THE DAYTON FAC MEMORIAL
AT THE
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Memorial Park
This memorial will be dedicated during the 2006 Reunion in Dayton at 1700 on Thursday 5 Oct 2006 We have made a special effort to invite the families of all those who served, especially those who lost loved ones.
(Click on the pictures below to see an expanded view)
Front Side Back Side
Norb Halas' artwork provided us with the concept for the memorial.
A word about how the Dog Tag concept came about. In the Spring of 2004 Stacy Hansen found the dog tag of KIA Covey FAC, Rick Meacham in Viet Nam. After seeing a note on the FACNET we contacted Stacy and asked about Rick's dog tag. Stacy's goal is to return the tags, first to the owner (if they are still living,) then to the family of KIA/MIAs and in the event neither is available, she offered Rick's tag to the FAC Association because we knew him. Incorporating the Dag Tag theme into a memorial seemed to be a fitting way to bring closure. Stacy reported that she found Rick's daughter, Mindy Meacham and Rick's dog tag now is home with her. Mindy is planning on being at the Reunion and if Stacy can make it there will be a formal presentation of Rick's dog tag as part of the dedication ceremony.
In addition to Stacy's work with dog tags, at the 2004 Memorial Day service at the Dayton Vietnam Veterans Memorial I met Judy Powell, twin sister of KIA Barky FAC John Powell. Judy was wearing John's tags for the special event and she is on the Dayton VietNam Veteran's Memorial Committee. Judy has joined the 2006 FAC Reunion Committee and is on the Memorial Committee. She thought the Dag Tag a fitting tribute to inscribe the names and she did feel strongly that the names had to be inscribed. My friend Dave and I made five models of different concepts incorporating the dog tag theme. As we showed the models to various people (from the Reunion Committee, the NMUSAF., the monument company and my friends) one of the designs seemed to leap out as the preferred approach. That concept is the physical memorial we are proposing.
Another issue is what is the memorial to be a memorial to? After FACNET and other inputs it has been decided that we will limit the scope to those who served and died in SEA. In that regard it will be parallel to the Hurlburt Memorial. Although the stories of FACs starts a long time ago and there were FAC heros in WW-II, Korea Afghanistan and Iraq, this will be to our fallen comrades from SEA. Again the theme - "All Gave Some - But Some Gave All" will be applicable. Terry Aitken is now the Curator of the NMUSAF and we will be holding further discussions on displays of FAC related material around the FAC related aircraft.
Why another expensive
Memorial? The reason for another memorial is that the National Museum or the
United States Air Force generates 1.3 million visitors each year, far above what
will ever stop at any of the other sites. The expected budget for this effort
will be about $30,000. $25,000 is the limit on the memorial, $2,500 will go to
the AF Museum as a maintaincence trust fund and the balance will cover the
dedication and miscellaneous expenses associated with the project. Judy tell us
that the first $3,000 has already been received and at least another $500
pledged. It is important that all the funds be collected prior to Sept 2005
because the monument has to be paid for before construction starts. Please be
generous in you support. Contributions may be sent to:
FAC Memorial Fund
C/O Fred Pumroy
1849 Southlawn Drive
Fairborn, OH 45324
As we looked carefully at the other memorials in the Memorial Park it was apparent that a memorial had to have certain physical characteristics to look good for a long time and survive the weather and birds. We tweaked the design to optimize the longevity and looks. That is the reason for the apex top - so that the birds don't perch and if they do it washes off. A real world concern. The AF Museum also has certain requirements which must be included in the design/site (handicap access/wheelchair access and foundations for benches if they are to be incorporated at some time in the future.) Their concerns have been incorporated. Picture of the model and then a PhotoShop version of what it might look like on the site. You will note that the dog tag theme has been carried through to include the base as well as the vertical portion of the monument.
The proposed material is black granite, with polished surfaces. Art work will be either sandblasted or laser etched. The sloped areas on the base will include the unit patches (not the call signs like Nail, Rustic, Covey - Sorry guys. In the future you will be able to add benches with your call sign info.) On the face we will have room for our story, much like the Hurlburt Memorial.
Dog Tag Concept
The Dog Tag is a recognized symbol of military service and many times they were recovered and presented to family members. The concept is that of the Dog Tag at rest, leaning against his comrades in arms. The story of FACs and a little about our history will go on the vertical stones. Unit patches of the 504th TASG and the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd TASS will go on the sloped area of the base. Please feel free to e-mail me with details that you think we need to include (zotthefac@ameritech.net.)
| Element | Height | Width | Thickness | Material | ||
| MONUMENT TABLET | 5' | 8' 6" | 10" | POLISHED BLACK GRANITE (IN ONE PIECE) | ||
| THE SUB-BASE | 10' | 1' 4" | 8" | POLISHED BLACK GRANITE - WITH THE DROP WASH | ||
| BOTTOM BASE | 10' | 1' 8" | 10" | GRAY GRANITE W/ROUGH CUT EDGES |
Currently there are two Proposals
Here are the two main concepts. In one we would have the
black face with the white letters and in the other the letters would be shiny
black and the background would be white. Other details are still being looked
at and the artwork is just pasted in from the Hurlburt Memorial. The primary
issue at this point was to make sure we had enough real estate on the Dog Tag to
get all the names. We have also pitched the Dog Tag down so the names would be
easier to read.
Proposed FAC Memorial Site at the AF Museum
The initial monument will be set on a dog tag shaped concrete base that is sufficiently large to allow future addition of benches and still support handicap access around the memorial. The Vertical dog tag section will contain the names of the KIA/MIA which will allow people to touch the names of their loved ones as they can with the Wall in Washington, DC.
Model from above showing dog tag
theme in base
For those who have never seen the Hurlburt Memorial, here is a link to pictures
This is a link to the remarks made at the dedication of the Hurlburt Memorial