This website is dedicated to the men and women assigned the Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron in the Strategic Air Command. They maintained the GAM-77/AGM-28 Hound Dog Missiles, GAM-72/ADM-20 Quail Missiles, and AQM-34 Firebee Missiles used to protect our nation during the Cold War. I would like to thank everyone that has contributed photographs, materials and money toward maintenance of this website.
Some of the troops misinterpreted my comments in the last newsletter and thought that I would be shutting down the AMMS Alumni website and newsletter if I close my website design business later this year. I want to assure all of you that I will keep the website and newsletter going as long as I am physically and financially able.
Some of you also ask me how much it costs to produce the website and newsletter. Here is a breakdown of those annual costs: Domain Registration: $9.99, Domain Hosting: $132.84, Email: 23.16, and Newsletter $199.00. Total $364.99.
Tom Dillion has passed the hat at the AMMS Alumni reunions and collected money to help defray the cost of keeping the website operating. That plus the dollar commission I collect on the sale of replica squadron patches and other products has generally covered my costs for maintaining the website and newsletter.
Some of the troops that don't attend the reunions have written to me offering to donate money toward the maintenance of the AMMS Alumni website and monthly newsletter. Therefore, I have installed a link on the home page that will permit troops to make a donation using PayPal. Any monies collected will be used to extend the domain registration and hosting of the website into the future. That way if something were to happen to me the website would continue to exist until the money ran out.
Thank You!
Ronald Sortor, Webmaster
WEBMASTER COMMENTS
Fellow Missileers,
I have had a variety of problems lately. My computer modem/router died and it took my ten days to get a replacement. Then my well died and I couldn't find parts locally to repair it. I finally had to call one of my brothefrs downstate and have him pick up parts and bring them up to me. We finally got it repaired yesterday. I should smell better when I go to church today. My propane furnace is also broken and we ae waiting on repair parts to be shipped to the repairman. I am heating the house with my wood stoves for the time being. I went down to the VA Hospital in Saginaw for a doctor's appointment and got my flu shot while I was there. It was strange seeing so many businesses closed because of Covid-19. I am sticking pretty close to home most of the time. I just go out to buy some groceries and go to church on Sunday. Solitary confinenment sucks! I am not deer hunting this year because I afraid of being out in the forest and having problems with no one around to help. I only have one brother and a nephew coming up to hunt over Thanksgiving. My five brothers and a couple of neighbnors call and check on me periodically. I don't know how much longer I will keep my website design business going, I have been losing customers at a rapid pace and there aren't any new customers signing up. Dozens of them have gone out of buisiness and will never recover. I hope you folks have a wonderful Thanksgiving. God Bless and watch over all of you.
Ronald J Sortor, Webmaster AMMS Alumni
2020 AMMS ALUMNI REUNION
Fellow Missileers,
The time has finally come to send out the Registration and Agenda for the bi-annual AMMS Reunion. All the reservations are made for the reunion to take place at the Hope Hotel & Richard C. Holbrook Conference Center, 10823 Chidlaw Road, Building #823, Area A Gate 12A, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433-5000. The attached map I hope will be somewhat helpful in finding the Hotel. It is in the upper right hand corner of the map. The reunion will be held from September 14 thru September 18, 2020. You can make your reservations at any time and actually, I would prefer that you make them as early as possible. Since this is our first time to venture away from Barksdale, I am not sure of how many we will have in attendance. The hotel reservation number is (937) 879-2696. I hope with all the Air and Flight history that is available in the Dayton area we get a good showing. We have 50 rooms, some king bed and some 2 queen bed, reserved in our block of rooms but if needed we can increase that number at any time on an available basis. So, the earlier we know that we will need to increase that number, the more likely we will be able to get them.
Please see the attached Reservation Form and Agenda for planned activities. There is a Casino in the local Area for anyone who misses that from the Boomtown Venue, but I did not check it out. It was necessary to increase the Registration fee to $60 this year. This is the first increase since 2012 even though the meal rates have gone up every year. Also, the hotel rate is a little higher than we have had at past reunions but it does include a breakfast buffet each day. The hotel is on the Air Force Base, but they have rerouted the fencing to the back side of the hotel area so that now you can access the hotel without going through the base security gate. As you turn into the access to the base at Gate 12A but before going through the gate security, take an immediate right turn into the Hotel Parking Area. You will approach the back of the Hotel – the Conference Center where the Reunion activities will take place. Continue around the Hotel to the far side, the front of the Hotel, for check-in.
If you are driving to the reunion and could help out with transportation for those that fly in and do not have a vehicle available, we are asking that you let us know that you will volunteer to do such and when you will be arriving to the hotel. This will allow us to plan for transporting those who need it. The same hold true for transportation to the events throughout the reunion.
If anyone has a name of any of our ranks that have passed in the last two years please forward that information to me so that we can honor them in our Reunion Banquet Program. I have checked the web site, but it seems to be of little help in listing our recent past comrades.
