The 50th Anniversary Celebration of the beginning of

May 1966 to May 1969 Korat RTAFB, Thailand

Itinerary

Wed – 21 September Arrival & Check in at: Ben Lomond Suites 2410 Washington Blvd Ogden, UT 84401 855 213-0582 For those of you flying into the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), you may arrange transportation from the airport to Ben Lomond Suites with onsite shuttle and ground transportation companies located in the baggage claim areas of both Terminal One and Terminal Two. In addition, companies providing transportation are available outside Door #7 in Terminal One and Door #11 in Terminal Two. Also, the airport offers a variety of rental car providers and convenient access to rental car services. Rental car counters are located on the ground floor of the parking garage, directly across

from the terminal buildings. For assistance, contact the airport ground transportation desks at (801) 575-2310 or (801) 575-2312. Visit the Salt Lake City International Airport website, www.slcairport.com, for a listing of shuttle and rental car services. For those of you arriving by way of personal vehicle, complementary parking is available at the hotel. Check-in time is after 4:00 PM. Once you have checked in and are settled in your room, come to our 34th TFS Hospitality Room to register and pick up your welcome bags and name tags. Should you arrive prior to check-in time, come directly to our hospitality room. “34th TFS” signs will be posted to direct you to the room, however, if your gyros tumble and you get spatially disoriented, go to the front desk for directions. Beverages and snacks will be available. Wednesday afternoon and evening will be free time. A list of restaurants and shops within walking distance of the hotel will be available in our Hospitality Room. During the week, our Hospitality Room will be open from 8:00 AM until 11:00 PM each day but closed when we are on tour.

Thu – 22 September

8:30 AM – We will muster in the hotel lobby and shortly thereafter, 8:40 AM, board our bus for the drive to Ogden’s Union Station which is located on the East end of Historic 25th Street, just three blocks from Ben Lomond Suites. At Union Station, we will have a guided tour of the four museums: the Utah State Railroad Museum; the John M. Browning Firearms Museum; the Browning – Kimball Classic Car Museum; and the Utah State Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Following our tour, you will have the opportunity to view art works by Utah artists at two galleries, the Gallery at the Station and the Myra Powell Gallery.

OGDEN’S UNION STATION For about 100 years, from the 1880s to 1970s, Ogden was in its heyday as the connection for five major railroads between Sacramento, Omaha and all major Western settlements. Railroads then were wealthy, and all that wealth was portrayed in the design and architecture of Union Station. This lovely Italian Renaissance architectural gem is an anchor for Ogden’s downtown area. Inside, the 54-foot high Grand Lobby hosts original red and white slate floors, ornately and intricately tiled fountains and Edward Laning murals depicting the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Outside, the façade features gargoyles, oak leaves, eagles and flowers all delicately fashioned in sandstone, glass mosaics, and exotic brick work. Archways, wrought iron lattices and transoms, leaded glass windows and more add to the grandeur of this historic structure.

The original station, built in 1889, was destroyed in a fire in 1923; the current station was rebuilt on the original foundation the following year in 1924. In the early 1970s, major renovations took place to restore this grand building through which many government dignitaries, Hollywood icons, wartime heroes, and everyday travelers have passed. Today museums, galleries, a restaurant, and gift boutique make Ogden’s Union Station certainly worth a visit. For over 90 years Ogden’s Union Station had been the heart of downtown Ogden and Historic 25th Street. The Union Station Foundation operates the historic train depot that houses four museums and two art galleries with a mission to preserve and enhance the Ogden Union Station and its collection and to promote and protect the heritage of Utah and the American West. Visitors to the Utah State Railroad Museum are treated to a variety of interactive and pictorial displays and artifacts illustrating the construction of the transcontinental railroad. As visitors enter the Railroad Museum they pass under timbers used to construct the historic Lucin Cutoff across the Great Salt Lake. In the museum theater you will enjoy a movie about the Big Boy Locomotives that ran from Ogden to Cheyenne. In March 2011 the museum unveiled its newest exhibit of the original Golden Spike Safe and Utah’s Centennial Gold Spike. On display are the kings of the Wasatch Mountains locomotives that were designed to pull large trains over steep Western terrain. The “833” is one of the last remaining Union Pacific Northerns. This 4-8-4 represents the power of steam. As technology progressed, trains were pulled by jet turbine engine such as the X-26 on display. Also featured are a restored Red Cross Hospital Car, Railroad Post Office Car and the 2002 Olympic Winter Games Cauldron Car. The Hospital Car and RPO Car are opened by request in the gift shop or lobby. Within the Utah State Railroad Museum is the Wattis-Dumke Model Railroad Exhibit. Envisioned and built to celebrate the great engineering feat that is the Transcontinental Railroad, all ages enjoy exploring this delightful and realistic scale model of trains rolling through stunning points along the transcontinental railroad. Visitors to the exhibit begin their “journey” east of the Central Pacific Railroad at Cape Horn, fifty-seven miles east of Sacramento, California and will observe such features as the American Gorge, the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, which posed the most challenging obstacle for the Central Pacific Railroad’s engineers and workers, the Summit Tunnel, located 7,000 feet above sea level, the Humboldt Palisades in northern Nevada that proceed on into Utah crossing the Great Salt Lake via the Lucin Cutoff, and the small town of Palisade, a stop on the Central Pacific Railroad.

