L to R above:  Alma Villezcas,  Dr. Kathleen Martin, Ric Lambart, Roy Mantei,  Col. Ira Cline

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  Trustee Megan Wenzel studying Centennial proposals and Plans   –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –

                                                     Colonel Cline stretches his legs during a short break

                                            Colonel Cline and VP Mantei discussing plans for next year.

                                               Colonel Cline and VP Mantei during a break

                                                    Ira and Roy Order Lunch from Brooke Jacobsen

–  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  L to R: VP Roy Mantei, Pres. Ric Lambart, Trustee, Col. Ira Cline  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  –  – 

VP, Dr. Martin enjoying a fresh cup of java.

Treasurer, Alma Villezcas during break

Above, thanks to the candid camera work of Aerodrome Editor, July McClure, you see a few of your Trustees caught during a high pressure planning session for the 2016 Centennial Event. The five hour jam session finally adjourned, but only after a fine meal, courtesy of a local FASF member donor – but also thanks to the hospitality of local Inn owner, Van Jacobsen, of New York, who helped make the event successful. Before convening the session, the Trustees enjoyed exploring the extraordinary collection of old wild western memorabilia Mr. Jacobsen has collected in over 30 years of operating his renown and unique restaurant, The Adobe Deli.

FASF Trustee, Colonel Cline’s Air Force ROTC Cadets joined forces with Colonel David McCoy’s NMSU Army ROTC Cadets to march in the 113th colorful annual President’s Day Parade at NMSU’s Hadley Field on the NMSU campus Horshoe Drive.  FASF members Colonel Alan Fisher and Ric Lambart were invited to view the passing of the troops.  The US Army Band from Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas, provided the marching cadence with their well performed martial music.  Photos below are courtesy of NMSU Journalism student Rosemary Woller, the FASF Aerodrome Staff, and Col. Alan Fisher, long time FASF member.

Above: Colonel Cline greets 1st honored guests to arrive early: L to R above: Col. Cline; Mrs. Baker, US Navy Captain Walter Baker, Ret.; Mrs. Mary Reinhart, and Lt. Colonel James Harbison, US Army Ret.

Getting ready to Review NMSU ROTC Cadets are, L to R: Ben Woods, President of the NMSU Aggie Development Corp and Assistant to the NMSU President; Lt. Col. David McCoy, US Army ROTC Commander; Lt. Col. Ira Cline, USAF, AFROTC Commander; Brigadier General Juan Griego, US Army, and Chief Sergeant Major, Lance Lehr, US Army.

L to R above: In Red NMSU Jacket, Mr. Jay Rivera and his brother, Capt. Joshua Rivera,  (both on the Army ROTC’s Staff) with Cadets in Foreground: Army cadet LTC Jarred Green, AF Cadet Colonels Katie Armstrong, and Peter Smith, Army Cadet COL Tessa Thompson, and AF Cadet Lt. Col. Brad Ward.

L to R inspecting the assembled Cadets are President Ben Woods, Colonel David McCoy, Colonel Ira Cline, and Army Cadet Colonel Tessa Thompson.

Passing in Review are the combined ROTC Color Guard, with L to R above: AF Cadet Weston Stutzman; Army Cadet Sergeant First Class Brian Webb; AF Cadet Capt. Victor Acosta; Army Cadet 2nd LT Krista Gatan, Air Force Cadet Angelica Helton; Army Cadet 2nd LT Richard Buck.

Leading the “Pass in Review” of all the ROTC units are the top Officer Cadets above, L to R: Army Cadet Capt. Eric Paul; Army Cadet LTC Jarred Green, Air Force Cadet Colonel Katie Armstrong; Army Cadet COL Tessa Thompson; Air Force Cadet Col. Peter Smith (hidden behind Cadet Thompson); and Air Force Cadet Col. Brad Ward.

     Above, Army ROTC Cadet Captain Polly Raley saluting the Colors – Photo by Rosemary Woller of NMSU

Our own FASF member, Colonel Alan Fisher, who was once the Commanding Officer of the NMSU AFROTC – and who actually pinned his new 2nd Lt. Bars on now Trustee Colonel Ira Cline’s uniform at his graduation from NMSU’s AFROTC many years ago, strikes a pose with his friend and honored guest at the President’s Review, Retired Navy Captain Walter Baker.

Not to lose out on the photo ops, Colonel Alan Fisher insisted on taking this shot (above) of FASF President Ric Lambart, after he had compared experiences with Capt. Baker about his own short 3 year career in the US. Navy. Colonel Cline is in background (R) with his young son, Nathan.

Photo (above) of Platoon of Colonel Cline’s Air Force Detachment 505’s Cadets was taken by NMSU journalism student, Rosemary Woller.

