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Past, present Gamblers celebrate 77th FS historical tradition

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Phelps
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Major (Ret.) Owen Brewer, former Republic F-84 Thunderjet pilot and Korean war veteran, sat at a table at the 77th Fighter Squadron "Gamblers" lounge here with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dave Skilling, former North American F-100 Super Sabre pilot and Vietnam veteran, and talked about their time in the Air Force.

The two came to Shaw, along with more than 50 other past and present Gamblers and their wives, as part of a reunion brunch for one of the oldest U.S. fighter squadrons.

The two veterans were Gamblers while the 77th FS was stationed at Royal Air Force Wethersfield, United Kingdom. They spoke with fondness about their service, noting the similarities in their stories though their eras at the base were more than a decade apart.

For the squadron that formed in 1917, the brunch is a long-standing tradition that began during Major Brewer's time.

The major recalled, "This is a very special occasion. We started the Champagne Brunch back in 1952 out at RAF Wethersfield."

According to Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Richard Baughn, former Gambler, in December 1952 there was a week of foggy, un-flyable weather. On a Friday afternoon, Dec. 26, they decided to have a champagne brunch to cheer everyone up, especially the wives who were stuck at home with the children.

About an hour into the brunch, the sun started to appear and the sky cleared.

"In those days we had 35 aircraft per squadron, so during the fog there were about 10 jets that had come out of maintenance and were waiting to be test flown," said General Baughn.

As a result of the weather clearing, the party had to stop to free enough pilots to test fly the planes in a couple hours.

"Fortunately, the champagne hadn't flowed that long, and breakfast with lots of coffee got us ready to fly," laughed Major Brewer. "You couldn't get away with that today."

The party was rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23, 1953 and the tradition was born.

"We try to have this every year," said Capt. Anthony Lau, 77th FS Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. "We weren't able to do this last year since we were deployed to Iraq."

All Gamblers from past and present whose whereabouts are known were invited to attend the event.

When Gamblers attend their first brunch they are asked to sign their name on one of several table cloths along with those on their second assignment to the 77th. Later, the names are embroidered with crimson thread to serve as a permanent record of those who have served in the squadron.

Captain Lau said this event was a challenge to put together.

"I tried to contact about 300 (former Gamblers)," he explained. "Only about 19 were able to make it. It was hard to reach the older ones, but they really appreciated being remembered."

Major Brewer said he spoke to several of his old combat buddies wondering who was coming.

"A lot of guys from my time aren't even able to travel and make it out to these things anymore," he said.

Walt Umla, a World War II veteran who was able to attend for the fifth time, was a North American P-51 Mustang pilot for the 77th FS out of King's Cliffe, England.

"This has been more than fantastic," he said. "I enjoy sharing war stories with all of these guys. The guys today are so much smarter and have more technical planes."

Captain Bailyn Beck, 77th FS F-16 pilot, pointed out how though there were several generations of pilots there, the only thing that changes over time are the stories and the planes. Pilots maintain the same language.

"We still have the same air talk, and we still tell stories," added Major Brewer.

A highlight for the event was a hands-on inspection of the F-16, said Captain Lau. For some of them it had been more than 60 years since they last flew.

"My plane was elementary to what these guys fly," remarked Umla. "The plane now is so much more powerful and maneuverable. But we had more fun, we were more free willed. Today it's more regimented. Back then we could go after and shoot up what we wanted."

Though there were generations between the past and present Gamblers, they all had a common bond as fighter pilots.

"It's pretty awesome to hear the older stories," added Captain Lau. "For them it was about experimentation and trial and error. They laid the foundation for us."

Another tradition that was continued through this reunion was that the spouses were also invited, said Captain Beck.

Captain Beck's wife, Kate, said it was nice talking to the previous Gambler wives and learning what it was like being a military spouse back then.

"It was amazing seeing how much we had in common just being Gambler wives," she said.

The Gambler's reunion concluded with a flight from the Viper East Demo, as the Gamblers on the ground looked up to the sky discussing with awe the details of the Viper's maneuvers.

"This was just super," said Major Brewer. "The plane was constantly operating at max and always on edge. It was a great finale."

Colonel (Ret.) Michael Good, former Gambler General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark pilot and now a NASA astronaut, said during the brunch that although he has gone to space and enjoys what he does, he is a little jealous because the Gamblers today are still doing what he loves.

Colonel Skilling summed up the entire reason for the reunion, "People will change, the jets will change, the base will change, but the heritage stays the same."