To Radio and Teenage Years
The introduction into my military career began with my enlisting into the
California Air National Guard June 23rd 1949. The United States Air Force had just come into being a separate entity September 18, 1947. I'd heard about the Guard previously from school mates. but my first official contact with anyone from an Air Guard unit was a gentleman friend of one of the "Life of Riley" show's advertising agency secretarys, Kay Murphy. 
He was Capt. Clifford Spears and I met him when he came down to visit Kay at the Riley Show at NBC. He was a Pilot with 115th Utility Squadron of the 63rd Fighter Wing of the California Air Guard based at the Burbank Airport. He confirmed sure enough there existed this organization that did all the things expected of a military unit flying airplanes and the like, and I'd be welcomed at attaining the age of eighteen to come join it. I did several months after my birthday and was assigned to Captain Spears very same unit. It being so close to the annual two week summer encampment those two weeks were used by the organization to put all its new enlistees into a 'boot camp' located within the grounds of the Hollywood/Burbank Airport instead of sending us out to a regular Air Force Training new inductee boot camp. We new enlistees got up to speed on military life right on our local base. There were enough of us to muster three or so flights which was more than enough manpower to sweep out and scrub down the Quonset Huts built on the airfield during the recent WWII. We learned military discipline, to drill, do Kitchen Police, and any of the other things the Air Guard officers and non-coms thought we should know which included middle of the night guard duty tours of the Burbank Airport's perimeter gates, and the setting up of chow lines with their boiling water-filled G.I. cans into which we dipped our mess kits to sterilize them.
Some of us were promoted to Airmen 1st Class upon exiting the boot camp where I started my enlistment.
When I enlisted the Air National Guard still wore U.S.Army uniforms, not having received any of the new Air Force blue uniforms. But the men had taken it upon themselves to purchase the new non-com stripe insignias and replace their old chevrons with the new Air Force style. What ended up was a hodge-podge of our wearing blue and olive drab green mixtures. I seem to recall it was during my second summer encampment held at George Air Force Base, all of us were issued a complete set of blue uniforms. And upon the unit's recall to active duty in 1951 for the Korean Conflict unit personnel were again issued another set of uniforms. My Air National
Guard Service that first year was spent in the ordinary manner, attending weekend meetings every month, and in the summer months the two week encampments at various locations around the state. I was assigned to the 115th Utility Squadron to become a maintenance mechanic and so I trained on the job in that capacity. The Utility squadron had in its stable of
aircraft not only operational B-26's Attack Bombers, but a C-47, L-5, and a T-6, an interesting variety. I would assist the higher ranking guardsmen skilled in the maintenance of the unit's aircraft in keeping them in top mechanical order. As such I was issued a box of mechanic's tools. I serviced the aircraft as well with fuel and oil, checked tire pressures and whatever else was necessary to keep the aircraft flying safely.
As I enjoyed getting airborne, I often volunteered to fly with the pilots on training missions. There was room for me to sit in the unoccupied co-pilot's seat or the rear jump seat of the Douglas B-26 Attack Bombers
assigned to the Squadron. I often did flying with Capt. Spears. It was on one of those flights when I realized I needed a pair of furlined flight boots if I wanted to keep any warmth in my toes. I had to scout some Army/Navy surplus stores to find a pair. No more cold feet.
My second annual two week encampment found the unit going to George Air Force Base. Our transportation was a great experience, reminiscent of WWII troop travel for we departed our location at the old Burbank Airport from the railroad tracks that bordered the field on Chandler Boulevard. We traveled to George AFB located near Victorville really by troop train. We also came back the same way at the end of the encampment. While at George the troops somehow for some strange reason unknown to us we were again set to cleaning up all the dust and tumble weeds from our two storied Beetle Baily army type barracks. Later the U.S. Air Force would activate the base full time and I would again
experience a longer sojourn at the base however in entirely different circumstances.
During my Air National Guard enlistment I made many great acquaintances one of which was a Mike Rossom who called himself Mike September. He taught me the ins and
outs of hitch hiking rides in military aircraft in order to see other parts
of the country. The key was to have your own parachute, since military aircraft required the use of parachutes for all passengers. If there wasn't a parachute on board the aircraft available for the passenger, one couldn't go no matter if space existed on board the airplane. During the summer Mike and I would buddy across the country on board Air Force aircraft mainly because we carried our own 'chutes which we checked out from our Air Guard's parachute loft. We'd fly around the country and one fond memory I have of the experience was my first trip to Florida where I met Mike's parents and
relatives in Miami Beach. Mike's Dad treated us to a week or so in a Miami Hotel on the beach and we truly enjoyed ourselves.