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enjoy reunion at Hollomanmm ■-mm £ ■Photo from Champlin MuseumBLACK EAGLE REUNION — Lt. Col. Richard Candelaria, center the 435th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron Black Eagles ace, poses with his World War II P-51 crew chief and munitions expert.The three were reunited during a reunion held at Holloman Air ForceHOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE — The 435th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Holloman Air Force Base, held a reunion here during the Memorial Day weekend.“The reunion brought ogether more than 140 Black Eagles past and present along with their families,” said Lt. Col. Henry P. Dolim, 435th TFTS commander. ‘‘This has been one of the most satisfying and heartwarming experiences of my life.”The reunion opened with welcoming remarks by Brig, ien. James F. Record, 833rd Air Division commander, dur-ing a formal retreat ceremony. This ceremony included an AT-38B ‘‘missing man” flyover. Afterward, in the squadron building, there was a memorial dedication to those Black Eagles who fought and died or were captured during World War II.Theftsquadron retireds only ace, Col. Richard Candelaria, was the guest of honor at the reunion. In a special ceremony, Candelaria signed his final combat report, documenting one of the most successful missions of the war. Candelaria shot down four German ME-109s and was credited with a probably kill of an ME-262.A few days later, before he could sign his official report, he was shot down by enemy flak. “I can’t remember everything that happened on that day 40 years ago, but the more I talk about it, slowly it comes back to my memory,” he said. ‘‘I exchanged gunfire with the enemy. I can recall when I scored my first two kills of the enemy who were flying ME-109s and ME-262 fighters. I hit one of the lead aircraft. The other aircraftI shot downcame q three m aircraft.“I feel that I was lucky to ive five air-to-air kills. Theothers were there; they just didn’t run into the aircraft Idid.The events of the second day included tours of the Alamogordo area. The highlight of the evening was the reunion banquet that included more than 140 Black Eagles representing eras from the days of World War II to the F-86 and F-100 days at George AFB, Calif., to the F-104 and F-4 days of Southeast Asia and finally the present AT-38 lead-in fighter training era.Maj. Gen. Joseph Moore, commander of the Lowry Technical Training Center, Colo., delivered the keynote speech for the banquet. He said, “The Black Eagle Squadron has a distinguished record. The members are real warriors.”The final day of the reunion included an aircraft static display and open house. The aircraft on display represented almost every aircraft the unit has flown. They included a P-51 Mustang, F-86, F-100, F-104, F-4D and AT-38. In addition, the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing provided an F-15 aerial demonstration. Other events included tours of the F-15 flight simulator and air combat maneuvering instrumentation facility.The open house concluded with a memorial dedication to the Black Eagles who fought, died and were held prisoner in Southeast Asia. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Black Eagle historical film. The film documented the squadron’s complete 43-year history.‘‘The reunion drew to a close Memorial Day. In every aspect it was a resounding success. These people left with renewed friendships and rekindled spirits. I’m proud to be a Black Eagle and to have a part in this exciting event,” said Dolim.
Newspaper Details
Alamogordo Daily News
Alamogordo, New Mexico, US
Sun, Jun 22, 1986
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Henry D.
AZ, USA 15 Jan 2021
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