25 July 2008
Its mid-July and I’ve been swamped with freelance work and other projects since May. Trying to return to Saving Hunter has been a hard task as of late. I’ve even stopped reading the countless books and papers on my other desk because I’m worn out by evening.
The slow down in summer is a break that I hope will end with the beginning of fall so I can pick up where I left off… wherever that was. There’s more to come…
10 May 2008
Recently I sat down with Joan Vinning, the last known next-of-kin for Lt. Hunter on the family side ever since Buzz and Zelma Hunter passed away, who lives locally in Douglasville. Here, in the confines of Vinnings house, are the possessions of the Hunter family and some of the personal effects of the late lieutenant.
Stuffed in countless boxes are photographs of years gone by following Jerry Hunter as a child, hanging out with friends like Grady Baggett, graduating from The Citadel and his marriage to Laura Ann Milby. Even some of Lt. Hunter’s medals remain in cases from 1966, which were originally presented to his wife Laura.
During our conversations Vinning told of Jerry not being a native of Douglas County like many locals and history books present, rather he was born in south Georgia. It wasn’t until Jerry was the age of three that the family returned back to Douglasville after moving around the state several times. No one ever questioned whether Jerry was a native of Douglas County due to his young age, attending all the schools other local children did.
The house the Hunter family lived and grew in is now gone, however the house on Pinecrest Drive still stands today as a vacant shell. Vinning has spent much of her time moving belongings into her house where a basement full of boxes with memories trapped inside.
No Comments » | Tags: interview, joan vinning
27 April 2008
A few days ago I sat down with Jimmy Haddle, a friend of Jerry Hunter during high school and later at The Citadel and currently runs Haddle Insurance, talking about Jerry’s life before entering the Air Force. Here I learned a few new events in Jerry’s life and the how his loss affected the Douglasville community.
Jimmy talked about how Jerry was a good kid growing up and hanging out with friends like Grady Baggett Jr. and Corky Cheek. All the guys used to play tennis together at City Park (now known as Robert G. Hunter Memorial Park) on the two tennis courts near the pool. Jimmy was not as close as a friend like Grady, but he remembered how well of a person Jerry was.
Continue reading ‘Interview with Jimmy Haddle’
No Comments » | Tags: grady baggett, hunter park, interview, jerry hunter, jimmy haddle
20 April 2008
Over a month ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Susie Fowler in my quest to discover more information on Jerry Hunter’s life in Douglasville. Susie is the widow of retired USAF Brigadier General Alpha A. Fowler, the man who took Jerry Hunter for his first airplane flight in 1957.
Unfortunately Susie could not remember much of the relations between her late husband and Jerry, however she did elaborate of Alpha’s (locally known as Sonny) military career while serving in the Army Air Force with the 15th Air Force, 483rd Bomb Group, based in Sterparone, Italy from 1944-1945.
During the war Fowler was a captain, whom was later promoted to the rank of major, acting as a squadron commander that flew B-17s on bombing raids into Eastern Europe. Fowler took a tremendous amount of pictures both in Italy and on missions, capturing classic wartime images of B-17s flying in formation to the aftermath of bombs hitting targets.
Being that project Saving Hunter is looking into all aspects of Lt. Robert Hunter’s life, it is suspect that Alpha Fowler had some influence in joining the Air Force. Fowler injected the “fly bug” into Hunter while relatives on the Olge side had served in the military, most of which were enlisted into the Army.
With the permission of Susie Fowler, her husband’s photographs from World War II have been digitally restored and publicly released for viewing on flickr. Also a copy of the restored photographs has been sent to the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama to be looked over and added to the 15th Air Force, 483rd Bomb Group official history.
1 Comment » | Tags: 15th Air Force, 483rd Bomb Group, Alpha Fowler, fowler, photographs, USAF, wwii
30 March 2008
As of late my work on project Saving Hunter has been limited due to other projects and freelance jobs to pay the bills. Despite some setbacks, I am still committed to this work of finding the story behind Lt. Hunter’s recovery. Currently I am reading the book, The USAF Search and Rescue in Southeast Asia by Earl H. Tilford, Jr, to learn about the search and rescue process that would have been implemented shortly after Hunter’s F-105D was shot down outside of Ban Ban, Laos. Another half dozen or so more books are arriving this week as part of the research effort.
The history of the Veterans Memorial has been updated include the time when the F-105D arrived at Hunter Memorial Park to the aircraft being wheels down for maintenance.
23 February 2008
The Journey of Saving Hunter tour for Google Earth was been updated with content from travels in February that include aerial photography of Fowler Field to the trip from Washington, D.C.
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16 February 2008
The weather was unbearably cold and miserable the two and half days that were utilized for research. A trip to the Library of Congress was indeed a treat, taking in the breathtaking architecture but yielded little in research results. Suspecting that not much information would be found here on the basis that Lt. Hunter was not officially operating in Laos, therefore it was highly unlikely that Stars and Stripes would report anything regarding missions or of his rescue in that regards.
