Phantom awakens memories for former commander

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Larry Schneck
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz --  Setting his priority to improve the quality of life for Airmen and families under his charge, retired Maj. Gen. Hank Canterbury took command at Luke Air Force Base in 1982.

"I used to drive around this base and think of things to do," said General Canterbury, 832nd Air Division commander from 1982 to 1985 and a 1959 graduate in the first U.S. Air Force Academy class. "When I came here the base hadn't been modernized very much from World War II."

Getting rid of those older facilities was an issue passed to him from Tactical Air Command headquarters, a former U.S. Air Force major command, which became Air Combat Command in 1992.

Luke still had many wooden structures 30 years ago. A large number of the buildings were old dormitories converted into offices.

"In those years it was a mission for all commanders in the tactical force to dramatically improve the living conditions on our bases," he said.

General Canterbury worked with civil engineers to build new dormitories, paint existing facilities and make the base look good, instead of the drab, government-issued green.

According to him, finding the money to fund these improvements wasn't any easier than for current Air Force leaders, but it helped by having the backing of his boss at TAC.

It was under his leadership the idea of a single location on base to spotlight all of the aircraft flown from its runway started to take shape.

"Luke has been the citadel of fighter training since the 1940s," General Canterbury said. "I wanted to get an example of every airplane that had been assigned to Luke."

The air park is part of the upgrades he oversaw. It memorializes the proud and productive people and equipment that have contributed to Luke's successful missions over the years.

He thought the aircraft should be consolidated in a single location instead of spread across multiple sites.

"The F-16 Fighting Falcon was just being introduced at Luke and we didn't have any spares to mount in the park then," he said. "The F-4 was the logical next plane to be added as its days were numbered."

Today the Luke Air Park features eight fighters with a ninth in front of the 56th Fighter Wing headquarters building.

"We had a German training squadron assigned to Luke," explained the general. "We put the F-104 in place to honor the closing of its era. The rock in the air park was given by the Luftwaffe to mark the occasion."

The old front gate used to be at the base of the Gilbert Memorial Bridge. The F-84 and F-86 were always in their current location to welcome visitors to the base. The T-6 was somewhere else explained the general. The remaining planes were transported to the mall location, as well.

"We have the T-6 which is what started flying operations at Luke in the World War II years," General Canterbury said. "The last is the Fighting Falcon in front of the wing which is a good place for it."

According to the general the chapel on the mall is one of the original structures from World War II. Complementing the air park, it shows how much the layout and look of the installation has changed.

"It's a lovely memorial that brings back a lot of memories," General Canterbury said. "A lot of people live in the local area or come back to visit and can see the aircraft. They can say 'I used to work on that' or 'I flew this plane.'"

The general is one of three names of Airmen on the F-4E on display. The wing's historian at the time asked General Canterbury if he minded if they put his name on the plane.

General Canterbury flew the F-100 as a student pilot during his initial flight training at Luke and during his first tour of combat in Vietnam. He flew the F-4E Phantom II at Homestead AFB, Fla., while squadron commander of the 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron which was stationed there in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His squadron was sent on temporary duty to Thailand in December 1972, just in time to fly combat in the first wave of attacks on North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II. The operation came after a six month bombing halt, which was common back then. He commented wryly, "It was exciting times."

The general's namesake F-4 has been the latest plane removed, refurbished and returned to its display ramp in the air park.

"Approximately every six years the aircraft are repainted," said Tech. Sgt. William McClannan, 56th Maintenance Group quality assurance inspector and historical property custodian.

Airmen and Defense Department civilians usually spend two weeks on each plane. However, work on the F-4E Phantom II took three weeks due to it being the second largest aircraft in the air park.

"The F-4 has a unique camouflage paint scheme," Sergeant McClannan said. "It takes longer to complete the job, especially after baking in the hot Arizona sun for six years since its last repainting in 2004."

The Phantom has retaken its place to be admired by base visitors, again. It stirs a memory for a former Luke commander who contributed to air power during his thirty-four years of service and continues into the future with an enduring outdoor legacy.