Memories of the






SSgt. Carl Frenz




I had the experience of being in a mid-air collision with some fighter jets.

We took off from Rhein Main AFB and were in a fly-by formation for Gen. Eisenhower when he was leaving Europe. My regular chute was being repacked so I had one of the clumsy chest packs. You know how awkward they were, so I had taken it off. I was down stairs standing by the rear doors watching the formation.

All of a sudden I seen a fighter jet go cartwheeling by us. I was all broken apart and on fire. At the same time I heard a crashing noise, I din't know what it was. I looked at the floor and there was a large aircraft radio laying at my feet. It had come through the front of the plane all the way to the rear and smashed into the clamshell door center beam.

The pilots were Cap. Albright and Lt. Sullivan. I tried to make my way back to the cockpit but I was unable to get there. When I finally made it Capt. Albright was diving the plane to get out of the collision. We were full of smoke and sparks were flying everywhere.

Well, we made it out of the formation and got back to Rhein Main. That is an experience I will never forget.

After I was discharged I married Vivian and got a dairy farm in Salamanca NY. Vivian and I are still working the farm today.

Note: I visited Carl many times in NY.


Hi Betty and Bill
Vivian and I were really glad to see you at the reunion at Myrtle Beach, along with all the other 12th TCS men and their wives.

What a wonderful idea to get us guys all back in touch after all these years.

I do miss the great times we all had at Rhein Main in the 1950s. I couldn't have been any luckier than to be stationed with such a great bunch of guys.

I could go on and on about the 12th TCS, but what I'm really trying to say is that being at R-M was one of the most exciting parts of my life. God bless them all

The second exciting part of my life was to marry my wife, Vivian. We raised five great children, four girls and a great son, on our dairy farm with a few horses cats, dogs, chickens, goats, rabbits, pigs and a bunch of dairy and beef cattle.

Love from both of us:
Carl and Vivian