Above are Deming High School Shop and FFA Instructor, Larry VonTress, on Left, and FASF VP Roy Mantei in center, with FASF Trustee, Megan Wenzel at far right. They are examining the class built steel sign for the FFA Department, a marker that has successfully weathered many, many hot New Mexican summers and the blazing sun.

FASF VP, Roy Mantei, and Trustee Megan Wenzel met with Deming High School (DHS) Teachers this past week to explore ways of further involving our local High School students as volunteers with the FASF, particularly in readiness for the upcoming FAS Centennial events of next year.

Above are Shop Teacher, Larry VonTress and FASF Trustee, Megan Wenzel, discussing their common interest in the Future Farmers of America (“FFA”) organization and Megan’s own experiences with the activity during her own Elementary and High School years.

Joining the conversation, on left, is FASF VP, Roy Mantei. Mr. VonTress is showing Roy and Megan some of the fine professional caliber work done by his students, as evidenced by the high quality workmanship seen in the large white flatbed trailer just completed by his class.

One of the stated missions of the FASF is to work with and help inspire young people to work productively in volunteer activities outside their normal school responsibilities. Such extracurricular activities have long proven to be fertile grounds for the development of excellent leadership and citizen participatory skills, which is why the FASF is putting so much effort into these projects that involve young students. Some of today’s FASF student volunteers could one day become the active leadership of the Foundation.

In the first three (3) photos from the top of this page, you can see Roy and Megan discussing the construction capabilities offered by DHS’s FFA and Shop students, under the direction of Larry VonTress, who teaches those skills to his students. They are standing by the Class’ outdoor welded sign. While at High School in Grants, NM, Megan was an active FFA participant and award winner, so she is more than familiar with Mr. VonTress‘ activities and his students’ potentials. This teacher’s students have already constructed some well-known and very professional looking memorials here in Luna County and Deming. Megan and Roy are exploring how Mr. VonTress‘ class might possibly help build the new Entrance Gateway to the Foundation’s FAS Airfield in Columbus.  In the second two photos, above, Larry is showing Megan and Roy an example of the actual professional quality of which his students are capable. They are looking over a full-sized flatbed trailer recently built entirely by Mr. Von Tress’ students. The skills with which instructor’s students are trained range from automotive repair, to welding and construction.  Other students at DHS, under the direction of George Wertz, are engaged in actual hands-on Construction Trades training, even building actual homes in Deming for the High School’s Teaching staff.  These homes are of high quality construction and remarkably attractive, as well.

Left to Right: U.S. Army Major Andres Leday, FASF Trustee Megan Wenzel, and, Right, FASF VP, Roy Mantei, in the Headquarters Building of the Junior ROTC (JROTC) on the Deming High School campus.

Megan and Roy also spent considerable time discussing volunteer possibilities with the Junior ROTC Unit at DHS. They covered various possibilities with U.S. Army Major Andres Leday, who is the commandant of the 5th Brigade’s Wildcat Battalion Cadets. The principal thrust of the JROTC function at DHS is directed towards leadership training, of which volunteering is always a significant factor.

Major Leday explaining how his Cadets undergo their leadership training along with some of the unique experiences membership in the JROTC otherwise provides his Cadets. On the right, along the wall, you can see the rifle rack. The JROTC unit at DHS has its own shooting team, and it has won numerous top honors, as can be seen by some of the trophies proudly on display above the gun rack, in the photo below. Megan is an avid rifle shooting enthusiast and hobbyist, so had many questions of Major Leday.

Above and below, Major Leday, Megan and Roy discuss some of the opportunities for leadership training experience offered for Deming High School Students who volunteer for various FASF projects and activities.

There are only eleven months remaining before the FASF will find itself deeply engaged in putting on the once-in-a-lifetime FAS Centennial Celebration in the Spring of 2016. Much needs to be done. The 75th anniversary of the raid itself drew some 25,000 visitors to Columbus!

The U.S. Border Patrol’s Honor Guard presented the colors at this morning’s 99th anniversary memorial to the infamous raid on Columbus by Mexican General Francisco “Pancho” Villa on March 9, 1916 – On Columbus Historical Society’s Kiosk podium are, L to R: City Councilman, Bruce D’Salas; Rev. Susan Hutchins; Chuck Hargrave, Columbus American Legion Commander; Sam Sadler of Deming and Paul Nimick of Columbus.

A number of local and some more distant New Mexicans and Texans gathered at the grounds of the Columbus Historical Society in downtown Columbus this morning to commemorate the devastating raid on the town that took place in the early morning hours of this same day 99 years ago, a raid by Mexican revolutionary General Pancho Villa that served to put the tiny town on the map of U. S. History. By the time the surprise attack had been successfully fought off by the local garrison of US Army troops from the 13th Cavalry, 18 Americans had been murdered and over 80 Mexican raiders had been slaughtered in the ensuing mayhem.

