CAREFUL WHAT YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT

Good morning everyone. I got this in an email from my friend Ginny...she's also the person who turned us all on to Victor so you know this is gonna be good. Thanks Ginny....put a tear in my eye this morning but it was a good tear. I'm so proud of all of these guys. Here we go....get that tissue out.

A Wake Up Call From Luke AFB, AZ

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by
civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its
planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were.



A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back.
Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the
local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her
day at the mall.. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB
officer, it must have stung quite a bit.

The complaint:
"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the
morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight
formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall,
continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our
good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up
call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird
special? Any response would be appreciated."

The response:
Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday): On
June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship flyby of F-16s
from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the
grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer
who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in
Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and
friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss
of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of
the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the
21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and
Parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the
President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen
And women who understand the sacrifices they have endured. A four-ship
Flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give their
Lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs
seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four
officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects. The letter writer
asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?" The 56th Fighter
Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and
Parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor
that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.



Lt. Col. Scott Pleus CO 63rd Fighter Squadron Luke AFB

And so there is no doubt that this is real I did check it out here on Snopes.com......make sure you read there to get the rest of the story.