The Browning Firearms Museum celebrates the genius of John M. Browning, inventor of many sporting and military firearms. Displays feature original prototypes designed in Ogden, Utah by Browning, along with models manufactured by Winchester, Remington, and Colt. The collection includes the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), mainstay of the US Army for 80 years. The museum also features the work of Jonathan, Val A., and Bruce B. Browning. John M.’s father, son and grandson representing four generations of Browning inventors. An innovative exhibit of miniature guns depicting the development of firearms is also on display. In 1971 Matt and Barbara Browning started their Browning – Kimball Classic Car Museum collection with the 1930 Packard Model 733 Standard Eight Dual Cowl Phaeton. As a result of their shared interest in old cars they had an enthusiastic and meticulous quest for rare and pristine original automobiles, resulting in one of the finest collection of prewar Brass American classics assembled in recent history. Their keen interest in people and those who enjoyed their cars led to their participation in car tours and resulted in a legacy of great memories and good friends. Together in 1981 Matt and Barbara dedicated the Browning-Kimball antique car museum at Ogden’s Historic Union Station where the exhibit was continually freshened with new and exciting motor cars from their personal collection. After Matt and Barbara passed away, 1996 & 1999, nine of their collection was donated to Ogden City to be on display here at the museum. They include an exceptional display of fine automobiles. These cars are used in the annual Pioneer Day Parade, July 24th, and other special events. Also on display are two cars donated to the museum, a 1937 Packard 115c business coupe from Max Kennedy of Layton Utah, and a 1929 Durant two door sedan from station volunteers Ed and Louise Cooper. Other items of interest includes two antique gas station pumps, a collection of Dansbury and Franklin mint scale model cars and fire engines, and a collection of Utah license plates dating from 1915 through the 1970’s. Award Trophies’ from various car shows, including Concourse D’ Elegance at Pebble Beach, are also exhibited. The automobiles on display are examples of the Golden Age of motorcar history. Vehicles range from a 1901 single cylinder Oldsmobile to a 1930 16 cylinder Cadillac. Running boards, huge fenders, oversize matchlit headlights and rumble seats are reminders of an extravagant era. The mission of the Utah Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is to honor the cowboy, along with those men and women whose lives exemplify the independence, resilience and creativeness of the people who settled Utah and continue to champion the Western way of life. The museum honors artists, champions, entertainers, musicians, ranchers, writers and those persons past and present, who have promoted the western life style.

11:00 AM – Following our tour of the museums and art galleries, we will gather at the Union Grill for our noon meal (On your own).

The Union Grill, located in the once bustling Union Station, presents a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. Here you can enjoy cuisine twists like spicy buffalo cauliflower “wings”, a smothered sausage sub, key lime cake, and much more.

12:15 PM – Following our meal, we will board our bus, departing at 12:30 for a one hour trip to the Golden Spike Historical Site.

