Page 12 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt - Luke AFB History and Heritage, March 18 2022

12 March 18, 2022 History of Luke http://www.luke.af.mil
Thunderbolt
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Towering over Fighter Country for more than 80 years

by as people left the cities and drove
JENNA BiGHAm beyond the farm fields to Luke Air
Force Base.
Aerotech News staff
Arizona’s harsh summers with
The surrounding landscape powerful sandstorms and in-
has changed, most of the original creased temperatures have faded
buildings have come and gone, the paint over the years, but re-
and the aircraft and mission pairs and maintenance have kept
have evolved over the years, but up the community landmark wel-
one towering symbol of Fighter coming visitors to Fighter Country.
Country at Luke Air Force Base, With its 500,000-gallon capacity,
Arizona, remains much the same. the water tower provides potable
It’s the tower beside Litchfield water to the east of the Maj. Troy
Road which bears the words “Wel- Gilbert Memorial Bridge, and it
come to Fighter Country,” that has serves as a connecting point for
become an iconic symbol of Luke Luke and the surrounding commu-
AFB and the mission of the 56th nity. The tower is also cost effec-
Fighter Wing to train the world’s tive, using gravity to provide the
greatest fighter pilots and combat pressure needed to supply water
ready Airmen. to the base.
Constructed in 1941, the water The water tower has withstood
tower is one of Luke AFB’s origi- the test of time as a permanent
nal structures from WWII, and a fixture of the base for more than
landmark for the base years before 80 years and provides a permanent
houses and businesses popped up statement that this is where Luke
in the area and GPS travel became Air Force Base is — and this is our
the norm. The tower could be seen mission.

Courtesy photo
The water tower can be seen in the background of a retreat ceremony
with members of the U.S Army Air Forces Women’s Auxiliary Corps. The
numbers of those serving were small, but their role was just as big as
Courtesy photo that of the men they freed up for combat. The women are standing on
The water tower at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, has welcomed guests to Fighter Country for what was once the oval driveway of the headquarters building. The build-
years and withstood the test of time since its construction in 1941. The tower is a landmark for the ing is still standing at the base of the bridge at Litchfield and Thunder-
community and one of Luke’s oldest structures. bird, but serves a different purpose for the 56th Fighter Wing today.

THUNDERBiRDS (from Page 4) left wing, and his brother flew right wing. Prior to Kanaga’s reassignment in Sep- fall, Catledge left for Randolph AFB, Texas.
Kanaga flew the difficult slot position. The tember, McCormick moved to slot and the McCormick was the last of the original flyers
First Lt. Aubry Brown arrived at Luke in diamond shape was the team’s basic forma- team used the spare aircraft to conduct some to leave the team in November 1954.
March 1953 to be an instructor pilot. Both tion. McCormick was the spare pilot and solo maneuvers. Catledge selected Brown In 1955, to show off the most advanced
McCormick and Brown were Korean War could fly slot. Brown served as the mainte- for that task. fighters, the team switched to the swept-
fighter pilots. Given the large number of nance officer, and Master Sgt. Earl Young The team stayed together until February wing Republic F-84F Thunderstreak. In
aircraft at Luke, flying more than 400 sor- handpicked the team’s 21 maintenance 1954, when Charles Pattillo became a squad- 1956, the team switched aircraft again to the
ties per day, Air Training Command chose technicians. Brock served as the narrator ron director of operations and later squadron super-sonic North American F-100C Super
the base for its aerial demonstration team. and information officer. commander. In May 1954, Brown went back Sabre. To simplify maintenance and logistics,
Flying the subsonic, straight-winged Three weeks later, they gave their first to being an instructor pilot. A month later, the team moved from Luke AFB to Nellis
Republic F-84G Thunderjet, Maj. Richard performance to the chief of staff of the Air Cuthbert Pattillo became a squadron com- AFB, Nevada in 1956, where it has remained
Catledge flew lead. Charles Pattillo flew Force. mander. All three stayed at Luke. In the and flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon today.