              Paul Nimick, of Columbus, acted as Master of Ceremonies for this 99th Anniversary Memorial

Under a beautiful Spring sky, the ceremonies were led by Master of Ceremonies, Paul Nimick, of Columbus (seen above) and commemorated by Village Trustee Bruce D’Salas (pictured immediately below). Richard Dean, a local resident and President of the Columbus Historical Society (CHS), the annual event’s sponsor, addressed the audience with insightful memories previously recorded by a few of the bloody battle’s surviving widows. Mr. Dean’s own great-grandmother had been widowed by the raid, when her husband was assassinated by the Villistas.

Bruce D’Salas, FASF member and Columbus Trustee, represented the town’s council at the event – immediately behind D’Salas is MC Paul Nimick

Mr. Dean, longtime scion of the tragic events of that fateful day, has guided the CHS for a number of years, and he and his wife, Betty Dean, almost single-handedly resurrected the old Columbus Cemetery from the dust and sage overgrowth of the local desert. It is now one of the town’s pristine sites to visit. Mr. Dean went on to enthusiastically explain the CHS’s plans for next year’s once-in-a-lifetime Centennial Raid Day Event, observing that on the raid’s 75th anniversary, there had been a huge crowd of over 25,000 people in Columbus for that occasion, and he had been an honored guest and spokesman for the historical raid on NBC National Television. Mr. Dean speculated that the Centennial event might easily draw many more visitors than had descended on the small town on the Mexican border 24 years ago, for that special anniversary. The raid on Columbus led to another imprint on U.S. History by the town: It was the first deployment by the American Military of mechanized vehicles; and the first for airplanes, thus bringing the notable title to Columbus as “The Cradle of American Air Power” – which is, of course, the incident that directly lead to the creation of our own FASF.

 Part of the Ceremony was the poignant roll call of both the military victims of the raid and of the civilians. Leading the call from the podium was Sam Sadler of Deming (pictured in the second photos below), and Chuck Forgrave of Columbus, Commander of the Columbus American Legion Post.

After the memorial service was completed, several of the key guests from El Paso met with the Dean’s at their Columbus home to discuss and plan for the Centennial event and for a new Website for the CHS. The U.S. Border Patrol Color Guard presented the colors for the morning’s service and the Invocation was given by Reverend Susan Hutchins, of Columbus.

 Richard Dean, above, President of the Columbus Historical Society, gave the main address to the crowd of attendees

   Sam Sadler, of Deming, NM, helped lead the roll call for those who lost their lives in the bloody raid on the town

After the ceremonies concluded, some of the attendees and special guests gathered to talk shop, including these four Columbus history and FASF buffs:  Above are pictured, L to R: FASF VP Roy Mantei, FASF Advisor, Dr. Robert Bouilly; Major George Armendariz , Retired US Army Special Forces and Special Ops Intel officer, and Rene Rodela, both from El Paso and well-known mentors for young El Paso High School Students who excel in American History.  The El Pasoans are helping design a modern cutting edge Website for the CHS.

After the ceremonies at the CHS facilities in Columbus, Mr. Dean (L) and his wife, Betty, retired to his home, where they hosted some of their honored guests and discussed plans for next year’s big Centennial event with Major Armendariz (center) and Mr. Rodela (right), both of whom are helping the CHS President plan the new CHS website.  Mr. Rodela is a website designer by profession and manages his firm in El Paso.

Betty Dean (L) chats with FASF VP, Roy Mantei in the Dean Kitchen.  The FASF hopes to  assist its sister local non-profit, the CHS, get ready for the coming year’s big event and hopes to coordinate their respective activities for the Centennial celebration.  Mantei and his companion FASF VP, Dr. Kathleen Martin, are official Liaison Officers to the CHS and are both active members of that organization as well as the FASF.

                          Richard Dean (L) discussing plans for the Centennial with Major Armendariz (R)

Discussing their joint plans, especially for the new CHS website design and its requirements are Rene Rodela (L); Richard Dean (Center) and Major Armendariz (R)

American and Mexican riders ride North on the Columbus Highway from the Palomas, Mexico, border crossing, where they were let into the U.S. by Border Gate Manager, FASF Trustee, Bill Wallace III. Mexican riders from deep in Mexico joined in this bi-national annual event in this joint Columbus, NM – Palomas, Mexican display of cooperative hands-across-the-border friendship.

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Here, below, is an interesting piece of Columbus history, seen in the town’s weekly newspaper.*

Above is a copy of the upper part of the front page of the Columbus Courier of March 24, 1916, two weeks after the infamous raid on the town by Pancho Villa’s troops.  Enlarged below is a larger view of the above enclosed news notice entitled: “No Need For Alarm.”

