Memories of the

Rhein Main Air Force Base 1951-54




S/Sgt.William M. Holt
AF-15426911
August 1950

I enlisted in the Air Force in August 1950. I took my basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio Texas. I was then transferred to Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas where I went through A&E School. I then shiped out on the USS Muier to Germany where I finally ended up at Rhein Main AFB, Frankfurt, Germany.

I joined the 12th Squadron in March 1951, was assigned to Sgt.Kosey’s plane and then in early 52 went on flying status and joined Eugene Busson’s crew.

In late 53 I started the engine conditioning crew. I bunked in the four man room across from the orderly room, It was almost even with the mail room.In March 1954 I had to go home due to my fathers heart attack. I stayed there and was discharged in June 54. I enjoyed my time in the 12th squadron. We had great guys there. Here are a few of my memories.

How about the horrible crash when the F84s ran into our group. See the "Mid-Air Collision" Page. I was on TDY when that happened.

Bill Fuller and I went together and got a 1932 Opal.Boy did we have the times with it. We had Eugene Busson paint it a bright blue. I Can’t belive today how nuts we were.

Does anyone remember who belongs to the other cars in the lot?

Later on I bought M/Sgt.Adams black 1946 Pontiac. That was a good car. I went on a weeks leave and drove it to Switzerland. I had good time.

One time the four of us had a little to much to drink, so we thought "lets make a convertable". Can you believe that? We went down to the flight line and went to work. We did cut the top off but soon we were having different ideas. We went back to the barraks, got dressed and went to town. Boy did it rain. I think we had a wheel cover or something that we pulled over our heads and away we went. Thats me with the bucket along with Carl Mackey, Bob Fisher and Bill Fuller who took the picture. I remember we had something on the back floor, it came in a pop-top bottle.

Does anyone know who it was that had to bail out when there plane ran out of fuel? I think it happened in southern France.How about the time someone forgot to put the fuel tank caps on the outboard tanks and the fuel started to siphon out on takeoff. I was in about the third plane back. At first we thought it was on fire. I remember my pilot was so scared it would explode he could hardly fly the plane. Wow was I scared. I still say to this day that my hair was standing straight out.

How about Feisherstube, Reishouf, Lippmans, MeirGustels (the Brass Bavarian band, the airplane on the ceiling), The dances at Palm Gardens, Brahtwurst with a piece of hard bread and mustard (sempef) that you could buy from the little shops on Kaiser Strasse. Boy were they good.

How about the weekend trips we went on. We loaded up the C82s or the C119s and away we went. I recall the trips to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Dublen Ireland. Remember when the squadron went on a boat cruise on the Rhein River. I’ve still got the scar where I was hit in the head by a bottle.

I went back to Frankfurt with my son on a visit in 1967. I was there for two weeks.

A lot of things had changed. When I took him to the base I went in the barracks and told them who I was and that I wanted to show my son where I had slept. They wanted to know if I could tell them about two rooms in the basement. I went with them, the first was the barber shop, they couldn’t figure out why four sinks were on the wall. The next turned out to be the dayroom. Remember the big mural on the wall. Wouldn’t it have been nice to have had Video Camcorders back then? One other thing; I still love SOS even though I can’t eat it any more.

When I got out I played (click here-->) Country/Bluegrass music. I still do, but not as much. I worked at a Pontiac dealership five years, then went to General Motors where I finally retired because of cardiac problems.

I also remember a group mission that we were involved in. I wrote a letter about it for a Paratrooper friend of mine who used it on his website. Check his great website.
Click here-->Paratroopers of THe 50s

My greatest hero and the man I loved in my childhood days was: click here-->my big brother Jim.He served it the Pacific throughout the war. Not only was he my hero; he was a hero. I love you brother.