The Golden Spike National Historic Site encompasses 2,735 acres and receives nearly 50,000 visitors annually. It was authorized as a National Historic Site on April 2, 1957 under non-federal ownership. By an act of Congress on July 30, 1965, it was authorized for federal ownership and administration. This historic site, located in a remote valley on the north end of the Great Salt Lake, preserves 2,735 acres of land surrounding a 15 mile stretch of the original Transcontinental Railroad. During the 1860’s the United States Congress ordered that a railroad be built across the nation in an effort to connect the sparsely populated western half of the nation with more established areas in the East. The connection would help build the economy, shorten travel times, and help the military control resistance by the native tribes. Two companies sprang forth to make this happen, Central Pacific Railroad (CPR) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPR). CPR would build a railway east starting at the city of Sacramento. Beginning in Omaha, Nebraska UPR would lay its line heading west. The last spike to join the two was driven by Leland Stanford, the President of Southern Pacific Railroad, at Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10th, 1869. The spot where the last spike was driven is located within a hundred yards of the Visitor Center and is commemorated by a polished wooden tie with a plaque placed just inches from where the 1869 ceremony was held. In 1978, a general master plan for the site was adopted with the goal of maintaining the site's scenic attributes as closely as possible to its appearance and characteristics in 1869. In 2006, a petition to the Board on Geographic Names resulted in a name change for Chinaman’s Arch, a 20-foot limestone arch at Golden Spike NHS. Named Chinaman's Arch in honor of the 19th century Chinese railroad workers, the arch has now been officially renamed as the Chinese Arch to mollify sensitivities about the original name (which remains a common usage). Today a short section of line has been rebuilt and holds a at the meeting spot. Just behind the visitor’s center you can wander the tracks and see numerous relics they have on display.

3:50 PM – We will board our bus for the one hour trip back to the Ben Lomond Suites arriving around 5:00 PM. The rest of the afternoon will be free time. A list of “close by” restaurants will be available in our Hospitality Room.

Fri – 23 September

8:20 AM – We will muster in the hotel lobby and board our bus at 8:30 AM for the drive to the Hill Aerospace Museum which is located in the northwest corner of Hill Air Force Base, about five miles south of Ogden. The museum was founded in 1982 as a part of the United States Air Force Heritage Program and first opened to the public in 1987. It moved to its current facility in 1991, and annually welcomes around 160,000 visitors, coming from every state and from many foreign countries. The Museum exhibits more than 90 military aircraft, including F-105D 59-0743 which many of us either flew or flew in formation with, missiles, and aerospace vehicles on the grounds and inside the Major General Rex A. Hadley Gallery and the Lindquist Stewart Fighter Gallery. The collection also includes a wide variety of ordnance and munitions, an assortment of aerospace ground equipment, military vehicles, uniforms, and thousands of other historical artifacts. The museum is open from 9 AM – 4:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is FREE, but monetary donations are gratefully accepted. The museum is handicapped-accessible and there are public restrooms available. There are also tables and benches throughout the grounds for your comfort, as well as seating throughout the indoor exhibit areas. No food or drink is allowed inside any of the museum buildings.

11:40 AM – We will board the bus for a short trip to the Aroy-D Thai Cuisine Restaurant for some authentic Thai food and some Singha beer. Meal will be “on your own”.

From Raphassa “Wan”, owner of Aroy-D: I opened this restaurant with the idea of sharing my country’s wonderful and flavorful dishes with my new friends in Northern Utah. Before moving to Utah I had been working with Thailand’s Department of Agriculture for 18 years, teaching farmers about growing rice and other crops. I also owned a restaurant in Thailand and bring that knowledge and experience here when preparing the food. I feel Thai food is unique, in that, the climate allows many wonderful spices and herbs to grow thus giving us the opportunity to make our dishes flavorful. I want you to taste and enjoy the dishes we have prepared for you. All of us have enjoyed preparing it and serving it to you. It brings us great satisfaction when we know you have enjoyed your experience here at Aroy-D Thai Cuisine.

Visit their website, www.aroy-d.net, for a look at their menu.

1:30 PM – We will board the bus for a return trip to Hill AFB where we will be the guests of the 34th Fighter Squadron.

