Luke AFB is west of
Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by
civilization that complains about the noise from
the base and its planes, forgetting that it was
there long before they were.. A certain
Lieutenant Colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big
pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who
lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local
paper complaining about a group of F-16s that
disturbed his/her day at the mall.
When that individual read
the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must
have stung quite a bit.
The complaint:
'Question of the day for Luke
Air Force Base:
Whom do we
thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday,
at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four
F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall,
continuing west over Bell Road at approximately
500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the
Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up
call, or were they trying to impress the
cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?
Any response would be
appreciated.
The response:
Regarding 'A wake-up call from
Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 am, a
perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from
the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base
flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques.
Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was
previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and
was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 am on June 15, his family and
friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun
City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and
friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of
the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm
sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the
playing of taps, or my words to the widow and
parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their
son's flag on behalf of the President of the
United States and all those veterans and
servicemen and women who understand the
sacrifices they have endured..
A
four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air
Force gives to those who give their lives in
defense of freedom. We are professional aviators
and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what
the letter writer witnessed was four officers
lining up to pay their ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, 'Whom
do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th
Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and
forward your thanks to the widow and parents of
Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it
was in their honor that my pilots flew the most
honorable formation of their lives.
Only 2 defining forces have
ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and
the American Soldier.
One died for your
soul, the other for your freedom.
Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel,
Jr.
USAF
