P-38 Christmas Party

Former P-38 Association President, Ron Smith, and his wife Marilyn were gracious enough to open their home once again for our annual holiday party.

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We had a great turnout (with several P-38 pilots and crew, including our Honorary Chairman and P-38 pilot, Dick Willsie) and this time they kicked it up a notch by having some Christmas carolers there.  They did a beautiful rendition of some Christmas songs and did their best to give us an abbreviated version of “Wild Blue Yonder.”

P-38 Board Member Howard Ramshorn gave a nice presentation about the in-progress diorama he and Lowell Stacy are building of the Dick Willsie/Dick Andrews Romanian rescue story.  The beautiful artwork was done by our Chaplain and Former President, Stan Jones, who is also working on the project with Howie & Lowell.

They had a “wackiest Christmas necktie” contest, with a tie (no pun) between P-38 pilot Bob Carlton and yours truly — who both won a nice gift card to “In and Out Burger” – a Southern California favorite.  It was a fun, fun time!

Here are a few photos:

P-38 Pilots Bob Waggoner, Joe Onesty and Bob Carlton

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Carolers

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P-38 Veterans: Back Row, L to R: Bob Carlton, Al Campbell, and Joe Onesty; Front Row, L to R: Lynn Shubert, Dan Potts, Dick Willsie and Bob Waggoner

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Willsie-Andrews Diorama Presentation by Howie Ramshorn

 

Ron & Marilyn Smith

If you’d like to view the whole photo album, you can do so here.

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Unfortunately, neither President Bob Alvis nor VP Dayle DeBry were able to attend the party due to their commitment to the annual “Wreaths Across America” program, which is hosted each year by the Friends of the Lancaster Cemetery. The group gathers every December to remember and honor our veterans through this wreath-laying ceremony.

Bob Alvis and the Civil Air Patrol Cadets at Joe Walker Middle School

Both Bob and Dayle are deeply committed to this annual program.  Here are a couple of quotes from the article in Aerotech News:

“By placing a wreath on a veteran’s grave we honor and remember them today and throughout the year,” said Dayle DeBry, Lancaster Cemetery district manager.  “Every year we get bigger and bigger,” said Alvis. “It’s like no other ceremony you’ll ever be at.”  READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

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Last Cube Donated to Lockheed Employee

Lockheed Presentation

Shan Cooper and Sherm Martin

We recently received a request from Chris Martin, whose father (Sherm Martin, currently age 94) worked in management for Lockheed from 1939 to 1986 for one of the P-38 acrylic cubes we had available for sale for a short time.  Sherm is still active in the local Lockheed Management Retirees Association, and they were having a special guest speaker for their upcoming meeting and wanted to present her with something more unique than the standard Lockheed coffee mug as a thank-you gift.

Could we possibly come up with one of these acrylic cubes to present to Ms. Shan Cooper, VP & General Manger of Lockheed-Marietta?  Unfortunately, the cubes had quickly sold out and the supplier had folded so we weren’t able to help him out…

That is until P-38 Association President Bob Alvis decided to step up and donate his P-38 acrylic cube to the cause.  Dayle DeBry, our VP and Public Relations Director, made sure the cube got into Chris’ hands in time for the Lockheed Retirees’ event on 18 Oct 11.  According to Chris “She gave one of the best talks the association has ever had and, accordingly, received the best gift-ever!”

Thanks to Bob and Dayle for making this happen.