A website for those who served/are serving in Combat Camera, AAVS, 600th Photo Sq. and 601st Photo Flt.
By Ken Hackman Darryl Gordon Winters, an Air Force motion picture photographer assigned to the Aerospace Audiovisual Service (AAVS), was killed in action on July 19, 1966, while filming a combat strike against Viet Cong guerrilla positions from a F-100F Super Sabre fighter south of Saigon, South Vietnam. Darryl was born in Stanislaw County, California Read More …
by Ken Hackman My friend and author Marc Phillip Yablonka, who prior to the current pandemic would be doing book signings for his book “Vietnam Bao Chi”. He has extra copies that he will autograph and sell for $15.00 postage included. Marc Phillip YablonkaAuthor & Military Journalistmarc.yablonka@gmail.comhttps://warstoriespress.com(818) 554-0756 Vietnam Bao Chi: Warriors of Word and Read More …
by Ken Hackman I was saddened to get the news of Jim Elmer’s passing on July 14, 2020. He was a good man who I remember fondly as our AAVS Commander, he was a caring supportive man with high principles, integrity, a great Leader and a good friend. I had sent him an electronic birthday Read More …
I was born in Portland, Oregon on 22 August 1930 simply because that was the nearest hospital from where my parents were working in a lumber camp across the Columbia River in Washington State. The only way in and out of the big camp was by train which hauled the huge logs out.
by Ken Hackman My friend Doug Wood would have been a perfect subject for the Readers Digest column; “The Most Unforgettable Character I have ever met”. A native Californian, he was born on December 4, 1922 in Long Beach, CA. His parents were Charles Orson Wood, a butcher, born in New York and Grace May Read More …
By Ken Hackman We have added a new section here on our website called Stories at usafcombatcamera.org. What and Why are PROFILES? I will address the WHY first: I personally have known and worked with many fellow combat camera people whose accomplishments in APS/APCS/AAVS and AirCCS are notable and should be documented and not fade Read More …
Born in 1934 in Richland Center, Wisconsin James “Jim” DeElton Elmer recalls hearing about the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Standing outdoors waiting for his second sister to be born he heard a “boom, boom, boom” and thought they were being attacked by the Japanese. He feels this may have unconsciously influenced his later Read More …
By Ken Hackman The drive for old equipment is renewed with the new year. We have received some wonderful items to include in our museum exhibits at the March Air Museum and the Norton Museum. BUT!!! We still need more! We need more “tools of our trade” that accurately depict the variety and diversity of Read More …
Editor’s Note: While Dick was never in AAVS but a lot of our people worked with him when he was at AFRC/PA. Richard Schuyler George Macon, Georgia- Richard Schuyler (Dick) George: 13 Nov. 1932 – 8 Mar. 2016, died after a lengthy period of decline. He was born in Atlanta, the son of the late Read More …
600th & 601st Photo Squadron veterans; here is your opportunity to tell your stories and have them published in the Smithsonian’s “Air & Space” magazine. David Freed contacted me through my friend Peter Seel. He has been contracted to write an article for “Air & Space” with the goal of chronicling the 600th Photo Squadron’s Read More …
All past and present Combat Camera people! We need you help. We are working to put together a permanent Combat Camera exhibit/display at the March Field Museum.We want to include the tools-of-our-trade from the past. For example: Still photo equipment: Speed Graphic, Graflex XL (I have one that I will gladly donate] Rolleiflex, Nikon camera, Read More …
This is to update the status of items discussed at our Ontario Reunion meeting. It is also to provide advance background on the issues that should be discussed and decided at our upcoming reunion in San Antonio. ELECTION OF GROUP OFFICERS: Using the draft Article of Association as a guide we conducted an election whereon Read More …
Col John Ford a lifelong member of the Air Force visual information family is being recognized in a ceremony by having a new American Legion Post bear his name. The official ceremony and swearing in for the Arrowhead/John E. Ford III American Legion Post 144 will take place on Wednesday June 10, 2015. AAVS veteran, Stan Kobojek, Read More …
At our meeting during the Ontario reunion a number of items relevant to our group were discussed. This email is to report our progress. We encourage and welcome your comments. Reunion Locations: The 2015 reunion will be in San Antonio, Texas 15-18 October. The location for 2016 is Charleston, SC. Secure a non-profit status: We Read More …
by Ken Hackman Thank you; thank you to everyone who has already donated to our Memorial Bench project. We are definitely going to have a bench at the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH. Since AAVS and Combat Camera people have never been shy or reticent about our professionalism in documenting the Read More …
I have just heard from our event person, Brandy Olson, at the Holiday Inn and she informed me that we have filled the 35 rooms that we reserved for our reunion. If you have not booked a room you may have to negotiate your own rate for a room. When making a reservation you can Read More …
When we made the decision to go with the Holiday Inn as the site of our reunion we had to estimate the number of rooms we would need. Based on past attendance at our reunions I estimated that we would not need more then 35 rooms. The hotel on a daily basis allocates a number Read More …
We have heard from our colleagues, past and present, who live and work in the Charleston area. Some of them will not be able to attend the three days of the reunion. We are sorry about that, because the more we have in attendance the merrier! For those that can attend the three days the Read More …
REUNION ATTENDEES: The 1st Combat Camera Squadron have requested that we give them a “head count” on the number of folks who will take the tour of the squadron and the base. If any of you are definitely not planning on that tour please let us know. Also they would like to know if any Read More …
From Ken Hackman: To all Reunion Attendees especially the ones who have come to me and indicated they were not getting the proper room rate for the hotel. I have checked back to February when we initially approached the Holiday Inn about holding the reunion there. All the rates quoted by the hotel were $98.00 Read More …
To all reunion attendees: If you have already booked your hotel room for the reunion. Great! If you are attending but have not booked your rooms, I would encourage you to make reservations immediately! The situation is, we have managed to fill our minimum number of rooms and now when you try to book through Read More …
Lincoln – Stewart Warren Hurd, 69, died March 23, 2012, at a Lincoln healthcare facility. He was born September 2, 1942, in Rochester, NH, the son of Lester and Marguerite (Stewart) Hurd. Stewart was a photographer in the U.S. Air Force for twenty years. After retiring from the military, Stewart worked at Hannaford for twenty Read More …
Does anyone know the whereabouts of Louis Shapiro. He was a Senior Airman in Vietnam in 1971 and photographed the rescue of a pilot named Cubberly. The family would like to contact Louis and thank him.
June 11, 1923 – October 31, 2011 We just received the word of the passing of Lt. Col Charles Lemons LEMONS — CHARLES FREDERICK Age 88, of Albuquerque, New Mexico died October 31, 2011 at the VA Hospice Unit of a brain tumor. Charles was born in Troy, NC on June 11, 1923 to Fred Read More …