A trip to the Vietnam Veteran National Memorial was concluded under rainy conditions that did not allow copying all of Douglas County’s sons until the last day in D.C. on a rather nice day. All eleven names, with the exception of one, was copied in graphite due to not having enough sheets of paper provided by the Ranger on duty a few days prior and the name being the second from the top one on one of the taller slabs of the Wall.
The unexpected wintry conditions did not allow me to visit the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, where there was some footage of Takhli RTAFB in April of 1966 when Lt. Hunter was stationed there. Efforts are being looked into in order to obtain a copy of the short film.
A stop to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center allowed me to view a F-105D that was in the paint scheme of the 388th TFW based at Korat RTAFB. In comparison to the F-105D at Hunter Memorial Park, there were many more official markings on the fuselage, the paint was in a dull matte sheen, the tail cone was silver (not black), and had the bomb rack.
Also at the museum I acquired another book on the Republic Aviation F-105 and will soon add it to the book list with the another book that came in over the weekend: Classified Secret by Jan Churchill - much about FACs operating in Laos, including much information on MSgt Charlie Jones and Lt Hunter’s body being recovered.
Pictures from the Washington, D.C. trip can be found on Flickr under the Saving Hunter Collection.
No Comments » | Tags: books, charlie jones, journey of saving hunter, Lt Hunter, Vietnam Veterans National Memorial, Washington DC
13 February 2008
Yesterday morning I spent some time at the Library of Congress going over the microfilm copies of the Stars and Stripes Pacific Edition newspaper. As expected, nothing was found regarding the story of Lt. Hunter being rescued in Laos or identified in July of 1966. His name did not appear on the DoD casualty lists that were printed daily in the newspaper.
Also there were a few months missing from the 1966 microfilm files that may have shed some light on possible missions. There were a few stories talking about F-105 pilots making bomb runs in North Vietnam, hitting truck parks, SAM sites, barracks, supplies, but there was no unit identification. Rarely was there a story on Laos or the Air Commandos.
The weather has worsened here in D.C. as a cold front moves through brining in rain and freezing conditions that has hampered travel and transcribing all the names of Douglas County’s fallen at the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial. Today the weather will be much the same, yet tomorrow is to hopefully yield better, and warmer conditions.
However I did find Lt. Hunter’s name on panel 7E, row 109 where a few graphite copies were made. In honor of Lt. Hunter’s sacrifice and the pursuit of the research that has ensued, a photograph was placed at the memorial at the base of panel 7E.
On the back of the photograph, the following was written:
1st Lt. Robert Gerald Hunter
355TFW, 354TFS
Died 25 May 1966, LaosPlaced at the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial on 12 Feb 2008.
No Comments » | Tags: Library of Congress, Lt Hunter, Vietnam Veterans National Memorial, Washington DC, weather
10 February 2008
Tomorrow I continue on the Journey of Saving Hunter by making my way to Washington, D.C. to locate more information on Lt. Hunter and MSgt. Charlie Jones, the man who recovered Hunter’s body in a mountain village in northern Laos. This trip will be very prominent in the regards of visiting the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial, seeing the name of Lt. Hunter etched next to his brothers in arms. This will be my second time to the Wall, but the first time with true purpose.
As part of project Saving Hunter, each of Douglas County’s 11 Vietnam War casualties will have their etchings traditionally copied with graphite and be preserved for future use, hopefully to be included in a fitting memorial within the anticipated new community center at Hunter Memorial Park, explaining the history of the park and Lt. Hunter.
Also on the agenda is to visit the National Archives at College Park and the Library of Congress to seek research material, photographs and motion pictures of Air Force operations during the Vietnam War in 1965/66. Due to the sensitivity and classified nature of some of the material around C.I.A. operations and the rescue of Lt. Hunter’s body via the Air Commandos, very little is expected to be found.
The journey thus far has been an eye-opening experience that not many civilians can find in everyday life. I am grateful for this opportunity and when the project is complete, I wish that everyone can follow the Journey of Saving Hunter as I have.
No Comments » | Tags: charlie jones, journey of saving hunter, Lt Hunter, Vietnam Veterans National Memorial, Washington DC
7 February 2008
When taking on any research project, there is always a dependence on previous work by authors who know the subject well. With the case of Saving Hunter, it is a reliance on the stories of real F-105 pilots, forward air controllers, and special forces operating in Southeast Asia, illustrating the hardships of the deadliest air war known to man.
Understanding the story behind Lt. Hunter is divided into two halves: the USAF side of the bombing campaign against North Vietnam and his rescue via the Air Commandos and Air America. Each half has its own thrilling twists and turns, from jettisoning bombs at 500 mph to trudging around in remote mountainous villages in the Plain of Jars.
As the research aspect expands with Saving Hunter, I would like to share the books that are read through the new Book Section under the Resources tab.
No Comments » | Tags: books
