Photos-25

Sadly today, November 24, 2023, I received word that Frazier Lee Phillips had passed away a few days earlier, on November 16th, due to multiple complications with heart and other systems.  His daughter Teresa just notifed me, and told how he had said he wanted to "make it to 99", and she returned, "why not on to 100?"  She has shared so much of his story that I have posted below, and our thoughts are with his family now.  To my knowledge, he was the last living member of the 841st Ordnance Depot Comapny.

Written on 6 November 2023:
"I am extremely excited to be writing this introduction today, 6 Nov 2023.  I few months back I received an email from Teresa C., daughter of Frazier Lee Phillips.  He was born 8 June 1925, and celebrated his 98th birthday in June this year, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where he has being living for some years.  She has now corresponded and shared family photos. She also mentioned that in speaking to her Dad about my website and seeing the group photo and lists of names, that there was another "Phillips" in the  company.  Even though the Roster only had one listed, the Steenwyk list has two, but no first name.  She notes that her Dad had written memoirs a while back.  But now, because of my interest and inquiries, he has spoken about some of his memories of the men and 841st company.  I will share excerpts from his memoirs here."

"In September 1943, (just turned 18), I was drafted into the U.S. Army, weighing only 105 pounds, and went to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for basic training.  Basic training time was shortened and we learned our jobs in the operation of a mobile supply company in a total of sixteen weeks.  Our company was the "841st Ordinance Depot Company" (supplies and support staff). 

In March 1944, our company was crossing the Atlantic Ocean on our way to England.  We were on a liberty ship and the Atlantic was rough sailing.

Fifty-one days after D-Day landings, we arrived in Omaha sector of Normandy in France trying to keep up with General Patton's Third Army.  We were in France, Luxembourg, and Germany.  I carried a 30 caliber Carbine weapon during this time.  The war ended in Europe in May 1945, when we were at Rhine River.

I was back home on a delay-in-route to California and the Far East, on my way to Camp Cooke, California (now Vandenberg AFB), when the war with Japan ended, in August 1945.  In November 1945, I was discharged and returned home.

In September 1947, I enlisted in the Air Force at Opelika, Alabama.  On 18 September 1947, I was in the Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

On 23 December 1948, Mary Jo Birdsong and I were married in Fairfax, Alabama.  Mary Jo stayed at home for a while after our marriage.  Our first home was an apartment on Martha Street in Montgomery, Alabama.  While I was at Maxwell AFB, we lived in three different locations in Montgomery and in a converted barracks on base.  My son Mike and my daughter Gail were born at the base hospital on Maxwell AFB.  Mike was born on February 28, 1950, and Gail was born on February 9, 1953.  On 24 December 1967, my son Keith was born at the base hospital on Eglin AFB.

In 1954, I volunteered for an overseas assignment to South Korea.  My assignment was at Fifth Air Force Headquarters near Seoul.  In 1955, Fifth Air Force moved to Japan in Nagoya.  In September 1955, I left Japan and was assigned to Headquarters Tactical Air Command near Hampton, Virginia.  We lived in an apartment near the base.

My re-enlistment date in September 1956 was coming up.  For re-enlistment, I could send requests to three bases.  I was trying to get back into Alabama or Florida, however, my requests had been denied.  I still had one chance left.  Tactical Air Command had a bomb wing at Eglin Auxiliary Field Nine, Florida.  A captain in personnel found a vacancy in my AFSC and rank at this base and helped to get my transfer approved.  In August 1956, I was assigned to 17th Bomb Wing, Eglin Auxiliary Field Nine.  We lived in a house on Beal Street in Fort Walton Beach. 

While in the Air Force between the years of 1947 and 1957, I also served in the classified, top secret document area.

On 19 September 1956, I re-enlisted at the 17th Bomb Wing.  In 1957, the 17th Bomb Wing was moving overseas to England.  Also, my AFSC was selected to change into a new career field.  We were given three choices: weather, reciprocating engines, or jet engines.  

I was selected for the job of mechanic on reciprocating engines and this was my third choice.  I went to Chanute AFB, Illinois, for training.  When our training was over, our new assignment could be at any base.

Within two weeks of training completion, a friend at Eglin AFB took a courier flight to Washington D.C. and got me an assignment back to Eglin AFB with the 3205th Drone Squadron at Duke Field.  After arriving back in Fort Walton Beach and my assignment to 3205th Drone Squadron, Duke Field, we moved from Beal Street into base housing on Eglin AFB.  We lived at 9A Choctaw Road and 28A Choctaw Road.  

After I reached career Five Level at Drone Squadron, I was transferred to 3211th Field Maintenance Squadron for Seven Level training.  After I obtained Seven Level, I was selected to transfer into Quality Control, 3201st Maintenance Group.

In June 1964, we bought our home at 405 Potomac Street, Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  In December 1964, I was selected for an overseas assignment to Turkey.

On 31 December 1965, I retired at 1611th Air Base Group, McGuire AFB, New Jersey.  The next day I was back home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. "