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Ohio Vietnam Veterans Visit Memorial

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U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Casy Boomershine, 17th Training Wing command chief, presents Ret. Lt. Col. Jack Mecham, former SR-71 pilot with a Vietnam War Commemorative lapel pin at Norma Brown on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Mecham flew 23 different kinds of aircraft during his time in the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)

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U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Casy Boomershine, 17th Training Wing command chief, presents Ret. Lt. Col. Jack Mecham, former SR-71 pilot with a certificate of appreciation at Norma Brown on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Mecham flew 23 different kinds of aircraft during his time in the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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Mark Howell, 17th Training Wing historian presents Ret. Master Sgt. Jim Coffman, former EC-47 flight engineer with a Vietnam War Commemorative lapel pin at Norma Brown on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Coffman was part of the “Antique Airlines” nicknamed for the old age of the EC-47. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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Mark Howell, 17th Training Wing historian presents Ret. Master Sgt. Jim Coffman, former EC-47 flight engineer with a certificate of appreciation at Norma Brown on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Coffman was part of the “Antique Airlines” nicknamed for the old age of the EC-47. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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Ret. Chief Master Sergeant Tom Nurre, former EC-47 airborne radio direction finding (ARDF) operator with former SSgt Joe Martin after presenting Martin with a certificate of appreciation at Norma Brown on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Martin was assigned to the 6994th Security Squadron also as an ARDF operator in the "backend" of the “Antique Airlines” nicknamed for the old age of the EC-47. Both Martin and Nurre are website managers for the EC-47 History Site (www.ec47.com). (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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Vietnam Veterans and members of Goodfellow pose in front of the EC-47 Memorial on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. The ceremony was rescheduled to 2021, but the veterans came out early to see the pavers in advance. L-R: Graham, Howell, Boomershine, Martin, Nurre, Mecham, and seated in the wheelchair, Jim Coffman. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Casy Boomershine, 17th Training Wing command chief, holds Ret. Master Sgt. Jim Coffman, former EC-47 flight engineer’s paver at Norma Brown on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 15, 2020. Each paver was placed in the EC-47 Memorial here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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Ret. Lt. Col. Jack Mecham, former SR-71 pilot, pushes Ret. Master Sgt. Jim Coffman, former EC-47 flight engineer forward to see Coffman’s paver at the EC-47 Memorial on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Both Mecham and Coffman traveled to Goodfellow to see the EC-47 Memorial and place the pavers prior to the 2021 ceremony. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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Ret. Master Sgt. Jim Coffman, former EC-47 flight engineer sits in front of the EC-47 Memorial reflecting on his time in the service at the EC-47 Memorial on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Coffman served all around the globe during his time in the Air Force and even flew with Buzz Aldrin. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
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U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Casy Boomershine, 17th Training Wing command chief, discusses Ret. Master Sgt. Jim Coffman, former EC-47 flight engineer’s career in front of the EC-47 Memorial on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. Coffman served during the Vietnam war flying multiple top-secret missions over Southeast Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)
Group Photo
Vietnam Veterans and members of Goodfellow pose in front of the EC-47 Memorial on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020. The ceremony was rescheduled to 2021, but the veterans came out early to see the pavers in advance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ethan Sherwood)

 

GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --

Vietnam Veterans Ret. Lt. Col. Jack Mecham, former SR-71 pilot, Ret. Master Sgt. Jim Coffman, former EC-47 flight engineer, and Ret. Staff Sgt. Joe Martin, former EC-47 airborne radio direction finding airborne mission supervisor, visited the EC-47 Memorial here, Oct. 13.

Mecham, Coffman, and Martin were presented certificates of appreciation by the Vietnam War Commemorative Partner Program Committee. They were also able to preview their personal engraved bronze plates that will be placed in the pavers at the EC-47 Memorial Plaza at a later date. The grand opening dedication of the plaza originally scheduled for Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29, 2020 was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic travel and assembly restrictions. 

See the original Goodfellow AFB story HERE.