Milford chronicle., 1954-07-30
Col. Gideon Takes
OUer At Air Base
leontInued fEom IIrst 30


(continued from flrst page)
tain Boggs only about two weeks
'DpfOre the latter was killed. AT
West Point, the two were members
Of the same company. Colonel eide
on was graduated in 1910.
Speaking Of the base as an asset
to the state and the community,
the 31-year-old base and wing COM
mander expressed the hope that the
public viii continue to think 81 It
90 that light, just as personnel Of
the base consider themselves q part
Of the state and community. He
assured that he viii adhere to a
policy of friendly. harmonious, and
cooperative civil-military relation
ship ais, he commented. he was
aware his predecessors have done
Colonel Gideon stressed the great
Importance on mutual understand
ing and Appreciation between the
state and community and the MATS
base, key factor in the military
logistics picture and, further, mem
toned the need of adequate low
rental houses to make it possible
for air Officers and men to have
their families with them.
AS 10 his assignment here, Coll
onel Gideon said he regarded It
with a sincere feeling Of having
been accorded a compliment and
voiced the wish for a continuation
Of an attitude of welcome for the
base and its personnel on the part
Of state, community, and the pub
lie.
He added that he plans to meet
the civil authorities of the state
and communities and to make the
hospitality Of the base theirs. Col
onei Gideon said he is not contem-
plating any changes.
AS to the hatness of Kent Coun-
", the new base Commander smiled
that he is accustomed to that, hav-
ing come from the fiat terrain Of
Ohio. He is a native Of Payne, O.,
near Fort Wayne, Ind, from where
he went to West Point as a "farm
boy"
Colonel Gideon, with Colonel De-
HE with him at his desk in the
headquarters building, chatted of
the time when, on the night Of the
attack on Pearl Harbor, he few
from Langley Field and spent the
following four years on BIS air
war duty in the Far East; of the
fact that he was on the first plane
that went into Japan at the tina
Of the armistice, and Of his deeps
rooted interest in Little League
baseball.
Colonel and Mrs. Gideon have
three children, Francis @. Rusty"
Gideon, Jr., 10: Anna, z, Billy. 4,
and the Colonel noted, Rusty had
enrolled IN baseball activity.
While the command change-over
had been set for July 1, Colonel
Gideon was delayed in his arrival
BY a course he took IL CHA
Globemaster School at West Palm
Beach. Fla. He was graduated from
the Kelley Field, Tex, Flying
School in 1941, attained the rank
Of Colonel when ne was %, and
ArtAN tlaC AAoLlL6ulSNNu service
Medal fourth highest military dec
oration.
Announcement was made at the
base Monday that Col. Robert ID.
Forman, assistant deputy chief of
stan, operations, MATS headduar-
ters, will assume the command of
the 1607th Air Transport Group at
the Dover base on August End.
Colonel F0rman, an alumnus of
Southwestern University, Memphis.
Tenn, Joined the Air Force in 1910
After serving as Instructor at KeI-
ley Air Force Base, he Joined the
Air Force Command, forerunner of
MATS, in 194S. He is veteran of
the Hump" operation and the Ber-
lin and Korean airlifts. In recogni-
ton of his activities during the Ko-
rean action, he received the silver
Star the cluster to his Legion Of
Merit, and two clusters to his Dis
tinguished Flying Cross. He and
Mrs. FOrman have three children.