I was SP5 J.B. Ketring stationed at Fort Wolters to the 1st WOC company and I was sent to the roof of our building to try and flip the braker on the air conditioning. I watched the TH 55 helicopters flying by them self. I went back down to tell my 1st Sargent Victor Hart what was going on. We went out to the flight line to see the mess. I picked up a damaged tail rooter. I live in Surprise Az and still have the tail rooter hanging in my garage. I also have a framed picture of a H23. Was shipped out to Viet Nam in Jan 1968 and never got to go back to see the Fort. I do remember we had a big rock painted red with the name 1st WOC company on it. The lady that worked in the office was Marylin Black. My CO's were Major Russell J. Folta and Major Myrian Squiers
Dave Carson
11-Oct-2015 18:07
I remember this storm. Tree in our back yard on post was almost torn out of the ground.
Arne Anderson
27-Jun-2015 04:33
As an army brat, Iremember this storm that went through MW. We lived at Johnson's Trailver Park and we were scared being in a trailer when that storm came through. The trailer shook on its blocks. Does any one remember when the UH-1D landed in the swamp area adjacent to Lamar Elementary school and two yellow army jeeps that got stuck trying to get the helicopter out? How about the natural gas explosion that rocked the town? I use to mow lawns in the summer months at the trailer park and did I make money, a dollar a yard, eleven to twelve lawns a day. I purchased a mini-bike from JC Penny's in Weatherford and rode the wheels off it. I remember the terrible mid air helicopter crash behind the Holiday Inn. My father was assigned to Criminal Investigative Division and worked at the MP station across from the Commissary. He would bring the government unmarked car home every night and take the family riding around Palo Pinto county, no AM radio, no air conditioner, but it had a police radio we use to listen to. Lloyd and Margie Johnson, who owned the trailer park were great people and were really friendly.. I remember when the trailer park only went to the first turn and then expanded the full length of the old drag strip. There were a lot of pilots living at the trailer park, msny were single and some had families. Does any one remember Ms. Blair-3rd grade, Ms. Oliver-4th grade, Ms. Slimington-5th grade, Mr. Crump-6th grade and Mr. Hall principal and Mr. Campbell assistant principal and PE teacher? I now work for NAVAIR in southern Maryland and have run into ex student pilots that went through Fort Wolters and other dependents such as myself who also attended Lamar school or were born in the Crazy Water Hospital in MW. The 1960s was an interesting time seeing the build up of Ft Wolters and seeing the Post close in the 1970s and the neglect and deterioration of those buildings in the early 1980s. We lived a short time on base and the duplex we lived at on Davison is now no longer there. I drove though Ft Wolters in 1991 and it sickened me to see the poor condition and what was still standing. The DOA and Mineral Wells should be ashamed of letting that post go down the drain. DOA should have listed the post as a historical site so the state would have to keep those building in historically accurate condition.
