317th AG invites Airmen, retirees to meet AF's great heroes of past, present Published Jan. 13, 2009 By Senior Airman Domonique Simmons 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 317th Airlift Group opens its auditorium to welcome all active-duty Airmen and retired servicemembers to meet one of the Air Force's great heroes Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. The group's goal is to increase the knowledge level for their current Airmen on the heritage of airlift and the 317th Airlift Group in U.S. history by presenting different perspectives from different aviators. "So often people think of bombers or fighters when they think of the Air Force, but the job of the airlifters was so important that General Dwight D. Eisenhower (five-star Army general and 34th U.S. President) credited the C-47 as one of the 'weapons that won World War II,'" said Bruce Stewart, 317th AG historian. The first guest speaker, retired Lt. Col. Richard G. Korthals is a C-47 pilot who served 20 years in the Air Force. The Wisconsin native began his aviation career in 1940. After certification on the C-47 Skytrain in 1943, the 21-year-old signed for a new C-47 with orders to deliver it to Australia. After many assignments overseas during World War II with 100 combat missions and 400 combat hours, he returned to United States and entered the Reserve. He was recalled to active duty in 1950 as commander of the Ground Observer Corps Filter Center, Green Bay, Wis. Since then, he has taught at the Air Force Academy as well as several other prestigious institutions before retiring in 1965. "We wanted to give our Airmen a chance to meet and interact with some of the veterans who gave them their heritage," explained Mr. Stewart. "The motto of the 317th AG is 'I Gain by Hazard.' To truly appreciate that motto, modern Airmen need to understand the hazards that were overcome by their predecessors to make that motto the living legacy that it is today." The four-part series is broken down into four periods of U.S. airlift history -- WWII, The Berlin Airlift, Khe Sahne Airlift, and current airlift operations. Each period will be presented by a guest speaker who participated in significant events that helped to shape airlift history, said Mr. Stewart. The first presentation, World War II, will last approximately 30 to 45 minutes and includes a question and answer period. Each guest speaker participated in the operations being discussed, said Mr. Stewart. Future guest speakers include W. C. Southers speaking about the Berlin Airlift; Pete Fischer and retired Master Sgt. Ralph Bemis speaking about the Khe Sahne Airlift; and Lt. Col. Tommy Seeker from the 39th Airlift Squadron who will discuss current airlift operations. Each guest was or are members of the 317th Airlift Group. Immediately following the presentation, there will be an informal reception in the 317th AG Heritage Room. If anyone is interested in attending, call Bruce Stewart at 696-3884 or e-mail bruce.stewart@dyess.af.mil