WWII aviator returns to Grissom, granddaughter gives tour Published Oct. 5, 2016 By Staff Sgt. Jami K. Lancette 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- From bomb wing to refueling wing, one Grissom veteran witnessed not only lots of changes in the world but also the birth of the refueling wing that Hoosiers know today.(Ret.) Lt. Col. Richard Hyman, 305th Bomb Group weapons officer and pilot, got a special tour recently by his granddaughter Senior Airman Jaclyn Hyman, 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief on Aug. 17.The elder Hyman joined the Army Air Corps as a cadet in Jan. 16, 1942 during World War II. After commissioning he served at various locations around the world and flew numerous aircraft before setting his sights on Bunker Hill Air Force Base.“They brought the 305th Bomb group from McDill [Air Force Base] to Bunker Hill,” said Hyman. “So when I found that out I got on the phone and asked headquarters if they needed a weapons officer; they needed one and I got the transfer.”Even with all of the changes that Grissom has undergone over the years, Hyman reflects back and remembers it fondly.“My office was in the old alert building here, I had to work with every flight crew member every three months,” he said.In 1959 Hyman witnessed the first KC-135A Stratotankers being assigned to Bunker Hill. They would be a mainstay for decades to come.He knew the tanker commander personally when he came here from MacDill AFB, so anytime he wanted to go up in the new 135’s all he had to do was ask him, boasted Hyman.December 1965, Hyman hung up his flight suit and said goodbye to the Air Force, retiring after 23 years of service and serving in both WWII and the Korean War.Fast forward to 2016, when he returned for another look at what is now Grissom Air Reserve Base and the aircraft that he knew so fondly, but this time around his granddaughter is leading the way.“This is still a really nice airplane,” he said. “I’m so glad to be able to look around, it brings back a lot of memories.”Following in his footsteps, Airman Hyman shared with her grandfather the part she now plays at Grissom and how he was the reason she joined the service.“I have always looked up to my grandpa, and it doesn’t get much better than following in his footsteps with something that was a good part of his life,” she said. “He was impressed at how well we take care of our planes.“And it was cool that he got to see how the base has changed since he retired,” she added.The elder Hyman was greeted and even coined by Airman Hymen’s superiors as he received his tour of her shop.“He still talks about it every time I see him,” she said. “He just feels honored that all these people took the time to let him come out and show him around.“I am so happy that he got to do that with me,” she added.The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
