Comments on: Griffiss Air Force Base Technology Park, Rome, NY

By: arthur holyoke

arthur holyoke — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:42:19 +0000

Stationed there from sep. 64 till may 68 except for two months tdy at Kadena in 66. Married a girl from Utica and presently live in Whitesboro ny about 10 miles from base so saw the whole decline. Was with 416 fms as jet engine mechanic, spent most of time in engine conditioning working on flight line out of nose dock 1. Do remember the “hawk” hasen’t been too bad the last few years

By: Robert Haywood

Robert Haywood — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:08:56 +0000

Stationed at Griffiss AFB from 89-94 as a Fuels System Tech and then escaped maintenance and became an FTD Instructor (again after 5 previous years as instructor on F-15s) in AETC. But, I hated SAC with a passion especially with their manning policies. Performed more 12+ hour shifts in 3 years of SAC maintenance at Griffiss than all other remaining six bases combined in my 20 year career. Rome was a great place to live and the snow was fantastic especially when you owned a pair of snowmobiles. The people are greatly missed!

By: Msgt L.P.Eastwood

Msgt L.P.Eastwood — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:57:04 +0000

Robert G. Gerring, Left Kunson went to McGuire AFB in New Jersey (C-141). Went to Hill AFB Utah became an instructor on the F-4′s. From there to McDill AFB, Florida Master Instructor on F-4 and F-16. Final assignment was Minot AFB, North Dakota B-52H and KC 135. Retired in November of 1988.

By: Robert G Gerring ( A1C USAF Retired

Robert G Gerring ( A1C USAF Retired — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:10:27 +0000

Msgt L. P. Eastwood it was a pleasure reading your post. I too was stationed at Griffis AFB, Rome NY 1964-1966 as a Hydraulic Repairman. In July 1966 was reassighned overseas to the 432nd, Udorn RTAFB, thailand.

By: Chuck Merkel

Chuck Merkel — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:44:58 +0000

I was stationed at HQ GEEIA, GAFB, from 1965-1968. One of those winters we had a terrific snow storm while at work. I can’t remember how I got home that evening to Pluto Dr. in base housing but it wasn’t by driving my car. The snow had drifted quite high in the parking lot. A day or so later went to retrieve my car and had to shovel a lot of snow. Checking under the hood, the wind had packed the entire engine compartment with snow. Quite a job to clean it out.

Anybody remember the dancers in the cage, upstairs in the stag bar at the NCO club? Quite few of the rated personnel would be there on certain nights.

By: Roy H. Lewis

Roy H. Lewis — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:10:34 +0000

The Thunderbirds. Funny, I think it was in ’67 when I got a parking ticket on base. That got me put on a “Sh!t list”. Was assigned crowd control when the Thunderbirds were there. Memorial Day ?

By: Michael Foster

Michael Foster — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:14:29 +0000

I remember growing up on Griffis. We lived right outside the gat on Park Dr. I remember sitting on the hill watching the b-52′s take off one right after the other. And the air shows… I love those Thunderbirds. Memories never Forgotten.

By: Roy H. Lewis

Roy H. Lewis — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:10:26 +0000

Looks like we all have at least one thing in common. For some reason we remember the snow & cold… why is that? After Griffiss (April 67 till July 68) I was transfered to Offutt AFB Nebraska. Not as much snow, but I think overall it was colder. Replacing an astrotracker on the top of an RC-135C in the winter was probably as much fun as replacing the Azimuth hydraulic pump. To make my 4 year hitch even more fun, I had a TDY to Kadena AFB Okinawa the summer of 69 and then to Fairbanks Alaska in November 69 … Well for someone who never traveled more then 200 miles from NYC prior to joining in tht AF in 66, I did get to see a lot of the world thanks to Uncle Sam.

By: Gene McConnell

Gene McConnell — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:33:31 +0000

I was stationed at Griffiss from sometime in 1965 (xferred from Robins AFB in Georgia) thru December 1967. I was assigned to the 416th AEMS and worked on the B-52 ASG-15 Fire Control Systems. I remember well the bitter cold and the wind. (we referred to it as “The Hawk”) I loved the area and the people and have nothing but fond memories of the time spent there ……well, there was that one time I had to replace the azimuth hydraulic pump on a turret in the freezing cold at night which was the equivalent of replacing the spark plugs in an engine by accessing through the exhaust pipe.

By: John Kaiser

John Kaiser — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:46:49 +0000

This is for Harry Sharp. You were my trainer at Griffis in 1966.
Do you remember me, I was the only five level one striper on the flight line? Please send me a message via jkaiser@stny.rr.com. I was stationed at Griffis 1966-1969 as a jet aircraft mechanic in support branch. John Kaiser