Stories fly at 469th reunion Published April 12, 2010 By 1st Lt. Brittany Martin 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- For the first time, the 469th Flying Training Squadron hosted a joint reunion of the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron's F-105 Thunderchief pilots and the F-4 Phantom II pilots April 9 at Sheppard AFB, Texas. About 60 former 469th TFS pilots, who flew interdiction operation the missions in North Vietnam and Laos, and their spouses spent the afternoon touring the 469th FTS, and the T-38 training squadron reactivated one year ago at Sheppard. "The tour was full of awesome personalities and stories as two different eras came together," said Capt. Steven Eldien, 469th FTS executive officer. Friday's event was the first time the 469th TFS's F-105 and F-4 pilots held their reunion at the same time, meaning there were friendly disparaging remarks flying throughout the afternoon. It was also the first time the reunion included participation from the instructor pilots of Sheppard's 469th FTS. The atmosphere at the benchmark event was one of camaraderie and excitement, memories and storytelling -- according to the shirts worn by former squadron members, "The older I get, the better I flew." The experiences of the former squadron members were considerably different than those of the current squadron members, making the time spent together one of learning. "We sit and listen and just absorb," Captain Eldien said. Regardless of the difference in experiences, there was still the underlying thread of taking care of your wingman, he said. Some of the former squadron members were asked what advice they would pass onto the current generation. "Freedom isn't free; you have to work for it," said retired Col. Tom Norris, an F-105 pilot, who spent almost six years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He said that the United States won't always be this way. It is something that has to be worked for by understanding what's going on in the world and taking the time to be an active and educated voter. "Keep your speed up!," advised retired Col. Roy Dickey, an F-105 and F-4 pilot who did not receive a single hit in the 274 mission he flew over Vietnam. When asked how the squadron had changed, Billie Dickey, his wife, interjected, "They still know how to throw a party!" It's a party that the 469th FTS hopes to repeat on a regular basis.