This statement was on the front page of the Columbus Currier Newspaper, dated March 24, 1916. Notice that it took three issues of the paper to even make note of the horrible raid of March 9, 1916.  The issues of March 10th and the 17th must have been away at the printers since BEFORE the raid, or they would surely have mentioned the calamity. Imagine the difference between today and then. Today news is posted immediately on the Internet and within a day for daily news media, not two weeks as in 1916.

* The above two newspaper clippings are thanks to the guidance of Dr. Robert Bouilly, Fort Bliss Army Sergeant Major’s Academy Historian and Advisor to the FASF.  These  clippings are from the Library of Congress.  We were lead to them by Dr. Bouilly.

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REMEMBER:  To view any of these photos in full high resolution, simply click on it.

What was once called “Raid Day” but is now known as “Camp Furlong Day” has come and gone once again. We have to thank the numerous FASF volunteers for helping the Day go down in the books as another successful experience in both public education and member recruiting.

Above, L to R, are: FASF Aerodrome Site Survey Leader, Bill Madden, of Las Cruces, NM; FASF VP Roy Mantei, of Deming, NM; FASF members Jon Calder of Alvin, TX and Ray Thomas, of Lubbock, TX; and, kneeling, Russell Schneider;, then standing: John Smith; Louis Gonzales and Ira Pinkston, all of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Our own long time member and professional historian, John Deuble, came all the way down from Albuquerque to give a brand new and insightful featured presentation about the First Aero Squadron at Camp Furlong in 1916-17.  His pictures included some never seen before by some of our FASF members and by other local history buffs.  John explored in some detail the many problems faced by both the young FAS pilots and their support personnel, as they cut their collective teeth on the first sustained combat deployment operation involving American aircraft.  Mr. Deuble even described, along with vintage photos, how local industries came to life out of nowhere, simply because of the unique support needs for the FAS, such as their need for large quantities of fresh ice to feed their newly invented propeller “Humidors.”  These Humidors were needed to protect the propellers from exploding in the air, because they tended to dry out so badly that their wooden laminated propeller structure would literally come unglued.

Here, below, are more photos taken by your Aerodrome staff to help you see what – and who – you might have missed during this weekend celebration.

L to R: FASF Aerodrome Survey Team Leader, Bill Madden; FASF Members Jon Calder and Ray Thomas; and Roy Mantei, FASF VP.

FASF VP, Roy Mantei signing up Ira and Alice Pinkston of the Las Cruces, NM Re-enactor group.

L to R: FASF Historian John Deuble, featured Presenter from Albuquerque, NM, discussing archeological FAS Airfield site photos with Aerodrome Site Team Leader, FASF Member, Bill Madden, of Las Cruces, NM.

L to R: Bill Madden making a point about his work with FASF VP, Dr. Kathleen Martin, of Deming, NM, and FASF Historian, John Deuble, of Albuquerque, NM. (NOTE: John’s new FAS book is expected to be published this year!)

FASF Aerodrome Editor, July McClure setting up her sound equipment in readiness for the musical entertainment that followed. –  At right are John Deuble, Bill Madden and Dr. Kathleen Martin.

L to R above with stacked rifles are: Re-enactors John Smith, Russell Schneider, and Louis Gonzales, all of Las Cruces

L to R above are FAS Members Bill Madden, Roy Mantei and John Deuble, Featured First Aero Squadron Presenter

Pancho Villa State Park Manager and FASF Member, John Read (L) helping FASF Historian and author, John Deuble, set up his presentation. On screen is a 1916 aerial photo taken by an FAS pilot from his Jenny of the airfield’s flight line.

From L to R: John Read operating the slide show’s projector for fellow FASF member, author and historian, John Deuble, who closed the Camp Furlong event with his special presentation about the FAS and its accomplishments, day-to-day operations, tribulations and many innovative new aviation firsts during its days in Columbus 99 years ago.

L to R: Dr. Robert Bouilly discussing FAS Airfield history with Bill Madden near the end of the event.

L to R outside the Camp Furlong Recreation Hall (an original building from the Punitive Expedition Days of a century ago), in which the day’s presentations were made), are John Read, Dr. Robert Bouilly and Bill Madden going over the day’s successful events.

Members Bill Madden, our Aerodrome Site Survey Team Leader, our two Vice Presidents, Dr. Kathleen Martín and Roy Mantei, along with President Ric Lambart, helped manage the FASF display table once again, and Trustee Bill Wallace III played a key role in the event by acting as U.S. Mexican Boarder Crossing Gate Master, as he let the many Mexican caballeros, astride their horses, cross into the U.S. to take part in the celebratory event, some pictures of which you’ve seen above. Our newsletter Editor, July McClure, was again busy entertaining visitors with her musical performance. We even had some of our Texas FASF members, Ray Thomas and Jon Calder, both period Re-enactors, come over from distant Alvin and Lubbock, Texas. They joined up with some of the key 1916 and 1917 Calvary Re-enactors from Las Cruces, NM, to help plan for the big Centennial of celebration of the Birth of American Air Power in 2016.

