Reapers past, present celebrate heritage

  • Published
  • By Morgan Hildebrand
  • 13th Bomb Squadron
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  For more than 100 years, the 13th Bomb Squadron has flown in combat: World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Global War on Terror.

On May 10, our unit hosted three former "Reapers" during the annual heritage day for the presentation of a shadow box to the unit.

The day was packed with storytelling, the sort of stories you never expect to hear face to face. The words were not to inform, but to remember, and each story had a special meaning as it was told. The pride in each man as he told his stories along with his desire to see what had become of the 13th BS since his own service was overwhelming.

The three distinguished guests from the 13th Bomb Squadron Association each served well over their 20 year marks and individually made their own impacts on Reaper history. Retired Col. Robert L. Butterfield, president of the association; retired Chief Master Sgt. Robert Parks, treasurer; and retired Col. Charles J. Brown, each had their own stories to tell.

The squadron, now proudly residing at Whiteman Air Force Base, originated June 14, 1917, in Texas. The shadowbox the men presented held a Royal Australian Air Force flight cap and patches, symbols of remembrance for the time the 13th BS flew with the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II.

To show appreciation to our guests, two of our own outstanding pilots, Capt. Charles Goetz and Capt. Marcus Antonini, led a very personal base tour which included time in the B-2 Spirit simulator as well as a look in the flight deck of the squadron's flagship jet, the Spirit of Mississippi.

A touching moment, and one that likely stands out for all Reapers, was the unveiling of the name added on the front landing gear door of the Spirit of Mississippi.

Here, retired Tech. Sgt. Bill "Orb" Cowan's name was added alongside our commander's, Lt. Col. Jeffery Schreiner, in honor of his contributions to the 13th. Cowan was instrumental in ensuring the 13th BS returned to active status in 2000.

The day closed with Brig. Gen. Thomas Bussiere joining the entire unit at the squadron heritage room for a formal presentation of the shadow box and a few more stories from Butterfield.

An important day for all Reapers, I was honored to participate and be part of all the events. The standout moment for me was when I arrived that morning to greet our visitors and one of the first questions asked of me was, "Did you ever think you would be standing here as a part of history?"

It was the aforementioned retired Colonel Brown asking, and I was in awe from that moment on. Then just before I left for the day, I was stopped by our guests and reminded that I may have only been with the 13th BS since December, but I will be a Reaper for the rest of my life.

"Just when the Numerical Mother gave birth to the original "wee Thirteen" is something we can't discuss, but a modern birthday which we shall never forget is that of a cactus-born squadron on an early June day-and when the christening came no one complained that the number was Thirteen. From then on, it was just a "hobby," a kind of self-inflicted task of ours to disprove the somewhat ancient belief that this number was anything but a good one, and we proudly believe we succeeded!"

That is the opening to a piece of 13th Bomb Squadron Reaper history written by Lt Richards and S.M. Avery, former Reapers.