Goodfellow celebrates 60 years of intelligence training

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joshua Edwards
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Goodfellow members celebrated the 60-year anniversary of intelligence training in the Piper Auditorium at Sebers Hall Oct. 19.

The guest speaker for the event was one of the officers responsible for bringing intelligence training to the base.

“In 1958, a lot of things were happening,” said retired Col. Harlan Bruha, former Air Force School of Applied Cryptologic Sciences commander. “Goodfellow was a multi-engine pilot training base and the Air Force decided that they no longer needed Goodfellow Air Force Base and put it on the closure list.

“In San Angelo, a very powerful man name Houston Harte … he picked up the phone, when he heard Goodfellow was closing, and called his friend Lyndon Johnson in D.C. and said, ‘Lyndon the Air Force is closing my base and we can’t let that happen. You need to keep it open and need to find another base to close.’

“Lyndon responded to Mr. Hart by saying, ‘Yes sir. I’ll take care of it.’”

Bruha went on to talk about the move that brought intelligence to Goodfellow.

“We got the word, probably in early July of 1958, that we were moving to Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, Texas. We were really surprised. Then the next surprise was when the command announced who was going to be heading up the advanced party and it was Capt. Doyle Larson. Doyle and I were selected as the leaders of the advanced party coming to Goodfellow.

“We got here and Goodfellow Air Force Base was a World War II facility. The building we’re sitting in right now was one of the only brick buildings on the base. We started building fences, refurbishing classrooms, making the place somewhat secure for school to start up. We were pretty excited that we got the school up and running. It went very, very well and we were really happy about it.”

The 316th Training Squadron honorary commander, Theodore Hargrove III, also got the chance to speak at the intelligence school anniversary about another anniversary, the Battle of Yorktown.

“The most powerful country in the world, the most powerful army in the world, the most powerful navy in the world, had just been beaten by a bunch of ragged, untrained farmers and shopkeepers. These farmers and shopkeepers wanted freedom more than live itself.

“To this audience I’d say, freedom gained is not freedom preserved. It must be guarded and fought for every single day. The burden to do that is on your shoulders. That’s why you wear the uniform of your country.”

During the ceremony, both Bruha and Hargrove were thanked for the support of the 316th TRS and received tokens of appreciation.