 Of course, this big day in Columbus wouldn’t have gone as smoothly without another old FASF member, John Read, who again repeated his skilled organizing and management tasks during the event at Pancho Villa State Park, which is where the public educational presentations again took place. Dr. Robert Bouilly, frequent FASF Advisor and the U. S. Army’s Lead Historian at the Sergeant Majors’ Academy on Ft. Bliss, in El Paso, gave a special presentation about the role of the famous Buffalo Soldiers during the Punitive Expedition and of some of their little known exploits, particularly their prowess at the sport of boxing, both before and after this locally historic event of almost a century ago. FASF Membership Chair, Roy Mantei, reports we signed up some more new members, sold some FASF memorabilia, and helped inform a number of visitors about the important role played by the First Aero Squadron – not just 99 years ago, but in both WWI and during the rapid expansion of American Civil Aviation in the 1920’s and 30’s, prior to WWII.

NMSU Professor, Dr. Jon Hunner, below, delivered a colorful and fascinating presentation about how the combat lessons learned in Columbus and in Chihuahua Mexico, during the Punitive Expedition, were helpful to the U.S Army when the U. S. finally entered the bloodbath going on in Europe and so often called at the time,  “the war to end all wars.”  Professor Hunner illustrated how interconnected what took place here out of Columbus turned out to be later over in Europe and even the Middle East, where the great war helped cause the breakup of the old Ottoman Empire into modern-day Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia, etc. – today’s leading area of U. S. long-running wartime involvement.  Dr. Hunner also described how the victory of the Allies over Germany in that devastating war tragically helped lay the seeds that subsequently led to the rise of fascism in Germany, Italy, and Spain – and even of the take over by the Bolsheviks in Russia and the ensuing rise of Communism.

After Dr. Hunner’s treatise is was more clear to many in the audience that the dynamics leading to and following WWI were all intricately interconnected, helping give rise to the greatly changed world of nation states that followed that long conflict – and that consequently also laid the fertile ground that gave rise to both WWII and the worldwide mayhem that has followed that World War.

FASF President, Ric Lambart, paid a visit to the historic Flabob Airport in Riverside, California, to explore the Tom Wathen Center, set up by and named after the the former owner and Chairman of Pinkerton’s, the oldest Security and Detective firm in the world.  Because the FASF also plans to use its future facilites to help inspire and educate local SW New Mexico High School students, it was deemed essential to see how the Wathen Center manages its similar and highly successful vocational educational facilities.

Interestingly enough, Flabob is also one of America’s oldest continuously operated airports, one out of which many of our most famous aviators and race pilots flew.  Its hangars, tarmacs and runways were graced by such aviation greats as Frank Tallman (famous movie stunt pilot, who called it home base), Aerobatic Great, Art Scholl, and famous aircraft designer, Ray Stits, who organized Chapter number 1 of the Experimental Aircraft Association, or EAA.  Chapter #1 is still an active EAA group and helps host some exciting aviation events, such as the Flabob Flying Circus, an impressive gathering and showing of a broad range of vintage airplanes – which take part in both static and flying exhibitions at the field.  You might wonder how the renowned airport came to be known as “FLABOB.”  The answer is simple:  Soon after WWII concluded, it was decided to combine part of the first names of its owners, Flavio Madariaga and Bob Bogen.

Shortly after retiring as CEO of Pinkerton in 1999, Tom Wathen bought old FLABOB, barely saving it from the wrecking ball.  An aviation enthusiast and even called by some, “savior,” Tom also rescued the hi-tech Glasair Manufacturing Corporation of Washington, after it went bankrupt, in 2001.  That company, which he recently sold after turning it around, is now a thriving and highly successful general aviation kit plane maker.

The Wathen Center was set up for the purpose of helping young and mostly disadvantaged local teens get motivated towards various productive careers, sometimes even in the aviation industry. Students in the Center are able to take and active part in helping restore vintage museum caliber airplanes and sometimes even help build homebuilt experimental aircraft, as well.  The Center also hosts an official Riverside Charter School right on the airport property.

Below, several of these student Interns, learning to perform airfield and Center docent roles, walk out to open up their cherished Douglas DC-3 for this FASF visitor’s inspection. The once ubiquitous DC-3 was the backbone of the American Airline industry in the late 1930’s and throughout WWII, as well, during which it was re-named by the Army Air Corps as the “C-47,” or more affectionately, called the “Gooney Bird.” The “Flabob Express” is fully restored and completely operational. This writer had the enjoyable privilege of often flying this veritable twin-engined workhorse, while on active flying duty in the USAF.

