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January 2001 "...I thoroughly enjoy the montages you are creating in documenting
some of the twin bases' history. So I asked this question... "...may ask if you are the person after whom Wacker Field and subsequently Wacker Field Road were named?"To which I received this little gem of a story in response... Yes, I was that Wacker. I still can recall the occasion. It was a big surprise which was announced at my going-away party (some undoubtedly would have considered it a celebration) during the first week of August 1979. The senior staff, undoubtedly whipped along by my executive officer, secretly had completed all the paperwork and received official approval from all the proper functionaries in the UK and US. I recall taking umbrage at this staff exercise, since I considered that one must be expired before being recognized in that way - and of course I was very much alive. Although very rarely ever being wrong about anything, I none-the-less ate crow. And was very proud of the honor. To think that Wacker Field survives to this day is mind boggling! Here's the proof: I have taken the liberty of copying this note to Lt
Col Park Sims who was that Executive Officer - and after retirement
settled not far from you in the UK. He served several more Wing
Commanders as the Exec after I departed. He's a wonderful fellow, smart
as a whip, with a delightful family and plenty of Bentwaters/Woodbridge
lore he might be willing to share. P.S. What was done with all those concrete aircraft shelters we built on and between the two bases (some in Rendlesham forest)? So I took some pictures... Remember the main road that passed between the domestic and tech sides, going towards Tunstall? Just before you turn left to the Domestic Site BX, on the right was a small road that led straight down towards the taxiway. Before reaching the perimeter fence, there was a left turn which went to a "command building" in among the trees. Go PAST that left-turn into the command buildings and straight to the end of the road, and you are standing at the perimeter fence, looking roughly east. All pictures below were taken from there (see map below, the orange arrow shows the spot from which the pictures were taken).
1 2 and 3 are virtually a panorama from left to right, 1 and 2 include the blurred chain-link fence in the bottom left. If you print them and lay them down, you can see the progression. 1 and 2 feature the newer 'barns.' Picture 2 zoomed in a bit on the barns. Picture 3 features the Weapons Storage Area. The piles of earth in the foreground are the remains of the taxiway having recently been removed. Picture 4 shows the work going on to remove the taxiway as it swings left toward the main runway, and remove approximately the first 1000' of runway. ...all of which prompted Lori Rehfeldt to send me a great story about The Gloves... |
