Page 3 - DFCS News Magazine Winter 2012

I was discharged from the Air Force in 1975. I had been in the service for eight years and when I left all my awards and uni-
forms were put into boxes and not even given a second thought. I attended college and started a whole new career.
In my mid 50's I heard about the Distinguished Flying Cross Socie- ty. After checking the web site I wanted to join. It took me 3 months of going through boxes to find my Distinguished Flying Cross award before I could join. I did not get involved in anything, but I did enjoy the quarterly newsletter and reading about so many heroes who sacrificed so much to do the job they did. About 16 months ago the newsletter announced the DFC society would be in Seattle this year. My wife and I decided to go. This would be my first military event and my Wife and I even volunteered to help out!
August 19 came and there we were in Seattle. We helped with the auction and keeping the hospitality room opened. Then we started meeting the members. Most were retired from various careers ranging from farmers to state police to engineers to nurses. They all had one thing in common - The Distinguished Flying Cross.
At the awards banquet the DFC Society honored 16 or its members who are World War II veterans. Like so many of us coming home they put their awards in a box and the war behind them and went on to have very fulfilling careers. Many of their family members did not know what these men experienced during the war. When the veterans were asked they just said "I did my job"
These WW II, Korean and Vietnam veterans are all heroes and I was honored to be in their
company. 80 + DFC society members were in attendance at the Seattle reunion. For many this was their first but not their
last. Of the many events that took place two are standouts. The signing of our book "On Heroic Wings" Several books were signed by all the attendees, these
books will always be a treasure.
We also enjoyed a very special guest speaker Jonna Doolittle Hoppes (Jimmy Doolittle's granddaughter) She gave us all peek into the life and career of Jimmy Doolittle. Very good presentation and we'll always remember the curly haired kid who learned to fight and become a national hero.
The stories all these men had to tell were inspiring and I could go on and on. Some stories were being told for the first time. As I left my first military convention I knew I would never find a better
group of men and women. I also left feeling very proud to be part of the group. I would urge all of you to find your boxes and join the DFC society or any military organization that fits your need.
Many thanks to the board of directors who put this wonderful event together. This was my first but not my last.
Dave and Floreen Clark Vancouver, Washington
I got back last week from the great DFCS Convention and among the 450 emails were a couple stating that the memorial plaque
for George Balthazor was to be installed on Friday at Fort Rosecrans. I didn’t have much time but changed my schedule com- pletely around so that I could be present. One of his cousins and wife and daughter were there but I was glad that I could make it. I took pictures for the great family who made such an effort to honor a family member who was lost for so long but was eventually found.
The small world situation reached out and touched me again. As I glanced at the opposite wall that contains the cremated remains of other veterans, one jumped out at me. I attended the service for Nobel Newsome two years ago and here he is looking over the plaque for George. Many of you remember that Noble was a mem- ber of the DFC Society (a Marine with two DFCs in WWII) and is in the DFC book “On Heroic Wings”) and I knew him and the family quite well. I thought it was appropriate that two DFC recipients are now so close to each other at Fort Rosecrans.
Chuck
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The Distinguished Flying Cross News