HURLBURT FIELD

HURLBERT FIELD



I saw this article and it took me back 35 yrs. From 1970-1972, I lived on Eglin AFB, although my father was supposed to be stationed at Hurlburt Field, there wasn�t any base house available at that time for families. Actually, he was assigned to Holly AFB, which was where the Air Force had its squad of OV-2 planes. If anyone has seen Bat 21 with Danny Glover and Gene Hackman, then they have seen a OV-2, the plane that Danny Glover was flying. This was during the Vietnam War, and Eglin AFB actually owned most of the panhandle of Florida between Pensacola and Panama City. During that time it wasn�t uncommon to be outside on a clear day and hear what sounded like thunder rolling in the distance and it was actually planes making simulated bombing runs on targets put in designated areas. I was 9-11 at the time living there and the most that was done to help kids understand what was going on was the air shows that the base regularly had. We saw all the cool planes and jets that were being flown in Vietnam. The Thunderbirds put on their demonstration of what the F-4 jets could do with their aerobatics.



I do remember one time going to Holly Field and watching a demonstration of how the OV-2 with its front and back props was faster and more maneuverable than most planes in Nam. They were used to spot enemy troop movement, mark it with smoke rockets and call in attack jets. I remember asking, and at 10 had no concept of protocol, the base commander that couldn�t the enemy see the plane, see the smoke and just leave the area? He laughed and answered that they hoped that the attack jets would come in before they enemy left the area. My dad, who was a Tech Sergeant, wasn�t happy with me asking a full bird colonel a question of military tactics.



Okay, that�s my blast from the past.