Take to the sky Published June 12, 2009 By Airman 1st Class Anne Gathua 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- A life-long dream came true Saturday for retired master sergeant Harry Siegrist, a Vietnam veteran. Tears of joy flowed freely as everyone who had gathered at San Angelo Regional Airport Mathis Field clapped and cheered as his wife, Charlene, wheeled her husband towards the C-47 aircraft. It all started when Mrs. Siegrist sent an email to the Freedom Through Vigilance Association requesting them to grant her husband, who retired in 1982 after serving for 22 1/2 years in the U.S. Air Force, one final flight on the C-47. Mrs. Siegrist said that was all he talked about before he had a stroke that impeded his speech and left him paralyzed on the right side. Mr. Siegrist thought he was at Mathis Field to see the C-47 which he had worked on as a flight mechanic and crew chief during his Air Force career. Little did he know what his wife, in conjunction with F.T.V.A., had in store for him: he was not only going to see the C-47 but was also going to ride in it. "Because of his love for the C-47, the plane he spent so much time on during his career, I thought one last ride would be a wonderful experience for him," Mrs. Siegrist said. F.T.V.A., whose principle location is San Antonio, Texas, is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to the support and perpetuation of the objectives of the US Air Force, security service and its successor commands and agencies. It's also dedicated to the support of social, educational and humanitarian services. Its objectives are to foster continued awareness of the missions and accomplishments of the U.S. Air Force in general and of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency in particular. "It's a heritage that tries to promote the intelligence mission and the enlisted contributions to the intelligence mission," said Ronald Graham, a member of F.T.V.A. and a Training Development Manager and Instructor in the 316th Training Squadron. Mr. Graham said organizing this event was a team effort that involved a lot of organizations including the Highland Lakes Squadron, Commemorative Air Force, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, F.T.V.A., Goodfellow Air Force Base, City of San Angelo, EC-47 Association and Mathis Field. "Any time we can help an old warrior, we jump on it and do everything we can," said Mr. Graham. "These are the kind of things F.T.V.A. likes to do. This was the first opportunity we had to do something like this. It all got mapped out through networking." Mr. Siegrist, who celebrated his 70th birthday in May, took part in more than 300 combat missions in Vietnam which earned him the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, said Mrs. Siegrist. During his time in Vietnam they encountered fire all the time but were lucky that none of the hostile fire brought the plane down, she added. "After 9/11, just before his stroke, Mr. Siegrist wrote to the President and volunteered to enter the Air Force once again to serve his country," said Mrs. Siegrist. "Harry loves the Air Force and his country and was very proud to serve." Mr. Siegrist was overwhelmed when he learned that he was going for a ride on the C-47, said Mr. Graham. Even though he barely spoke, you could tell he was the happiest man in the world. When they landed, he had tears in his eyes while he shook everyone's hand. It was a very emotional event for everyone. "This was a very significant event," said Mr. Graham. "Being out there, knowing that the success of the event was made possible because everyone cared enough to pitch in made a big difference not only to the Siegrist family but also to everyone who attended." This will be a lasting memorial for the Siegrists, said Mr. Graham. I was honored to be part of it and I'm glad we were all able to help out in some way. For Mr. Siegrist, that plane ride was the world. It made his day. He was a master sergeant again.
