William Allyn Shook graduated from high school in Tucson, Ariz., in the summer of 1975. In January of 1976 he opted for a whole new life that took him on one of the grandest adventures of his young life, that of a member of the United States Air Force.
On Jan. 12, 1976, William entered the service at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the 3710th Basic Military Training Squadron and said “Hello, boot camp.” For just over six weeks he trained in basic Air Force life, military tradition and customs. He learned basic airmanship that would later help him in his military career. One of the main themes of basic training is not so much to break one’s will, but to teach one how to work on a team; when called to combat, sometimes seconds count and it is essential to act accordingly. A second theme of basic is to learn to follow orders to the letter without question, as it just may save your life or that of a comrade.
After basic training, William went on to Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Ill., and the USAF Minuteman ICBM Technical School, where even to this day the training he had in the field is still classified top secret. Upon completion of this school he was then attached to the Strategic Air Command, 341st Strategic Missile Wing, 341st Field Missile Maintenance Squadron, Vehicle and Equipment Control Branch at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Mont., in the summer of 1976. He moved to the mechanical shop in 1978, and in 1980, he was promoted to Missile Maintenance Team Chief in the 341st Organizational Missile Maintenance Squadron, a position he held until May 1983.
Due to the downsizing of the ICBM Fleet, William was then given the opportunity to change his career field in the Air Force. He then attended the Engineering Assistant Specialist Technical School with an emphasis on drafting and surveying at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. Upon completion of this school, he transferred back to Malmstrom AFB as a member of the 341st Combat Support Group, 341st Civil Engineering Squadron, Drafting and Surveying Shop as a draftsman until leaving the Air Force in October 1985.
Some would wonder, “What makes this person an unsung hero?” In every military job there is, there is a team of men and women who work behind the scenes, whom no one ever sees. If Chuck Yeager hadn’t had a ground crew on his aircraft, would he have ever made it to be the fastest man alive? Or if the shuttle program hadn’t had the men and women working in the background, would the shuttle ever have left the gantry in launch? For every hero, there will be unsung heroes we will never meet, who work long, hard hours to keep the mission on time and to keep the various airmen, sailors, soldiers and Marines safe.
William is currently living in Phoenix with his wife Matilda. He is retired from a long career in law enforcement and security. The other thing that makes William special is he was born at Loring Air Force Base in 1957 when his dad, Harry W. Shook, was stationed at Presque Isle Air Force Base in the early to mid 1950s.
Part 2 of this series will come in the fall.
As an aside, I would like to thank Mark Putnam [former Aroostook Republican editor] for giving me the opportunity to write these stories and “remember when.” In a future article I will tell why I began writing and sharing with you, the people who in some ways helped make the memories what they are.
Guy Woodworth of Presque Isle is a 1973 graduate of Presque Isle High School and a four-year Navy veteran. He and his wife Theresa have two grown sons and five grandchildren. He may be contacted at lightning117_1999@yahoo.com.