Without the last-minute intervention of Tom Wathen, Flabob Airport would have been sold for commercial real estate development as has so unfortunately happened to thousands of similar older U.S. General Aviation Airports since WWII.

Above are two of the student docents leading our way out to the “Flabob Express” vintage DC-3 Airliner.

View of the Flabob DC-3’s “Front Office.” Note the WWII styled “steam gauge” type flight instruments. Present day airliners have large rectangular “glass panels,” which are much like flat screen computer monitors or TV screens.

Above, L to R, are Veronica Nolasco, Tracy Piscopo, Alan Salgado, Kathy Rohm (Tom Wathen Center Program and Tour Coordinator) and James Jordan. All except Kathy are student Interns at the Wathen Center. The group is standing inside the Flabob Airport’s own fully restored and operational DC-3 vintage airliner cabin.

Above, in the Flabob Racing hangar, in its original bright yellow paint, is the famed Schoenfeldt “Firecracker” race plane piloted by renown Lockheed Aircraft Corporation test pilot Tony Levier, back in 1938, when he used it to win the International Air Races at Oakland, CA. Of special note is that the USAF’s one time First Aero Squadron Commander, Major General Patrick Halloran, flew this same replica airship many years later after WWII. Gen. Halloran is also well known for having been one of the few SR-71 Blackbird and early U-2 pilots during his tour as commanding officer of the First Aero Squadron.

Here is our new Aerodrome Editor, July McClure (Above), busy at work on your next edition, which should be out this coming May. July is practicing her formatting and arranging skills on the newly donated large dual screen PC computer installation she recently arranged, to help her get the job done more efficiently and accurately.

Coming from a background in journalism, July is more accustomed to working with Apple Computer Systems, which are the predominant type of desktop publishing equipment found in the printing and journalism fields, as well as in the movie industry, so she’s having to learn new techniques and procedures on our new PC computers.

Prior to taking the helm of the “Aerodrome,” July worked as a photojournalist, primarily in the Southwest. For a number of years she served full-time as a reporter for the Deming, NM Headlight, and she still occasionally produces stories for them on a free-lance basis. She also helped staff the specialty Southwestern magazine, “Desert Winds,” as one of its regular contributors.

Our new Editor graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, while still living in Colorado, but her lifelong love of the theater has kept her consistently playing various roles on stage – and even led her to purchase the well-known dinner stage house in Columbus, the Tumbleweed Theater, which she and her significant other own and operate. Not a slow moving woman, she has also dabbled in local politics, winning a seat on the Columbus City Council on several occasions. She continues to remain active in her community, serving on various boards and commissions.

Almost immediately after joining the First Aero Squadron, July jumped right in by volunteering to help staff our FASF Public Education site at an event. In addition to her love of the theater, Ms. McClure is also an accomplished professional musician, regularly booking and performing in the popular local band, the Desert Trio.

Her late father-in-law, John Two McClure, was a well-known artist from Denver, Colorado who retired to Columbus and painted some highly regarded First Aero Squadron canvas works, which to this day can be found decorating the walls in various local Columbus public facilities and buildings. We hope to have Mr. McClure’s work on display at our future FAS Vintage Aviation Museum, and possibly even for sale.

In addition to her editing work, July also labors at her love of photography, recently taking a fine group photo,  of our new Board gathered together after their regular meeting.  It can be seen in this same “HOT NEWS!” section two stories below, entitled “CREATIVITY AT WORK!“

While she has assembled some new writing talent for the Aerodrome, July, in addition to some of our regular writers from the past, wants it known that she is always looking for more writers to help liven the pages of our FASF quarterly.

While the focus will predominantly remain the history surrounding the local area, in particular the aviation related events that unfolded in Columbus and down into Mexico during the birthing period of American Air Power, other interesting topics of similar inclinations will be met with an enthusiastic welcome.

If you’d like to help us produce the Aerodrome, whether at the publishing and distribution end or by helping with the actual writing of its colorful pages, please contact July at: (575) 494-0009, or at the FASF number, (575) 519-1100, and let her know how you’d like to help.

Pancho Villa State Park (PVSP) Chief Ranger, John Read (L) and FASF Vice President, Roy Mantei (R) at work.

*** Remember – To see any photo full size and resolution, just click on it! ***

While it may be Friday the 13, it’s still a good luck business as usual day for your First Aero Squadron Foundation.

Pictured above (thanks to your Aerodrome staff) is long time FASF member John Read, Left, Manager of New Mexico’s Pancho Villa State Park, and fellow FASF member, Trustee and Vice President, Roy Mantei. Both John and Roy hail from the town of Deming, NM, about 30 miles North of Columbus. John and Roy met to push along planning for both the upcoming Camp Furlong Days event, March 7th, and also to continue planning for the once-in-a-lifetime Centennial of the Birth of American Air Power, the Spring of next year.