I am sure I have missed a lot that I should cover in this email and attachments, but I can’t think of them right now. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please feel to contact me by phone or email. I will do the best I can to make you comfortable in knowing that this reunion will be truly memorable. I have sent an email to Ron Sorter, our website master, to put this information on the website but have not heard back from him.
Bill Jackson 2020 AMMS Reunion Committee Chairman 765 Trails End Circle Hurst, TX 76054-6020 Home: (817) 656-0352 Cell: (817) 266-3270
* Webster, Charles I., Address: 119 Mack Ln., CityStateZip: Warner Robins, GA 31088-2801, Phone: 478-955-3777, Email: chuckster1940@gmail.com , Squadron: Robins AFB (64-67) * Steffenhagen, Danny R., Address: 814 S SMITH RD, CityStateZip: OWOSSO, Phone: (989)708-0996, Email: fatboyrider@email.com , Squadron: Wurtsmith AFB (70-74) * Holman, Jimmy L., Address: 3849 Dakota Court, CityStateZip: Duluth, GA 30096, Phone: (77) 789-3730, Email: jimmyl.holman@yahoo.com, Squadron: Davis-Monthan AFB (72-75) * Shaughnessy, William J., Address: 107 Foxgate Ct, CityStateZip: Millersville, Phone: (717) 314-6838, Email: william_shaughnessy@comcast.net, Squadron: Kinchloe (64-67) * Eashmore, Everett, J., Address: 16222 Monterey Ln. #37, CityStateZip: Huntington Beach, Ca. 92649, Phone: (714)369-2375, Email: eashmore@socal.rr.com, Squadron: Barksdale AFB
B-52 Mito Take Off With Hound Dog Missiles From the movie “A Gathering of Eagles” starring Rock Hudson, Rod Taylor and Mary Peach, filmed at Beale AFB in 1961
Hound Dogs Are Going To War Again
The Hound Dog Missile is now option for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Peter Lane, the designer of the Hound Dog Missile for the Captain Sim add on 'Weapons for FSX' contacted me earlier this month and requested my assistance with the design. I provided him with some three dimensional draws and photograph of the missile to assist him in preparing the CAD design for the missile. He provided me with seven preliminary CAD drawings of the missile. I have included them in a photo gallery above. As you can see Peter did a great job of the design. Here is the software you will need to play with your Hound Dog Missiles.
Once you purchase the above products, you use your purchase code to log into the 'Free Liveries' section. In there you can then download Peter’s Hound Dog missile, as well as other missiles. In the B-52 section there are several aircraft repaints of lots of B52 squadrons/units and so you may well find your old unit paint job. If not just ask on the forum and somebody will do it for you I am sure as they are a very friendly and helpful group always wanting to show off their talents.
I have ordered all of the software myself but haven’t had an opportunity to test it yet because I am still waiting for the Microsoft Flight Simulator X software to arrive.
Tell Your Friends About Our Website
Please tell your friends about the AMMS Alumni Website. Click on the link above to email our address to a friend.
AMMS Missileer Newsletter Subscriptions
The “AMMS Missileer Newsletter” is published on a monthly basis. The newsletter identifies new alumni that have been located, alumni that have passed away, information about reunions, the status of restoration projects, and articles about your experiences in the Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadrons. Send articles and information that you would like included in the newsletter to me at snoopy@ammsalumni.org . If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, fill out the form listed below.
Call For Photographs
I am in the process of updating all of the photo galleries on the website to the new flash format. This format permits the photographs to be displayed in a larger size and load faster. I would welcome any new photographs that you can contribute. So dig through those old photo albums and send me copies of of your photographs. Please include a recent photograph of yourself for inclusion in the troops photo galleries. Send photographs to me at snoopy@ammsalumni.org
Replica AMMS Squadron Patches
Replica Squadron Patches are available for purchase through the website. The patches that are currently available are: 17th AMMS, 100th AMMS, 319th AMMS, 379th AMMS, 410th AMMS, 456th AMMS and the GAM-72 Quail Missile. Patches for other Squadrons will be made available for purchase in the near future. These patches make a great gift for your grand-children. The proceeds from the sale of these patches will be used to extend the life of the AMMS Alumni Website and AMMS Missileer Newsletter. Click here to order.
AMMS Logo Productss
We have a great selection of T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Coffee Cups, Beer Steins, etc. The proceeds from the sale of these products will be used to extend the life of the AMMS Alumni Website and AMMS Missileer Newsletter. Click here to order!
Missile Restoration Projects
Driving the wife crazy? Need to get out of the house for awhile? Volunteer to work on one the missile restoration projects that are in progress around the country. Many of the people that are working on these projects have no experience working on the Hound Dog, Quail or Firebee Missiles. They sure could use your expertise. Click on the following link to check out the restoration projects that are in progress. Click Here!
Copyright 2005-2021, Enchanted Forest Web Page Design Service. All rights reserved. “Promoting Michigan Businesses & Organizations Since 1997” “A Veteran Owned and Operated Business” 3980 Curtisville Road, South Branch, Michigan 48761 Phone: (989) 745-8433, Email: snoopy@amms-alumni.org Last updated on: Wednesday, October 27, 2021, Number of pages: 165.
