Lineage:
Constituted and consolidated (19 Sep 1955) with 70th Air Refueling Squadron (Medium), which was constituted on 3 Jun 1955. Activated on 1 Aug 1955. Redesignated: 70th Air Refueling Squadron (Heavy), on 1 Nov 1963; 70th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Sep 1991. Inactivated on 1 Aug 1993. Activated in the Reserve on 1 Sep 1994.
Assignments:
70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Aug 1955
384th Bombardment Wing, 1 Aug 1961;
43 Bombardment Wing, 1 Sep 1964;
305th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Jan 1970;
305th Operations Group, 1 Sep 1991-1 Apr 1993
349 Operations Group, 1 Sep 1994-
Stations:
Little Rock AFB, AR. 1 Aug 1955,
(deployed at Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland, 26 Jun - 15 Aug 1956 and 24 Jun - 24 Sep 1957; Lajes Field (later, AB), Azores, 3 Sep 1958 - 12 Jan 1959 (See news article at the bottom of this page.), 5 Oct 1960 - 11 Jan 1961, and 31 Jul - 28 Sep 1962;
Grissom AFB, IN, 1 Jan 1970 - 1 Apr 1993.
Travis AFB, CA 1 Sep 1994 -
Commanders: Capt John Axmann, 1 Aug-1 Oct 1955 Lt Col Donakld A. Broaddus, Oct 1955 Lt Col Robert M. Gorham, 22 Dec 1956 Attended 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, & 1993 reunions. Lt Col Wilson W. Howard, 16 Jul 1959 Attended 1985, 1987 & 1997 reunion. Lt Col Samuel E. Dyke, 14 Feb 1964 Lt Col Donal B. Cunningham, 4 Aug 1965 Lt Col John C. Sunderland, Nov 1966 Lt Col Ralph H. Herman, 1968 Lt Col Caleb G Pendley, Jan 1970 Lt Col Jimmy L. Cronwell, 10 Sep 1971 Lt Col Marvin L. Craig, 1973 Attended 1999 reunion. Lt Col Gordon E. Smith, Jun 1974 Lt Col Donald B. Lyall, Sep 1975 Col Bobby . Graham, 15 May 1977 Lt Col Anthony I. St Amant, 17 Aug 1979 Lt Col Robert L. Rathburn, 16 Oct 1980 Lt Col Gary W. Shuck, 14 May 1982 Lt Col Joseph E. Latt, 9 Jan 1984 Lt Col James E. Andrews, 17 Dec 1984 Lt Col Thomas S. Kasych, 9 Jun 1986 Lt Col Michael G. Reeves, 39 Mar 1987 Lt Col Ronald F. Sames, 12 Jun 1989 Lt Col James Studer, 30 1990 Lt Col Basis S Norris, 1 Jun 1992-1 Apr 1993 Maj James D. Lynd, 1 Sep 1994
Aircraft:
KC-97, 1955-1963
KC-135, 1964-1993
KC-10, 1994-
Operations: Provided air refueling for global mission, 1955-1993. Supported contingency missions during the Gulf of Suez War Sept-Dec 1956. Provided air refueling in support of contingency missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis Oct1962-Jan 1963. Supported the National Emergency Airborne Command Post from 1970-1993. Between 1976 and 1993, flew both air refueling and airborne command and control missions. Supported contingency missions to Grenada in 1983 and to Panama, Dec1989-Jan 1990. Deployed aircrews and aircraft to Europe and the Arabian peninsula during the Persian Gulf War, 1990-1991
Service Streamers: None
Campaign Streamers: Southwest Asia: Defence of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and defence of Kuwait.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers: None
Decorations: Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards; 15 Feb-30 Dec 1959; 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1973; 1 Jul 1973-30 Jun 1974; 1 Jul 1975-1 Jun 1977; 1 Jul 1977-30 Jun 1980; 1 Jun 1990-31 May 1992; 1 Jun 1994-15 Aug 1995; 1 Jul 1996-30 Jun 1998.
Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 18 Aug 2000.
Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 31 Dec 1995.
Supersedes statement prepared on 4 Feb 1997.
Emblem: Approved on 8 May 1958, modified on 8 Aug 1996.
Translation
The lineage paragraph is written from the stand point of the current unit. Notice that this reconstitution consolidation does not occur until 1985. for our purposes, the references to the 70th Air Refueling Squadron being constituted on 3 June 1955 and activated 1 August 1955 are the key points. I believe you should essentially look at the unit as being organized and coming into existence in 1955.
You will also notice that the 70th squadron did not go away when the 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing did. In fact, it was assigned over to the 384th Bomb Wing in 1961 at the same time the 70th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing switched from a Reconnaissance to a Bomb Wing (training mission) and became the 70th Bomb Wing. The 70th Bomb Wing was in activated in 1962. The 70th Air Refueling Squadron continued at Little Rock AFB through the life of the 384th Bomb Wing (inactivated 1 Sep 1964) and the 43rd Bomb Wing (which came in on the heels of the departure of the 384th). After the 43rd departed in 1970, the 70th squadron finally moved on and was assigned to the 305th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom AFB on 1 Jan 1970.
Accomplishments of the 1955 - 1963 members
This group produced: (that we know of)
2 Major General
1 Brigadier General
42 Coronels
109 Lt Coronels
2 Chief Warrant Officers
11 Chief Master Sergeants
46 Senior Master Sergeants
"Big Jim" Clanton was the first official Boom Operator in the Air Force. He was the first KB-50 Boom Operator and also the first KC-97 Boomer.
Wyatt E. Duzenbury was the Flight Engineer on the Enola Gay when the first Atomic bomb was dropped.
Enrique "Tab" Tabyanan was the only KC-747X certified Boom Operator. At the time of his retirement he was the only Boom Operator that had refueled all Air Force capable aircraft, both combat ready and experimental.
Pam Holt is the daughter of a member (Clarence and Betty Welch) of 70th and is the wife of another member (Tom Holt) of the 70th.
Mrs Fry is the only mother of a member (Larry Fry) to attend one of our reunions, 2003.
