You can help reduce that number by locating those friends you have lost track of. Lloyd Neutz recently sent eight 'Locator Requests' to AFMPC for lost B-66 friends. The AF notified him that: his note/letter had been forwarded to four of them (Benny Beets, Alexander 'Duke' Birgerson, Robert Harlacher and Ocie Snider); two were deceased (Clarence Reed and John Ruffing); and, they had no information on two as they had left the AF prior to retirement (Fred Roth and John Stewart). We could find more of our 'lost friends' if each of us would do as Lloyd has done. Lloyd is willing to help you in the process. Drop him an
e-mail at: neutz@mindspring.com.

See you in Dayton in 2004.

Reference Jim Milam's message above on the memorial. Since many of you were not present for my presentation on the memorial at Nashville, please feel free to give me a call any evening, except Monday, at my home. The phone number is included below. I welcome any questions, comments and suggestions.

As noted on Ron Darrah's list, there are 50 or more of our fellow crew members who died in B-66 operations. By building this memorial we can honor their sacrifice. This may be the only way these men will be remembered for their service.

Also, with a donation of $100/per brick, you may honor others with an engraved memorial brick at the foot of the memorial. This is a way to honor yourself and others who served. Let me hear from you.