Thomas A. Wilk
Era: Cold War
Military Branch: Air Force
Status: Featured Story
The following account is Thomas Wilk's experience in the Air Force in the 1950's. "I was born in Lilly, PA. Lilly is a small (population 1,500) in the western mountains of Pennsylvania. This is in the heart of the soft (bituminous) coal region of Pennsylvania. Both of my parents are first generation Americans. My father worked in the coal mines until the time of his retirement.
I was 5 years old on December 7, 1941. We had just finished our noon meal when a neighbor boy knocked on our door telling us to turn on the radio – the president is going to talk to the nation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the attack on Pearl Harbor. We were at war with Japan and Germany.
We knew about the war in Europe. Everyone knew someone or had a relative that enlisted or was drafted for the war effort. My father was exempt because he was a coal miner. Coal was very important in iron and steel-making during WW-2. My mother's brother was a B-25 pilot in the pacific with the 13th air force. My father's brother-in-law was in the army. He was wounded during day 2 of the Normandy D-Day invasion.
I graduated from High School in May, 1954, spent my last summer hunting and fishing, and entered the Air Force in September. I was sent to Sampson, NY for basic training. I left Sampson on Dec. 7 onboard a C-46 bound for Lowery AFB Denver, Colorado. I was to go to photography school, but class slots were filled. I was assigned to camera repair school. In 1955 the Air Force Academy was opened. The 1st year the academy was at Lowery until the new site at Colorado Springs was completed.
After graduating from school in Denver I was told I would be going to Duluth Municipal Airport. My counselor said it would be a temporary assignment because the base would be closing within 2 years. I arrived here in Duluth in August 1955. My orders read as follows: 515th Air DEFGRU, ADC, Duluth MUNIAPRT, Duluth MN (EDSCA 4 AUG. 55. Further assigned ABSQ. The 343rd Air Base Squadron comprised the Air Police, Photo Lab, Motor Pool, Mess Hall and other units needed to run the base. I was assigned to the Photo Lab. The 343rd Material Squadron was the supply squadron. The 11th Fighter Interceptor Squadron handled the aircraft. The base closed in 1978. The counselor was off by 21 years.
While here in Duluth I also spent time as a cook in the mess hall. Also with the 11th FIS in the armourment shop taking care of the 16 mm gun cameras mounted on the F-89’s and F-102’s. Training flights and 31st Air Division rocketry meets held on a Lake Superior rocketry range. I also operated the hi-speed film processor during the gunnery meets. With the F-102’s there was a video recording system called NADAR used for training.
I was discharged here in Duluth in Sept. of 1958."
-Thomas A. Wilk
