The United States Air Force Academy Class of 1959 Chronology

The United States Air Force Academy Class Of 1959 Archived Video

by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352d Motion Picture Squadron

Dear Jim,

I'm not much of a hand at writing letters, but you asked me to give you the straight dope about the Air Force Academy, and I'm going to try.

We arrived here at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver bright and early on July 11. The Air Force Academy is located here temporarily until the new buildings are completed at Colorado Springs.

Swearing-in began shortly after 0600, that is 6 a.m. in civilian language, and from then on, things happened on the double. Air Force officers, called ATOs, short for air training officers, assembled us in groups and taught us how to march, face, and salute.

After practically all our hair was cut off in real super crew cuts, we assembled at the drill ground in our uniforms, and right then began close-order drilling. It seemed like a sudden plunge into basic until we realized we were to march into the dedication area in a few hours.

And man, don't think we weren't nervous as we marched to our seats in front of our folks, guests, and lots of important people from Washington. There were a lot of words spoken that day that I don't remember, but the gist of it was that this was a great occasion.

We, the Class of 1959, which means the year we graduate, were the first, the pioneers of the new academy. We were not only going to be officers, but many of us, even generals, someday, that is. Our class of around 300 had been selected from over 6,000 candidates, and don't think we weren't proud of that. Yeah, proud and scared, too. Scared that maybe we couldn't toe the mark or make the grade.

But there was a thought that will always stick with me: the idea that the Air Force is organized not only to fight, if necessary, but to help prevent war. In this atomic age, a strong Air Force ought to make an enemy think twice before starting.

Yes sir, I feel real proud to be a part—even a tiny part—of the Air Force team.

You asked about our living quarters. Well, we're doing all right. Two of us to a big room, neatly furnished and clean as a whistle. Mom would sure be surprised at my newly acquired housekeeping ability. A place for everything and everything in its place. We're learning routine attention to details, which is vitally important to a pilot or a navigator. And as for the food at the academy, all I can say is it's terrific. There's plenty of it, and it's all good. I've gained five pounds already.

If you were suddenly to drop in during one of our meals at the dining hall, you'd probably think we had all slipped our gears. It seems like everyone is talking or shouting at once. Well, there are a number of special reasons for our behavior in the dining hall. First, even at Annapolis or West Point, all first-year students are required to sit at attention during meals. But in addition, special words we will use as Air Force officers are worked into our everyday language, especially in the dining hall, to teach us to concentrate and to communicate information clearly.

During basic military training, we sure did a lot of drilling. Feet were marching all over the place. But the ATOs were sharp, and the formations improved rapidly.

We are taught military courtesy and discipline and the importance of duty and honor. The honor system is a wonderful thing. It assumes a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, and every cadet lives up to it willingly as a point of personal pride.

During this period, we get a chance for our first flight. We flew in a T-29, a twin-engined aircraft specially designed for training purposes, and the flight lasted for three hours. We were briefed thoroughly on weather and the course we would fly. In this flying classroom, we learned to become navigators, bombardiers, and radar operators. Each cadet also looks forward to the day he gets to ride in the jet training plane, the T-33, with a veteran pilot at the controls. Although the academy doesn't give us full-scale pilot training, we will learn about flying and receive 15 hours of flying time in training aircraft. Our training as pilots will start after we graduate, when we can devote full time to that job.

Naturally, you have to be in good physical condition to enter the academy, but you don't have to be a superman. Once here, physical conditioning is a must in the daily program, with not only a complete program of calisthenics, but also an obstacle course to measure our progress during the eight weeks of summer orientation.

The average time over this course is one minute, 15 seconds, although the record made by one kid is 56 seconds. He must have his wings already.

The climax of the summer training and physical conditioning program was a six-day bivouac in the rugged Colorado terrain southeast of Denver, which is part of the Lowry Air Force Base bombing range. The highlight of the bivouac was a special series of demonstrations. One group dealt with lectures on the principles of chemical, biological, and radiological warfare with demonstrations of typical weapons.

Then we saw an example of air rescue techniques, wherein medics were parachuted into an area presumed to be inaccessible to aid individuals requiring medical attention. Helicopters, looking like giant hummingbirds, removed the so-called casualties and transported them to a base hospital.

In the aerial firepower demonstration, jet fighters fired rockets at a target on the ground and then flew in at treetop level to drop napalm fire bombs. All in all, we had a good time and were impressed with the meaning of firepower as used by the various military services.

Recently, we made a trip to the permanent site of the academy in the beautiful country near Colorado Springs. At a high point on the highway, our buses stopped so that we could get a good view of the site of the future academy. In our mind's eye, we superimposed the architect's preliminary concept of the future buildings over the site—the classrooms, the offices, the barracks, the athletic facilities, the parade ground, even the future classes that would join us at the academy.

And that reminds me, you asked about getting into the next class. Well, the age limit is 17 through 21 years of age, and the deadline for nominations is January 31st. If you want to become a cadet, the first thing to do is write to your United States representative or senator and ask him to nominate you or to write for information to the United States Air Force Academy Appointment Branch, Washington 25, D.C. Everyone has an equal chance to compete, so send in your letter at once because nominations are being accepted now for the next class of cadets. I'd like to give you another tip too: make the best grades you can and keep yourself in good shape physically because your high school record and your physical condition will be important factors in the Air Force's final choice of cadets.

Before closing, let me tell you something special that happened the other day. The Ed Bosch had already given us an idea of what was coming, but it was still a great thrill when it happened. On Sunday, the word arrived that President Eisenhower and his party were at the academy to watch us at a parade and to join us at chapel services. Let me tell you, there was an extra snap to our formation.

I don't know how sharp we looked, but we sure tried. It was an honor for the class of '59 to parade before President Eisenhower, who, 40 years ago, was also a cadet in the Class of 1915. And somehow, we felt that through the president, the entire country was watching us and placing great hopes in our future.

We were proud to be cadets in the Class of '59, and we looked forward to the four-year program, which would lead not only to a college degree but to bars on our shoulders, observer wings on our chests, and to a career with an unlimited future in the United States Air Force.

Origin of Video Archive