Honoring those who came before Published June 24, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Austin Knox 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- A multimedia wall exhibit honoring the 6994th Security Squadron's Airborne Radio Direction Finding assembled in the foyer of the Norma Brown Building near the 17th Comptroller Squadron here June 13. In 1967, Goodfellow started the ARDF operator's course and an equipment maintenance course to train members for Vietnam War missions. "ARDF was a method of using aircrews to pinpoint enemy positions by triangulating their low powered radio transmissions," said John V. Garrett, Ph.D., 17th Training Wing historian. "The procedure relied on sophisticated receivers loaded into the back of unsophisticated World War II cargo planes. The C-47's slow speed and reliability made it the ideal platform for the ARDF mission. It was modified to become the EC-47 'Electric Goon', such as the aircraft on display in front of the Norma Brown Building." Goodfellow has memorialized five of the 17 ARDF crewmembers who perished or remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, lending their names to important buildings across the base. The five are Sgt. Peter Cressman, Tech. Sgt. Ray Leftwich, Staff Sgt. Todd Melton, Master Sgt. John Ryon, and Tech. Sgt. Fred Sebers. Plans are being finalized to memorialize a sixth, Sgt. Dale Brandenburg. "It was a known fact that if you were flying with the '94th ... you were a highly qualified crewmember in every aspect of the mission," said retired Chief Master Sgt. Thomas G. Nurre, ARDF operator and the driving force behind the exhibit. This permanent display showcases artifacts, clothing and pictures of service members in the Vietnam War era.
