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History and heritage; Command Chief and Historian take a trip down memory lane

From the left, Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Marion, 434th Air Refueling Wing command chief, Brian Knowles, 434th ARW historian, pose for a photo with Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum employees David Day, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Pillar, and Nick Firestone in front of the 434th monument at the museum in Columbus, Indiana, Sept. 17, 2020. Grissom personnel received a private tour of the facilities to learn more about the history and heritage of the 434th ARW. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Ben Mota)

From the left, Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Marion, 434th Air Refueling Wing command chief, Brian Knowles, 434th ARW historian, pose for a photo with Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum employees David Day, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Pillar, and Nick Firestone in front of the 434th monument at the museum in Columbus, Indiana, Sept. 17, 2020. Grissom personnel received a private tour of the facilities to learn more about the history and heritage of the 434th ARW. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Ben Mota)

Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Marion, 434th Air Refueling Wing command chief, views a display of the World War II gliders used by the 434th Troop Carrier Group, the legacy unit to the 434th ARW at the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum in Columbus, Indiana, Sept. 17, 2020.  The primary mission of troop carrier units was to provide transportation for parachute troops, airborne infantry, and glider units. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Ben Mota)

Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Marion, 434th Air Refueling Wing command chief, views a display of the World War II gliders used by the 434th Troop Carrier Group, the legacy unit to the 434th ARW at the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum in Columbus, Indiana, Sept. 17, 2020. The primary mission of troop carrier units was to provide transportation for parachute troops, airborne infantry, and glider units. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Ben Mota)

To the right, Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Marion, 434th Air Refueling Wing command chief, and Brian Knowles, 434th ARW historian, (center) speak with David Day, Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum employee, during a tour of the museum in Columbus, Indiana, Sept. 17, 2020.  The museum hosts a rich history of the 434th ARW. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Ben Mota)

To the right, Chief Master Sgt. Wesley Marion, 434th Air Refueling Wing command chief, and Brian Knowles, 434th ARW historian, (center) speak with David Day, Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum employee, during a tour of the museum in Columbus, Indiana, Sept. 17, 2020. The museum hosts a rich history of the 434th ARW. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Ben Mota)

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --

The 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana has a long and rich history. One of which must be preserved, or it has the potential to be forgotten.

434th ARW Wing Historian, Brian Knowles, 434th ARW Wing Historian, knows all too well that preserving the Wings history is vital to our future.

“Maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with museums and research centers are important to discovering and preserving our history,” said Knowles. “Aviation museums, such as the Grissom Air Museum, Camp Atterbury Museum, and Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum, are important venues to showcase and tell the 434ARW story.”

On a recent visit to Camp Atterbury Museum and the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum, Knowles along with Chief Master Sgt. Wes Marrion, 434th ARW Command Chief, learned about not only the Wings history, but about aviation history in Indiana.

“I knew that some Tuskegee Airmen had trained at Freeman Field in Seymour, Indiana but I do not recall having heard before that they had also trained at Columbus (Bakalar AFB),” said Marion.

While most people are looking for answers to their historical questions when they visit a museum, Knowles hopes that others that may visit those museums find their answers, but also come away with more questions as well.

“By gaining perspective through artifacts, photos, and displays, I hope anyone who visits these museums, realizes the connectedness of service members, the Air Force, and the conflicts that shaped our culture.” said Knowles.

“From those connections should come more questions, create more interest in our heritage, how we got here and who we are,” he added.

After their visit, Knowles is hopeful that more service members will take the time to learn more about the Wing and their history.

“History makes you smart and heritage makes you proud,” said Knowles. “Learn as much history as you can. Celebrate as much heritage as you can. A person can accomplish both by visiting a museum, there’s nothing wrong with being both smart and proud.”

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. The Citizen Airmen from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

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