15 January 1953
- Donaldson AFB, SC - Pictured here are members of the first
Air Force Pathfinder Team; the name was changed in March 1953
to Combat Control Team. The photo was taken shortly after the
group completed the Army Pathfinder School. Note
the Pathfinder badge on the sleeve of A2C Mazakowski (2nd from right).
Information
from CCT Book, Eye of the Storm, by Gene Adcock.
Shown
Left-to-Right: TSgt Alcide S.
“Bull” Bennie (NCOIC); A1C Ray Litz; SSgt
Robert Combs; A2C Joe Hunnicut; A2C Frank Barrett; Major
General Robert W. Douglass, Jr, 18th Air Force Commander; A3C Lonnie
Walker; Captain Richard Baker (18th Air Force
Pathfinder Project Manager); A3C Mavon Jernigan; A2C Dennis
Mazakowski; and A1C James McElvian.
Back Row; Adam Heller, Dick Sigman, ?, AISS Commander ***** Front
row; Lester H. Shaw, James Howell, ?, ?, Wallace Carpenter
Back Row Sitting; Robert Booth, Jack Burns, Jack McConnell, John Brown,
and Johnny Johnston ***** Front Row; Gordon Hamblin, ?, Moon Mullins,
Louis Martinez, John Turner, and Troy Norris ***** The only two guys
with jump wings are George Hamblin and Marty Martinez.
The rest of the guys are new recruits that report to jump school in
April of 1957. Inset; Bob Booth, Lew Brabham, & Jack
McConnell
Insert; Donaldson AFB, 1955 and above is Korea; 1956 ***James Howell
would be the Black Hat with the open mouth and I hope you can name the
rest.
Brady Drop Zone, 1956; Adam Heller, Dick Sigman, and James Howell
John Cunningham, CCT Extraordinaire ***** Insert; John Cunningham, Richard McCabe, and Pete Shoe
I don't know where or when, but that's Louis "Marty" Martinez on the far right.
CCT Jumpers; Doug Welniak, Roger Christen, Robert J. Engleman, & Gerald R.
Thompson ***** Insert; Dick McCabe and Doug Welniak; Jump School 1956,
and still friends, 50 years later. Pictured at Sewart AFB, TN.,
Nashville Reunion, 2006