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Show Hilltop U. AIR FOlt*II_Fl ¥ " Hill AFB, Utah 84056-5824 www.hilltoptimes.com S Weekly Since 1948 hilltoptimes@standard.net Vol. 71 No. 37, Sept. 15, 2011 1 111111.1rin To always remember, never forget and move forward VERA/VSIP effective date now Dec. 31 The effective date for the VERA/VSIP initiative has been changed from Oct. 31 to Dec. 31. That means the mandatory retirement date will go into effect on Dec. 31, 2011, instead of Oct. 31, 2011. The application window closes Friday, Sept. 16, at midnight. Applications will be accepted at the VERA/VSIP interactive website at https:// wbhill03.hill.afmc.ds.af mil/vera vsip/. M BY MARY Lou CORNY Hilltop Times Editor S ANDY, Utah 4 Soon after 9/11, three firefighters at ground zero borrowed a flag from a yacht nearby in the harbor and mounted it to a pole to the remnants of the World Trade Center as a remembrance of those firefighters who ran into the towers and who subsequently lost their lives. Nearly a decade later to the day in Utah, a statue was unveiled, as state and local military leaders, congressmen and representatives of the community noted the solemnity of the occasion, the hope that rose from the ashes and the resiliency of the nation. The statue, "Rising Hope," is a reproduction of a photo taken by Thomas E. Franklin, photographer for The Record, a New Jersey newspaper, of that occasion a decade ago. Nearby was a field of flags, nearly 3,000, with the names of each of the victims of 9/11 attached to each one, waving in the breeze, as a Healing Field. The sculptor, Stan Watts, who recreated the moment in bronze of the three firefighters looking up at the Stars and Stripes, spoke at the ceremony, saying, "We'll have a flag permanently raised in honor . Celebrate 64th Air Force birthday Come celebrate the Air Force's 64th birthday at Club Hill, Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m. There will be a cake cutting, followed by refreshments and hors d'oeuvres. Everyone is invited. Warrior Call talk on Sept. 23 Alan Gibson, OO-ALC/ GHAK, will speak Sept. 23 at Club Hill at 4 p.m. on the topic of deploying civilians on a military billet, "One year in the AFCENT AOR." Warrior Call is open to all Team Hill military and civilians. Dress is uniform of the day. Come early, get your beverage and experience the patriotic service of one of Team Hill warriors. Lane reductions near South Gate There will be lane reductions: Southgate Drive, north- and southbound lanes from State Highway 193 intersection to 6th Street on Saturday, Sept. 17, weather permitting. If there is a need to reschedule the alternate date proposed is Sept. 24. Resurfacing and striping several sections of the roadway will be done on a Saturday to minimize interruptions to motorists entering the installation through the South Gate. Drivers are advised to avoid the South Gate if possible during this timeframe. Flaggers will be directing traffic and lanes will be switched periodically but remain open with some delays possible. Please be patient and remain alert while traveling through the construction zone. Questions concerning construction should be directed to Stephen Hunt, 777-5731. Job Fair at Club Hill Sept. 21, 9 a.m. There will be a job fair sponsored by the Airman and Family Readiness Center at Club Hill on Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will include employers from the local community as well as Civilian Personnel. See HOPE I page 5 KIM COOK/U.S. Air Force Above, Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch, Ogden Air Logistics commander, speaks Sept. 10 at a ceremony and unveiling in Sandy of "Hope Rising," the largest such depiction to date of the three firefighters who raised a flag at ground zero in commemoration of those who had lost their lives after 9/11. At left, the statue with a flag to be displayed in perpetuity in remembrance sits near Sandy City Hall. Stan Watts, sculptor, and Paul Swenson, of the Colonial Flag Foundation, joined forces for the project. A Healing Field of 3,000 flags with attached name tags bore witness to each whose life was taken as a result of 9/11 and gave onlookers a chance to pause and reflect. "They treated us like heroes when we got home. They opened up the tail of the C-141 and there was this big crowd of people and I'm starting to get stage fright. They said, 'We want to introduce you as you get off the airplane so everybody line up and get in the order you were shot down." — JAY HESS, retired Air Force pilot and former prisoner of war about his flight to freedom from Vietnam A chance to . revisit our nation's past BY MARY Lou GORNY Hilltop Times editor T he Vietnam War is one of those chapters in history often characterized in black and white, stark images and even more contrasting emotions for those old enough to remember it. The Hill Aerospace Museum is in the process of putting together an exhibition of facts and stories about the conflict to broaden the scope of its visitors and to help educate those too young to remember Vietnam. Nathan Myers, curator for the museum, explained: "What we are trying to bring is an understanding of the number of individuals and families who were affected and a grander scope of what the war and the conflict actually entailed. We want to tell their stories." Along with story boards, videos and actual vintage STAFF SGT. TIMOTHY CHACON/U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jay Hess served in the Air Force from 1953 to 1973 as a pilot and a prisoner of war. He is shown here in a mock POW cell in a portrait put on display at the Pentagon. aircraft already on display in the museum, a survivor," Myers said. "We are actively pursureproduction of a POW holding cell from North ing draft cards, letters, pictures and personal Vietnam is nearing final completion. "We will be displaying a uniform worn by a POW camp See VIETNAM I page 3 Look inside this week's Hilltop Times for • • • Base Theater Free Movies Saturday, noon – "Kung Fu Panda 2" (PG) Saturday, 3 p.m. – "Judy Moody and The Not Bummer Summer" (PG) Saturday, 6 p.m. – "Bridesmaids" (R) BORTA Exercise See photos from mock F-16 crash See page 11 CFC gets moving Fun Run raises funds See Page 4 Who got the 9/11 retreat? Find out who got the honor See page 9 |