Dear Vicki,

     My name is Roger D. James, and I was stationed with your Dad at McChord AFB.  The time that I was there was 1970.  I'd gone to McChord on a Base of Preference (BOP) reenlistment because I was getting married.  I only stayed 10 months then went to VietNam. 

     Memory fades, but as I remember your Dad got there in the Summer.  I think he'd been in TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) before.  TACP was one of the official names for Forward Air Controllers (FAC's), they had flying officers and Ground Radio Repairmen like your Dad.  I was only there a short time, I'd just gotten married and your Dad was a quiet guy so I can't share any "wild and wooly" stories.  We were two of the lower ranking individuals on a small team so we did a lot of the grunt work together.  I remember in particular helping Gene with packing parachutes and I vaguely remember giving him some pointers on putting his field gear together for CCT missions. 

     I guess the only story I have about your Dad was that he and I "acquired" a small parachute from a training bundle and rigged it up to hold a small rubber duck (a kids bathtub play toy) in position like a jumper.  The song "Rubber Ducky" was either popular or for some other reason we got this idea.  Anyway, I would put the Rubber Duck and parachute between me and my reserve parachute and jump with it.  After I was open and coming down I would let the Rubber Duck out and try to follow it to the ground by steering my canopy to follow the fast moving rubber ducky.  Your Dad and I played with this rubber ducky thing for about two weeks.

     I'm sorry to hear of Gene's passing.  My memories are few, but they are good memories of a strong silent man.  When you visit his gravesite, tell him "RD" remembers his brother from CCT.

Roger D. James (RD were my "working initials" in CCT)
LM-286 in the Combat Control Associatio