Wednesday, September 24, 1997
Dyess remembers fallen comrades
By BETH HALLMARK / Abilene Reporter-News
With words of tribute and remembrance, Dyess Air Force Base
personnel on Tuesday paid their respects to the crew of a B-1
bomber that crashed in Montana last week.
Dyess personnel and members of the Abilene community packed
the base chapel for the memorial service honoring Col. Anthony
Beat, Maj. Clay Culver, Maj. Kirk Cakerice and Capt. Gary Everett.
The four were killed during a training mission on Friday when
their plane crashed on a Montana prairie.
Though the 28th Bomb Wing crew was based at Ellsworth Air Force
Base in South Dakota, all four members had been stationed at Dyess.
Culver and Everett, the plane's weapons system operators, went
through training at Dyess last year. Cakerice, the co-pilot, was
a training instructor at Dyess in 1990 and 1991.
Beat, the B-1 pilot, served as Dyess' 7th Operations Group
commander until August 1996 when he was assigned to be vice commander
of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth.
"He was a leader, a devoted family man and a friend,"
said 7th Medical Group commander Col. Robert Kunkel.
"He gave his all, day-in and day-out," Kunkel said.
"I feel proud of the time I spent with Tony. I will miss
him terribly."
The cause of Friday afternoon's crash is still under investigation.
According to reports, the B-1 was practicing low-level maneuvers
over the Powder River Military Operating Area before it went down.
No distress signal was sent.
A Montana rancher, who reported seeing the B-1 flying "real
low" and slow, notified authorities when he saw "a big
flash of fire ... and an explosion over the ridge."
No bombs were on board the plane. The crash investigation likely
will take several months.
"In times of grief we often look for concrete answers
and explanations," 7th Bomb Wing commander Brig. Gen. Michael
McMahan said at the memorial service. "There are investigations,
safety days and data collection ... such needed measures, however,
in no way capture (the crew's) patriotic and giving spirit.
"The crew got up that morning, put on their flight suits
and did their duty for the day -- but this day they were called
on for a very precious sacrifice.
"There are no words which can adequately express the sorrow
we experience with the families, co-workers, friends and neighbors
of our fallen comrades in arms," McMahan said.
Friday's crash was the sixth U.S. military air crash in a seven-day
span last week. The Air Force on Monday grounded training flights
for a one-day stand-down to review procedures and focus on safety.
Though the Air Force's F-117 stealth fighters remain grounded
after one came apart and fell to the ground during an air show
Sept. 14, the B-1 fleet will continue operations as usual.
Dyess houses two B-1 squadrons and trains all B-1 flight crews.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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