34th Fighter Squadron From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from 34 FS)

The 34th was activated at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina on 15 October 1944, flying the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The squadron served in the final stages of World War II, seeing combat operations in the Western Pacific from May 1945 to August 1946, while it was stationed in the Ryukyu Islands, first on Ie Shima and later on Okinawa. The 34th FS was inactivated on 15 October 1946, following the war, and was redesignated the 34th Fighter-Day Squadron prior to its reactivation in November 1954, at George Air Force Base, California. It was part of the 413th Fighter-Day Group and was equipped with the North American F-86 Sabre. The 34th transitioned into the F-100 Super Sabre in 1956, which it flew until 1959 when it was again inactivated. On 2 May 1966, the 34th was again activated as the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) and assigned to Pacific Air Forces. The squadron was part of the 41st Air Division at Yokota Air Base, Japan. One month later, the 34th deployed and was attached to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. The unit was equipped with the Republic F-105D Thunderchief and conducted combat operations from May 1966 until May 1969 (The Thud Era), when it transitioned into the McDonnell F-4E Phantom II and continued combat operations in Southeast Asia. The Rams participated in Operation Prize Bull on 21 September 1971. This was the first time U.S. forces bombed North Vietnam using all-weather capability. The 34th TFS performed strike missions in support of a recovery operation for the SS Mayagüez, a merchant freighter captured by Cambodian Khmer Rouge guerrillas in May 1975. On 23 December 1975, the 34th TFS, as part of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, was relocated to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, still flying the F-4E Phantom II. In November 1979, the 34th TFS became the first fighter squadron to be fully equipped with the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. For the next several years, the squadron conducted initial qualification training for pilots from around the world, including those from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel, and Norway. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the 34th found themselves backing up the front-line forces of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) in Southwest Asia for Operation Desert Storm. The squadron flew their desert missions at Torrejon Air Base, Spain. After the Gulf War, the 34th deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch. Between 1991 and 1996, the 34th (Redesignated the 34th Fighter Squadron) deployed to Southwest Asia a total of

five times. Several members of the 34th FS were injured on 25 June 1996 when the Khobar Towers housing compound was attacked. During December 1998, the 34th flew combat missions as part of Operation Desert Fox, a punitive operation aimed to make Iraq comply with United Nations sanctions. In June 2000, the 34th was the first active duty squadron deployed to Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles in support of Operation Coronet Nighthawk, flying drug interdiction missions in Latin America. The 34th flew F-16s combat air patrol sorties in support of Operation Noble Eagle during the 2002 Winter Olympics. In February 2003 the 34th supported Operation Noble Eagle from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia by patrolling the skies over Washington, D.C., during the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They flew in support of Operation Noble Eagle again in October 2009 from Hill. The 34th were deployed to Balad AB and flew combat air patrols over the skies of Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from May to October 2008. They were also deployed to Bagram Air Base from January to June 2010 to fly combat air support missions in support of the NATO ISAF in Afghanistan. The 34th was inactivated on 16 July 2010 due to military restructuring designed to save money by retiring aircraft from the active inventory. The 34th was activated on 17 July 2015 and is the first combat squadron of the 388th Fighter Wing (and the first in the Air Force) to receive the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. The squadron received its first F-35 on 2 September 2015. Based on the predicted delivery rate for its new planes, it should reach Initial Operational Capability in August 2016.

4:00 PM – We board our bus and depart at 4:10 PM for our short trip back to the Ben Lomond Suites arriving around 4:30 PM. The rest of the day will be free until we start gathering for our reunion banquet at 6:30 PM in the Chrystal Ballroom.

6:30 PM – Our 2016 Reunion Banquet will be in the Chrystal Ballroom. A “Cash Bar” will open at 6:30 PM and our banquet dinner will begin at 7:00 PM. Our sit-down Banquet Dinner will include two entrées, Salmon with choice of sauce and Thick Stuffed Pork Chops, a choice of Potatoes or Rice, choice of a Vegetable, a Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing, Rolls & Butter, and Pie for dessert. Beverages include: Ice Water and a Full Coffee and Tea Service with Sugar and Flavored Creamers. Please indicate on the Reunion Registration Form which entree you desire. Dress will be casual.

Sat – 24 September

Departure

After breakfast, at 9:00 AM, an informal meeting will be held in our Hospitality Room to, among other things, discuss our 2019 Reunion in Ogden UT – Hill AFB celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the conclusion of The Thud Era, quite possibly our final reunion.

Thank you for attending! Have a safe trip home