63rd Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB 'question of the day'

[Holden McGroin]

Ok, I received an e-mail saying the following was true.

I checked it out breifly, and found the 63rd is at Luke , and mall name is true, so it might be a true story.

"Here's the 'question of the day' for Luke Air  Force Base," the whining civilian wrote.  "Whom do we thank for the morning  air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16  jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at  approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom  Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress  the cashiers at Mervyns' early-bird special?  Any response would be  appreciated."

The swift reply came as follows in a letter to the  same newspaper:

Regarding A WAKE-UP CALL FROM LUKE'S JETS (Letters,  Thursday): On June 15, 2005, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly-timed four-ship flyby  of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the  grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques.

Capt. Fresques, 26, of Clarkdale, AZ, who was  previously stationed at Luke AFB, was assigned to  the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla. at the time of his death.  Also killed with Capt. Fresques in the May 30, 2005 crash of an Iraqi Air  Force plane on a training mission in eastern Diyha Province were: Maj. William Downs, Capt. Derek Dargel and S/Sgt. Casey Crate.

At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends  gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband,  son and friend. 

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby,  and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the rifle salute, the  playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I  gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and  all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they  have endured.

A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the  Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom.  We are  professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the  letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate  respects.

The letter writer asks, "Whom do we have to thank  for the morning air show?"  The 58th Fighter Wing will forward your  thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and "thank" them for you, for  it was in the captain's honor that my pilots flew the most honorable mission of  their lives.
 
     Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
     CO 63rd Fighter Squadron
     Luke Air Force Base, Arizona

[Maverick]

It is true, it was in June of 2005.

Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/wakeup.asp

There was also an apology letter to the editor from the person who wrote the original complaint. Since his name and all was on the original letter he got severely "burned" over the incident and his whiney complaint.

[Elfie]

I witnessed a fly by for a friend of mine who died in the back seat of an F-15B while he was getting an incentive flight. Russ Johnson was incredibly excited to finally get his ride scheduled, but his plane never came home.

The fly by for a good friend of mine was probably one of the most moving experiences of my life.