AWS Nostalgia

C. W. Tazewell

     Looking at the pictures of Asheville and the Weather



Forecaster's School in the recent AWS Observer magazine



brought back many memories.  As you know, I was an "original



member" of the AWS.  I joined the Army Air Corps at Randolph



Field in July 1937, and was first a weather radio operator. 



There were no teletypes then - all weather was by radio.



     I will have to spend some time and get some of the info



together.  I have pictures inside the weather station at



Randolph Field in the 1930s.  I do have some info online -



"One Man's Journey," at http://www.infi.net/~cwt/one-man.txt.



More info is at http://www.infi.net/~cwt/he.html.



     I went to Weather Forecasters School at



Wright-Patterson Field in 1940 when the school was moved to



Chanute.  On graduation I was promoted to Staff Sergeant. 



In those days enlisted weather forecasters were on flying



status, and I had to get my flying time in.  I logged over



500 hours as an observer and radio operator.  Later I got a



commercial multi-engine civilian pilot's license.



     I frequently flew with then Lt. Moorman (retired Lt.



Gen. Thomas S. Moorman, Sr., a past commander of Air Weather



Service and father of the current Vice Chief of Staff of the



Air Force Gen. Thomas S. Moorman, Jr.) ususally in



two-seater trainers.  In March 1939 we went to the San



Francisco World's Fair in BT9 #323.  It took 13:10 hours to



get to Hamilton Field and 12:40 to get back.  I "helped out"



by flying 9:25 hours.  I also "caught a hop" to the New York



Worlds Fair.  I went to the Carnival (Mardi Gras) in Brazil. 



I rode in a B4A Keystone biplane bomber.  



     I was in the Weather Directorate in the Maritime



Building at Washington before the Pentagon was completed,



and was at Gravelly Point and Andrews Field later.  I was



assigned to Asheville when the AWS Hq was there.



     I need to get together with George Chamberlin and fix



up a story about our work at Waller Field, Trinidad in 1942.



     At the suggestion of Freeman Smith I have added a note



to the AWA Internet Page about the triple anniversary in



1997: AWS, USAF and AWA.  I was an original member of the



USAF, also, and was transferred from the Regular Army to the



Regular Air Force when the USAF was formed.



     We need to get more news about the AWA and AWS online -



an "Online Newsletter" on the AWA Page.  Previews of info to



go in the Observer and info that won't fit due to lack of



space can be included - on current events as well as



history.  AWS Press Releases can be used.



     It would help if we can find a couple of people to be



online news editors - one for AWA news and another for AWS



news.  We are "missing the boat" by not passing more news



and history around.  Sharing personal and professional



experiences would increase the feeling of belonging by AWS



and AWA people.



     (Editor's Note:  The above was published in the Air



Weather Service OBSERVER, November 1996, p. 5 & 18, through



the cooperation of Chief Master Sgt. Jim Hoy, Air Force



Weather Superintendent of Weather, in his column "Enlisted



View," "Anniversaries Abound: A Chance To Get Involved In



The Celebrations.")  (Note from Chief Hoy: The following is



an E-mail I received from retired Lt. Col. Calvert "Bill"



Tazewell.  I thought you might like to read it.  I think



you'll find it interesting, helping to understand how we got



to where we are.  It adds some information that follows up



on last month's article about the Air Force's 50th



Anniversary, Air Weather Service's 60th Anniversary, and Air



Weather Association's 10th Anniversary.)  (Magazine Editor's



Note: Colonel Tazewell is the creator and webmaster of the



Air Weather Association's homepage on the World Wide Web.)