"Back at the Gap" BACK AT THE GAP Major General Frank H. Smoker, Jr. (USAF, Retired) ’52 Governor’s Day star-spangled spectacle 22nd in a series Following my graduation from Air Force pilot training in March 1952 where I flew the F-51 aircraft, I resumed full-time duty with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and was assigned as administrative assistant to Colonel Robert Boden, Commander, Headquarters, Pennsylvania Air National Guard and Deputy Adjutant General for Air, at IGMR. Prior to going to pilot training, I had served with Colonel Boden who was then 53rd Fighter Wing Commander stationed at the Harrisburg State Airport. I knew him as an outstanding officer and pilot. Indeed, as a new pilot, I learned a lot from him as we frequently flew Governor John Fine to numerous places throughout the state in the C-47 aircraft (and in all sorts of weather, I might add). In addition to flying with Colonel Boden, we formed a very good team in the Pennsylvania Air Guard headquarters and I always valued my association with Colonel Boden since he gave me the opportunity to be on the “ground floor” (no pun intended) to help develop the fairly new Pennsylvania Air Guard during its fledgling beginning. During the early 1950’s, the Pennsylvania Air Guard had three fighter groups equipped with F-51 Mustang fighters, the famed aircraft that protected our B-17 and B-24 bombers as they flew strategic missions over Germany during World War Two. The F-51’s now had a ground support mission and we needed an air to ground range for training. Permission was received from the Second Army for the building of this gunnery range in the artillery range corridor on the military reservation between Blue Mountain and Second Mountain, and funds were procured from the National Guard Bureau. Construction began on October 1953 and, as recorded in the Air Guard history, “was supervised by Colonel Robert C. Boden and Major Frank H. Smoker, Operations Staff Officer, Headquarters Pennsylvania Air National Guard.” The first air-to-ground gunnery mission was flown November 17, 1953. My office was in the same headquarters building with the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania, Major General Frank A. Weber, and I came in daily contact with him. Thus began my career at Indiantown Gap. Working as Colonel Boden’s assistant, I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment. However, General Weber was an extremely demanding person who practiced ultra-micro management and being under his watchful eyes made life very interesting at times! General Weber was of the World War One “old school”. For example, he always demanded that vehicles be lined up exactly in a perfect formation when he was inspecting them. So when it came time for General Weber to inspect the new air-to-ground range, we had all the range vehicles perfectly lined up. For that we got high scores, never mind how well the F-51 pilots may have scored on the gunnery range. He declared the range to be an outstanding success. Another pet idea of his was that all the garbage cans had to have lime sprinkled around the base of the cans for sanitary purposes, after all, they did that during the first war. So when I learned that General Weber was going to make a visit to our Air Guard training site at Spaatz Field in Reading, I would call ahead and announce his visit. Lacking lime for this purpose, our cooks would spread flour on the ground around the garbage cans, thus insuring a successful visit. In June 1952, General Weber was promoted to lieutenant general and he declared that Sunday, August 24, during the 28th Division’s field training, would be Governor’s Day. Governor John Fine was extremely proud of the Pennsylvania National Guard. He attended nearly every event ever held at Indiantown Gap while he was in office, and he was always present to review the troops and present awards during the Governor’s Day celebrations. Many dignitaries were invited, including U.S. Senators and Congressmen, high ranking Army and Air Force generals, local leading citizens such as mayors and councilmen who were treated to a special luncheon at the Officers Club, followed by the flyover and review. During the 1952 Governor’s Day, the massed color guards, troops of the 28th Division and the four bands formed along the base of Blue Mountain, actually behind a knoll north of the runway out of sight of the dignitaries and spectators in bleachers on the south side of Muir Field parade ground. When the program began, the parade ground was completely vacant except for four howitzers off to the side that would subsequently fire a salute to the Governor, the Commander-in-Chief. The visitors could faintly hear the drums beat and band music which gradually grew louder and louder. Then across the field, the spectators could see the tips of flags rising behind the knoll and as the color guards rose over the knoll, it was a magnificent sight as the American flags and the military colors and guidons came into sight. Then, behind this colorful formation came four military bands, including the 28th Division Band and the 533rd Pennsylvania Air Guard Band, and two bands from the Regular Army. These bands and over five thousand soldiers of the 28th Division were in a line abreast formation as they rose over the hill, marched across the runway, and proceeded onto the parade ground amid the applause of the 30,000 visitors. It was a stunning performance. Speeches and awards presentations were made and the four 105 millimeter howitzers pieces fired a 19 gun salute in honor of Governor Fine. The Governor and the specially honored dignitaries, Lt. Gen. Edward H. Brooks and Medal of Honor winner Lt. Gen. Leon W. Johnson, mounted a jeep and trooped the line prior to the start of the review. To conclude the parade, the Governor as Commander-in-Chief gave the order to “Pass in review”. The coordination of the bands and the manner in which they were fused into the line of march was a major accomplishment in itself. Color guards and soldiers and colorful guidons thrilled spectators as battalions after battalions strode past the reviewing stand. Air National Guard units, their cotton khakis set off this year, for the first time, by the black shoes and the blue hat and belt of the new Air Force uniform, stepped smartly behind the Army Guard. Even as the troop review was in progress, however, the second, and most spectacular part of the Governor’s Day review was in the making behind a small hill overlooking the Muir Field parade ground. Two echelons of M-4 medium tanks from the 104th Armored Cavalry Regiment, with an M-24 light tank in the lead, had been parked on the reverse slope since the previous day. Still out of sight of the crowd, the commander instructed his men that as soon as the last troops passed the reviewing stand and the 28 F-51 fighters flew over in mass formation, the attack would begin. Engineers had set charges all along the crest of the ridge and so when the fighters came back in flights of four to “strafe” the advancing tanks for their bomb runs, the engineers set off the charges to simulate exploding bombs. That was the signal for the tanks to begin the attack. The noise was deafening as the tanks lurched forward and dispensed exploding charges and smoke grenades. White smoke belched from their gun turrets and flames spat out of the anti-aircraft .50 caliber machine guns. The battle joined for 15 minutes. Then with suddenness that surprised the already awe-struck crowd, the tanks formed up in a column and roared off the field in triumph. General Weber had scored another first! It may not seem possible, but the Governor’s Days to follow in 1953 and 1954 were even more spectacular. -- 30 -- Published in the Lebanon Daily News Wednesday, 8 September 2004 © 2004 Frank H. Smoker, Jr. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission of the author. Go "Back at the Gap" Index