By Jeff Murphy,
May 25, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO (May 25, 2017) – In remarks that included a brief history about the
origins of Memorial Day, Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets IV, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing
at Whiteman Air Force Base, recognized the “heroes” that paid the ultimate sacrifice
for this nation through their military service.
Tibbets’ remarks came before a crowd of about 70 people in the University of Central
Missouri Alumni Chapel, Wednesday, May 24, as the keynote speaker for the annual Pre-Memorial
Day ceremony. The event was coordinated by UCM’s Office of Military and Veteran Services
with participation from WAFB and other members of the university community.
According to Tibbets, Memorial Day was first celebrated in 1968 as “Decoration Day,”
then proclaimed a time for “decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense
of their country and whose bodies now lie in every city, village, hamlet and church
yard in the land.” He pointed out that about 1.8 million men and women since the Revolutionary
War have died in service to this nation.
“Really, what we are doing today is to treasure those folks who have come before,
those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, those who have given their life for this
country, those brave men and women who have served… and we are now keeping their memory
alive through their sacrifices,” Tibbets said.
Preserving that memory included talking about the heroes that had a Whiteman connection.
Some lost their lives in battle, and some died trying to save the lives or prevent
injury of others.
Among such individuals was former Sedalia resident 2nd Lt. George Whiteman, a member
of the Army Air Corps who was believed to be among the first airmen killed in combat
during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. After driving
across the island, then climbing aboard a P-40B Warhawk airplane, he was shot down
and crashed on the runway while attempting to engage the enemy.
“He’ll be forever remembered for his bravery on that faithful day,” Tibbets said.
“What does it take to make a hero? For Lt. Whiteman it’s that he stared danger in
the face. He saw what was happening, and said ‘I need to do something about this.’
Instead of running away from danger, he ran towards danger.
“Certainly we recognize that and his sacrifices every year. We certainly we talk about
that at Whiteman,” Tibbets said in talking about the base’s namesake.
Tibbets’ discussion of heroes also focused on former Base Fire Chief P.E. Ralls, Airman
2nd Class Joseph Palagonia, Airman 3rd Class Jacob Lang and Wayne Hower who were killed
on May 15, 1962 helping to control a fire that broke out when fuel spilled around
the nose of a B-47 bomber shortly after a preflight inspection. An explosion set off
a chain reaction that affected other aircraft on the flight line.
“The scene was pretty chaotic. The final accident toll was four men killed and 18
injured, six of which were serious and the aircraft was destroyed,” Tibbets said.
“Like so many times, the accident board came in and looked at it and said the actions
of those airmen - the timely and appropriate actions - actually saved lives. It minimized
further damage and they are heroes for helping keep injuries to a minimum. As one
bystander said, there were dozens of unrecognized heroes in the drama.”
Tibbets also spoke about Timothy Riggs a Whiteman Security policeman who was killed
in 1991 after stopping to render assistance at the scene of a motor vehicle accident.
The antenna of his vehicle came in contact with a downed powerline, which resulted
in his death while trying to help someone in need.
He also mentioned Philip D. Ambard, who was a Venezuelan immigrant who enlisted in
the Air Force and became an “outstanding professor” at the U.S. Air Force Academy
and had volunteered support during Operation Enduring Freedom. He along with seven
other U.S. service members was killed by an American-trained Afghan who betrayed them.
“Phil left behind a legacy of excellence and was an inspiration to those he served
with and interacted with on a daily basis. His devotion to America, the military and
to making a difference is what we remember Major Ambard for today.”
In addition to Tibbets’ remarks, the Pre-Memorial Day festivities included the color
guard from Whiteman Air Force Base; the singing of the National Anthem by UCM alumna
Candace Fowler; presentation of the POW/MIA Missing Man Table led by 1st Sgt. Jamil
Goodwin, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Whiteman AFB; welcome by Deborah Curtis,
UCM provost-chief learning officer; 21-gun salute performed by members of the Warrensburg
American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts; and the playing of TAPS by David
Aaberg, professor of music at UCM.
Receiving his commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989, Tibbets has risen
through the military ranks to become responsible for the combat readiness of the U.S.
Air Force’s Spirit wing, including development and employment of the B-2’s combat
capability as part of the Air Force’s Global Strike Task Force. His command provides
logistics support for the Air Force Reserve 442nd Fighter Wing, Missouri Air National
Guard 131st Bomb Wing, Air Combat Command 20th Reconnaissance Squadron and the Missouri
Army National Guard 1st Battalion, 135th Aviation Unit. He manages flying assets in
excess of $46 billion and an annual operations and maintenance budget of $147 million.
Also during his career, Tibbets served on a variety of operational assignments as
a B-1 and a B-2 pilot, including flying in combat missions in support of operations
in Southwest Asia, the Balkans and Afghanistan. He has logged more than 3,800 flying
hours as a command pilot.
