Recalling part of PI’s military past
We are quickly approaching the season of huge meals and celebrations. Columbus Day and Halloween claim October and most people look at November as the “Thanksgiving” month.
A lot of people often drive the streets of our cities on November 11th and see the flags posted at intervals along our main streets and wonder, “What are they doing there?” The answer is a simple one. November 11th is Veterans Day — a day we celebrate the freedoms we have and give honor to the veterans who fought so gallantly to give and keep those freedoms.
Here in Presque Isle, most people drive onto the Skyway Industrial Park, not knowing that it was once a bustling community all by itself. It was an impressive base of massive proportions that was the habitat of thousands of United States Army Air Force flyers and support personnel. Lately we have seen numerous historic aircraft come to our airport to show what they were all about beginning with the P-38 “Glacier Girl” and her flight mate the P-51 Miss Velma. The next historic flight into Presque Isle was the C-47 “Whiskey Seven”. This was a WWII transport aircraft that had participated in the Normandy Invasion by dropping U.S. Paratroopers behind enemy lines.
Personally, I am not affiliated with the “base” as some people knew it. I am, however, related to a man who was stationed at what was known as Presque Isle Air Force Base from 1953 until the summer of 1957. That man was my natural Dad Sgt. Harry W. Shook. PIAFB was his first duty station after his schooling in the job of jet engine mechanics. At this time the Air Force had a fighter plane in their inventory called the Scorpion. This was designated as the F-89-D and my Dad told me that it was the Cadillac of fighter planes at the time.
While at PIAFB my father spent many tours of duty on assignment to Goose Bay Labrador when his squadron was moved there to test the use of the planes in sub-zero temperatures. He also taught cold weather survival while stationed in Presque Isle. He and a new group of pilots and some support team members would be taken the the Squa Pan area, dropped off and spent two weeks in the wild learning to survive in the event of a bailout in Arctic conditions.
When the Air Force transitioned from the F-89 to the F-102, Dad was reassigned to another base in Florida for retraining in that aircraft.
When we were together and talked about it, Dad always had good words to say about his time here in northern Maine. His only complaint was the mosquitos, which he called nature’s fighter aces.
Dad passed away in 2008 but he left me with a tremendous pride, not only for him but for all the men and women who served in the Air Force and in particular, at Presque Isle Air Force Base.
To those people who are still with us, I salute you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing the outstanding jobs you did for me, our city, our state and our nation. To those of you who had loved ones who were stationed here, I sincerely hope that you recognize the scope of your loved one’s duty for you.
Happy Veterans Day to those who served at any time in any branch of service. Your time was not in vain!
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.