If you can possibly do so, try and schedule the morning and early afternoon of this upcoming Saturday, March 7, to take in the Camp Furlong festivities in Columbus. If you’ve never had the pleasure and sheer fun of attending this annual event, you’ve missed out on a good day of festive fun and colorful New Mexican history. There will be the traditional Raid Day Cabalgata, the parading of hundreds of horses from both Mexico and the States through the Columbus streets, which will all terminate for the first time, at the Village’s new Community Center Complex, currently being remodeled from the old Columbus Elementary School facilities located at North Boundary Rd. and Missouri Street in NE Columbus.

Columbus Mayor, Philip Skinner, invites one and all to join in the historic and commemorative festivities, which will include food, music, folkloric dancers, craft displays and more. He and his staff have planned a number of these and other events, all of which will be held for the first time at the old school. The horses and riders from both countries first rendezvous at the border, and then ride the three miles up to Columbus, where they are expected to arrive about 10:00 in the morning.

As a point of special interest, one of our own Trustees, Bill Wallace III, will be officiating right at the border. It will be Bill who actually opens the border gates to let the Mexican horsemen and women cross into the United States.

Later in the morning, down at the Pancho Villa Park, their events will kick off at 11:00 AM, when Columbus Senior Historian, Richard Dean, President of the Columbus Historical Society, gives his presentation and slideshow, “Summer in Columbus in 1916 Through the Eyes of Two Teenagers.” This true life tale is based upon the diary of then young teenager, Alfred Wilson and it’s colorfully documented by photos taken by his brother Harold, during the summer after the infamous raid.

In the afternoon, right after lunch, there will be more informative educational presentations made at the same Park Recreation Hall. Remember to come early for seats, because Mr. Dean’s and these afternoon presentations have proven more than popular, with standing room only crowds this past year.

At 1:00 PM U. S. Army Historian, Dr. Robert Bouilly will speak about the famous Buffalo Soldiers, who fought and won against the Villistas, while outnumbered almost four to one. Even more amazingly, these soldiers were given space to bivouac down in Mexico by our own Bill Wallace’s grandfather, at the family ranch near Casas Grandes, Mexico. Dr. Bouilly will also discuss the 24th Infantry Regiment and the role of Boxing in both Columbus and Mexico by these same troops.

At 2:00 PM New Mexico State University Professor Dr. Jon Hunner, will make a presentation entitled, “World War I and the Raid on Columbus.” Dr. Hunner hasn’t given this presentation in Columbus in many, many years, so it should be exceptionally informative.

At 3:00 PM, long time FASF member and NM Historian and Engineer, John L. Double, Jr., will talk about the “First Aero Squadron’s Aerodrome and Aircraft Shops 1916-1917,” which includes a slide show of old photographs of the Aerodrome – and the FAS activities that took place during the Birth of American Air Power.

After their work session, Roy (L) and John (R) relax in front of the Pancho Villa Park Exhibition Hall, in which a full-sized replica of a FAS Jenny hangs from the ceiling.       If you haven’t yet seen this FAS display, please do!

Contemporaneously, you will find FASF information tables in the Park during the events, which will be there to sign up new members and inform visitors about the Foundation, its goals and purposes.

                                                   Photo by FASF Aerodrome Editor, July McClure                                                                         Seated, Left to Right: Trustees Colonel Ira Cline, Bill Wallace III, and President Ric Lambart.  Standing from Left are:  Board Secretary, Josh Plasencio; 2nd Vice President, Roy Mantei; Treasurer, Alma Villezcas, and 1st Vice President, Dr. Kathleen Martin.

Here they are.  Your Trustees informally assembled after concluding their Board Meeting, trying their best to envision the FASF’s future doings.  You see them above, gathered together to brain-storm for ideas to help the FASF grow faster and stronger, as well as to become ready for the upcoming once-in-a-lifetime Centennial event next year.  Only Megan Wenzel, new Trustee from Deming couldn’t make this post Board gathering.  She had an emergency at work, so had to reign in that business issue, but she did take part in the formal meeting.  If you have any thoughts or constructive ideas you’d like to share with your Trustees, then please simply use your website to share those ideas and thoughts.  Want to address any particular Trustee – or even your Aerodrome Editor, July McClure? – same thing:  Just insert your comments for them where you see the short underscored line of text stating: “Leave a reply” at the top of this group photo.  Rest assured, they’ll get your message!

