When I was assigned in to the 746th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron in 1963 at Cherry Hill (Oklahoma City Air Force Station). East of Tinker AFB-know where that is? That huge "bubble" was part of the early warning system in case we were under attack. Inside there is a huge radar that "Blips" every cycle going around the bubble and one day it quit.
Well one of the bright young Airman of few stripes noted that the cause of failure was a set of points and he also noted that FOMOCO was stamped on the set of points. He took his own money, $2.25 downtown OKC to Fred Jones Ford and bought a new set of points with the same number stamped on the points.
He brought the points out to the radar dome and installed them and had the radar running again in short order! He was quite proud of himself and told those around what he'd done. They thought because of his initiative that he was a "fast burner" and surely bound for an early promotion. Who knew what the future held for this bright Airman?
But then the Officer-in-Charge, a Major who was a WWII veteran came out to see wha the commotion was all about. When he was told of hat this dedicated young Airman did, he was expected to acknowledge him and perhaps give him his gratitude because they were back on line and fully operational.
But that isn't what happened, the Major became very red in the face and used quite a bit of profanity-formerly reserved and used during combat situations. And the young Airman got a chewing-out that reviled the worst that he or those listening ever had nor would have. He was told in no uncertain terms that he was never to do go out of the chain of supply again and that he was to take out the new set of points that he had installed and that was protecting this sector on the United States by radar and wait until a new set of points were flown in by a special aircraft from Scott AFB at a cost of $730.00 for the points alone, not withstanding the cost of the flight crew and aircraft.
And the aircraft and crew arrived within a few days with the set of points at Tinker AFB, a driver picked up the points on from the aircraft and brought them to Cherry Hill, they were installed and we were protected again by long range radar.
The 746th Aircraft Control and Warning squadron was deactivated in 1968. And the reason it was called Cherry Hill was because of...the radar dome which is still visible driving down SE 59th St east of Tinker AFB.
Well one of the bright young Airman of few stripes noted that the cause of failure was a set of points and he also noted that FOMOCO was stamped on the set of points. He took his own money, $2.25 downtown OKC to Fred Jones Ford and bought a new set of points with the same number stamped on the points.
He brought the points out to the radar dome and installed them and had the radar running again in short order! He was quite proud of himself and told those around what he'd done. They thought because of his initiative that he was a "fast burner" and surely bound for an early promotion. Who knew what the future held for this bright Airman?
But then the Officer-in-Charge, a Major who was a WWII veteran came out to see wha the commotion was all about. When he was told of hat this dedicated young Airman did, he was expected to acknowledge him and perhaps give him his gratitude because they were back on line and fully operational.
But that isn't what happened, the Major became very red in the face and used quite a bit of profanity-formerly reserved and used during combat situations. And the young Airman got a chewing-out that reviled the worst that he or those listening ever had nor would have. He was told in no uncertain terms that he was never to do go out of the chain of supply again and that he was to take out the new set of points that he had installed and that was protecting this sector on the United States by radar and wait until a new set of points were flown in by a special aircraft from Scott AFB at a cost of $730.00 for the points alone, not withstanding the cost of the flight crew and aircraft.
And the aircraft and crew arrived within a few days with the set of points at Tinker AFB, a driver picked up the points on from the aircraft and brought them to Cherry Hill, they were installed and we were protected again by long range radar.
The 746th Aircraft Control and Warning squadron was deactivated in 1968. And the reason it was called Cherry Hill was because of...the radar dome which is still visible driving down SE 59th St east of Tinker AFB.
