15th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

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A 'FOWL' ERROR

I read the article "Hudson River Hero" (15th Anniversary Issue of Torch, page 32) about U.S. Airways Capt. Chesley Sullenberger's aviation skills with great interest, but I can't resist the urge to correct one common error. His aircraft intercepted a flock of Canada geese, not Canadian geese (as indicated in the first paragraph of the story, within the fourth line). Geese do not have any nationality, even if they are hatched in Canada.

Lt. Col. James Bahosh
McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.

Thank you for catching our "fowl" error. We appreciate your feedback.

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SERVING THE 'MOVERS AND SHAKERS'

Our office received the Special Anniversary Issue of Torch Magazine, titled "Our First 15 Years."

It's a wonderful edition!

I work for the Air University Foundation. We are a non-profit organization and our sole purpose is to support Air University and its programs. We schedule a meeting of our trustees twice a year. Our trustees include the mayors of Montgomery and Prattville, Ala., retired general officers who are actively involved in the local community, as well as most of the "movers and shakers" in the tri-county area. We are going to include a copy of your anniversary issue in each trustee's welcome packet.
It's a great vehicle to get the Air Force story out to a large segment of the tri-county area. I have a background in newspapers and magazines, so I have a real appreciation for the awesome job the Torch staff does. Thanks for the support!

Ann Easterling
Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

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WORST DRUNK DRIVING MISHAP IN HISTORY

I encouraged all the members of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing to read the article "Painful Past" in the Special Anniversary Issue of Torch, pages 12-14. It is a good read and makes you think.

I was at Fort Knox, Ky., in May 1988 when the worst drunk driving accident in U.S. history killed 27 kids and parents from Radcliff, Ky., as they were coming back from a church trip to Kings Island, Ohio. I will never forget the devastating impact this had on the entire community -- some lost their entire family. I also will never forget the spot on I-71 southbound where they died -- the heat was so intense from the fire, it even melted the surface of the interstate.

The Torch article recounts this story from the perspective of an Air Force couple who lost a daughter in that horrific crash.

Lt. Col. Kenneth E. Tilley
Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan

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A DUAL 'CHARGE'

I read your 15th Anniversary Issue of Torch and was impressed with the quality of the stories you've printed over the years.

I particularly enjoyed reading two articles: "Charged Sarge" (page 16) and "Charles in Charge" (page 22).

It is amazing that Ray McKinney ("Charged Sarge") survived being struck by lightning while outside puffing on a cigarette. And as a former smoker, I had to laugh when he so comically summed up his ordeal: "Yeah, I eventually quit smoking. ... And I gave up cigarettes, too." Believe me, at one point in my life, a lightning strike would have been the only thing that would have gotten me to put down my cigarettes.

Additionally, I got goose bumps when I read about Tech. Sgt. Chuck Fouch's heroic efforts to save his neighbor from that apartment fire ("Charles in Charge"). Obviously, an angel guided him through the black smoke and fire that day.

Ann Treadwell
Via e-mail