A Letter Of Complaint & Luke Air Force Base's Responce

[Clint]

I thought I would share this with all of you. RIP, Capt. Jeremy Fresques.

> Wake up call from Luke Air Force Base, AZ
>
> Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by
> civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its
> planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were.
>
> A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the
> back.
> Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the
> local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/h er
> day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB
> officer, it must have stung quite a bit.
>
> The complaint:
> "Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the
> morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight
> formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall,
> continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our
> good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up
> call,
> or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird
> special? Any response would be appreciated."
>
> The response:
> Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday): On
> June
> 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship flyby of F-16s
> from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the
> grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques.
>
> Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at
> Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At
> 9
> a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial
> Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.
>
> Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the
> jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of
> taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave
> them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States
> and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the
> sacrifices they have endured. A four-ship flyby is a display of respect
> the Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom.
> We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June
> 15
> what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay
> their ultimate respects.
>
> The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?" T
> he
> 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the
> widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was
> in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of
> their
> lives.
>
> Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
> CO 63rd Fighter Squadron
> Luke AFB

[GoDirectly2Jail]

Snopes has the story on this, which can be read HERE, including the original complainer's apology, once he found out what it was all about. It was interesting to read that the complainer is himself a Vietnam veteran.

[Cris1102]

**applauds for Lt. Col. Scott Pleus**

[Valor55]

It's not just a four ship fly by. It's called the "Missing Man Formation." There's an empty spot in the formation signifying the missing comrade. The Snopes link has a good picture of one. There's no way you can look at that, know what it is, and not at least get a lump in your throat. I give the complainer credit for apologizing when he discovered what it was about.

[Cat_Doc]

This was a very big deal here when it occurred. The complainer did the right thing or would have faced the nearest tree once he became identified.

I did not understand the complaint in the first place.

US military aircraft flying over, to me, is the sound of freedom. They can shake my windows anytime they want. I will rush out and try to salute them.

I lived in Chandler, near Williams AFB in the early 60's when it was a common occurrence to hear sonic booms that rattled the china. It was the sound of security...big brother was there watching over us.