Meet your new Board of Trustees. Although you can also navigate over to this FASF Website and see more detail on your Trustees and Officers by clicking on the top menu bar’s heading of “FOUNDATION” and then its sub menu of Board of Trustees to see this information, here it is in a news-like format:

The new Trustees for 2015 are the following:

Alma Villezcas, like fellow Trustee, Bill Wallace, shares a special connection to the history of the FASF.  She was born and grew up in the same Mexican City where Bill was also raised: Casas Grandes, Mexico, the home of the first foreign United States Air Base, from which the First Aero Squadron was deployed during the 1916 Punitive Expedition.  Alma left Casas Grandes to emigrate to the United States in her twenties, but before she left, she became interested in the financial industry, based upon her experience working in Banks in Casas Grandes.  Upon arriving in the U.S. Alma immediately started working on becoming proficient in English, later on graduating from the University of Arizona with a Major in Accounting.  Prior to her studies at the U of A, she obtained other degrees in financial service areas, all the time working her way along as a single mother.  Alma has worked in diverse areas of business and the law, from manufacturing, to retail sales and market research.  Alma presently runs her own Accounting and Tax Service in Deming, NM, and also manages a multi-faceted business enterprise in Deming which operates everything from Car Washes and gas stations to a Convenience Market and Restaurant.  With significant experience in Business Planning and Financial Forecasting, Alma is expected to provide some much-needed financial expertise as the FASF continues to grow and prosper.

Bill Wallace III – Although Bill was born in El Paso, Texas, he was raised until his teens in the city which, in 1916, became the first official foreign Air Base for the United States Military: Casas Grandes, Mexico.  When Bill was sent up to the States to obtain some U.S. Schooling, it was to the New Mexico Military Institute, which immersed him in its renowned Leadership training, imparting those skills to this cadet. Later he attended and graduated from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.  Bill’s major career direction has been in Agriculture, primarily in ranching.  He continues to keep his homes in El Paso, TX, Columbus, NM and Casas Grandes, Mexico, where he runs the old family ranch.  Bill is currently running the largest business in Columbus, NM, the Columbus Stockyards, which is affiliated with the CATTLEMEX Corporation.  Both of these operations are right on the U.S. Border with Mexico.  Bill is looking forward enthusiastically to his work with the FASF, since his family had a great deal of actual life experience with the Pancho Villa Raid on Columbus on March 9, of 1916.  General Villa actually murdered some of his grandfather’s employees at the ranch in Casas Grandes and then stole a number of the ranch horses for his men.  Later, Bill’s grandfather invited the famous U.S. Army Buffalo Soldiers to bivouac at the family ranch, where they successfully defeated Villa’s troops in a famous battle, although the U.S. men were outnumbered by more than five to one!

Megan Wenzel comes to the Board with some excellent small business managerial skills and talents.  She is currently a facility manager for an automotive business franchise in Deming, NM, and is continually trained and re-trained my her national corporate headquarters in Marketing and public relations, as well as in the related fields of automotive service and, in particular, the tire industry. In addition to her interest in civic activities and the history of the Southwest, where she was born and raised, Megan has been a life-long equestrian enthusiast, from her younger years as a 4H participant, to her continuing love of Rodeo Competition, which she continued to pursue all the way through her college years, where she graduated with a Major in Agriculture from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, the same school from which two other current Trustees also graduated:  Colonel Ira Cline, and Bill Wallace.  Megan is looking forward to helping with the First Aero Squadron’s Centennial Celebration in 2016, where, among other activities, she expects to assist with the groups of re-enactors engaged at the events in portrayal of both the troops, especially the mounted cavalry soldiers, and that of the Cavalry Officers who, in 1916 were trying to become airmen in their, at that time, brand new  flying machines, those intrepid “Jenny” biplanes.

Roy Mantei hails from the East Coast, where he obtained his schooling, later graduating from the State University of New Jersey, or as it is more commonly known, Rutgers University.  After graduating, Roy immediately went to work in the engineering and technical fields, working primarily in Aero Space engineering areas.  He also served in the United States Navy and became an Intelligence Specialist, with a focus on mainland China.  Roy achieved fluency in Mandarin Chinese during this period, a skill he used later in his various Engineering work, often traveling to China to oversee and explore manufacturing activities in the Far East.  While still living and working on the East Coast, Roy became interested in flying, and became a pilot.  Eventually, Roy moved to Deming, NM, in 2010, where he became the Quality Assurance Manager for Compass Manufacturing of that City.  Active in civic affairs, Roy is also on the Board of Directors of the Luna County Deming New Mexico Chamber of Commerce.

Continuing on in office from 2014 are: Col. Ira Cline, Josh Plasencio, Dr. Kathleen Martín and Ric Lambart.  Elected as the new Executive Committee for the Foundation are its new Officers: Ric Lambart, President: Kathleen Martín, 1st Vice President; Roy Mantei, 2nd Vice President; Josh Plasencio, Secretary; and Alma Villezcas, Treasurer.