[onewhippedpuppy]

Some of you may have seen it, but I thought it was a good one.



Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being
surrounded by civilization that complains about the
noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it
was there long before they were.

A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a
big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who
lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper
complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed
his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the
response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung
quite a bit.

The complaint:

"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do
we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at
precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16
jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing
west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine
our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes
feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to
impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?
Any response would be appreciated."

The response:

Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters,
Thursday): On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a
perfectly timed four-ship flyby of F-16s from the 63rd
Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the
grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques.

Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was
previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was
killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a.m. on
June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland
Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a
husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and
because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the
21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the
widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them
their son's flag on behalf of the President of the
United States and all those veterans and servicemen
and women who understand the sacrifices they have
endured. A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the
Air Force pays to those who give their lives in
defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and
take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the
letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to
pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the
morning air show?" The 56th Fighter Wing will call
for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and
parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for
it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most
honorable formation of their lives.

Lt. Col. Scott Pleus

CO 63rd Fighter Squadron

Luke AFB