OCR Text |
Show i. COMBAT STRENGTH THROUGH i i i i i . i LOGISTICS Falcons lose Base hockey team suffers setback. See Sports, Page B8. Hilltop Times April14, 1989 V : k i & X h ! , ' - 'fp' ! u - : y : . - - - - f y V, "If U.S. Air Force Photo by Gary Hatch Two men and a baby Sgt.Troy Fernandes, right, and his father, Frank, enjoy a moment with baby Gregory, a fifth generation citizen of Hill AFB. (DQ'?eD,DiQ8 Li jd; Lnjuuu by Gary Hatch Hilltop Times staff writer Gregory Ryan Fernandes' birth March 14 added one more strand to the family ties that bind him to Hill AFB. The baby's heritage intertwines Hill's own, nearly back to the conception of the base. Greg, a scant month old, is a citizen of Hill, and can trace his family history back to his great, great grandfather, Thomas Williams, an army veteran, who began working as a firefighter at Hill right after World War II. What's more, young Gregory is the second generation born at U.S. Air Force Hospital, Hill. The baby's father, Sgt. Troy Ferv nandes, now an accountant in the 729th Tactical Control Squadron, fifth-generati- Pins Base workers keep up good work on juuugj was born at Hill 23 years ago, the son of Air Force mechanic Frank Fernandes and Helen, his bride of the year before. In 1964, Mr. Fernandes, a new airman fresh out of aircraft main- tenance school in Amarillo, Texas, bummed a ride from a Hill AFB driver who was heading back to the base from the Salt Lake City airport. "You married?" the driver asked. old San "No," replied the Leandro, Calif., native. "You will be, before you leave here," the driver joked. Two years later, Mr. Fernandes had a wife and newborn Troy. The driver of that car came off looking like a prophet. "I've never heard that before," said Sergeant Fernandes, after his father recounted the story in the living room of the sergeant's Lay ton, 19-ye- ar , 15) Is) a law Pay Liberty Bell to be given Utah, apartment. By the way, that driver's clairvoyance held true to the second my grandfather was here, different ones from the Vietnam war that my dad worked on, and now the F-- l 6s," Sergeant Fernandes said. generation. Mr. Fernandes, now an aircraft was in married Fernandes Sergeant for a national airline, visitmechanic a over Salt Lake City a little year ago, after arriving at Hill a bachelor. ed the base- last week after 21 years' absence. Like father, like son. Six months after Troy's birth, Mr.. The sergeant's mother, formerly Helen Williams of what now would be Fernandes was sent to Vietnam. AfRoy, had strong ties to the base be- ter his tour, he separated from the fore she ever met Frank. Her father, service and moved his young family William, retired as an armament back to San Leandro. Although he's been back to the specialist in 1975. His father was area to visit family, he hadn't been Thomas. Two of Helen's brothers work at on base until last week. Hill. James Williams Jr. is an air mu"Everything's changed," Mr. Fernitions worker and John Williams is nandes said. "I went to'parts of the base I'd a sheet metal technician. Ferseen before," said the eldest never offered Sergeant "Heritage," nandes when asked what this all surviving family member with a Hill connection. means. Mr. Fernandes agrees with his son. "You talk about heritage. This is The base has had a tremendous imit," he said. "One of the most remarkable pact on their lives. "I was 19 when I came here. It was things is when we go to the Hill Museum. It's like every plane the first time I had ever really been represents a generation of my family. away from home. I got married and "There are the big bombers from started a family here. Hill had a pretWorld War II that were here when ty big impact on my life, and coming my great grandfather was here, here brings it all back," Mr. Ferplanes from the Korean War when nandes said. ' . -- Births Heirforce is sworn in, J |