Arnold Air Society/Silver Wings Joint National Project; The Spirit of ’45

Irene Ladner: Wife of WWII Vet, John Ladner.

Irene, now 92, lives alone in a small home in Granite Falls, Minnesota. The same city where she met John, the man that she would spend 73 happy years with. 

They met at a dance and then “went steady for a while” until he was called for the draft in 1942. He was stationed first at the Presidio in San Francisco, and were engaged before he left. She followed him to San Francisco, where they bought a small apartment just off-base. They were married 3 days after her arrival to San Francisco, on 18 September, 1943.

They faced tough times in San Francisco, and their apartment was very small. Even baking was quite the task, Irene had to use a propped-up broom to keep the oven door from falling open. The apartment had no refrigeration, the only refrigeration she had was “the little window that opened by the stove that had a little edge on it, and I [she] put butter and things out there. If I [she] could get butter.” But regardless of all of this, John thought that she was a marvelous cook anyway. Food was rationed during the war, and Irene had to make do with what she could get her hands on at the Post Exchange, which the Food Ration Stamps provided. John didn’t receive any rations, since he was in the service and ate most of his meals on-base.

While in San Francisco, Irene got a job at the Presidio working in the post-locator’s office, working alongside a dozen or so others. She spent her time answering phones and attempting to give concerned family members and friends as much information as she could about their loved ones in the services’ whereabouts.  They attempted to find phone numbers or addresses, some way to get ahold of them. It was a “pretty interesting job” as she describes it, and an important one at that.

John’s job in the Army was as a clerk in an office for a Captain where he worked for 3 ½ years. He worked up the ranks from a Private 1^st class, to a Corporal, to a Sergeant. In his free time with Irene, they liked to go to the zoo nearby.

She described what her time with John was like during the war. He was allowed to stay off base with her most of the time, unless they were on alert. In their apartment they could have no lights on that could be seen from outside. This meant either no lights at all, or all of the curtains had to be drawn early in the evening, and cars weren’t allowed on the streets since their headlights would be too bright. Patrols walked the blocks to ensure that no lights were visible. There was no gas for the cars, nylons or pantyhose, no shoes (or at least leather soles for shoes); all of it went to the war effort. The cars running on Kerosene sounded like “old trucks”, even the new top-of-the-line models. They received news on the war through their radios (playing quietly) or newspapers. She remembers pictures of the Japanese being taken from their homes and forced into Internment camps.

She told a story of how a friend of hers was a Merchant Marine. She invited him over for dinner and he brought her 5-6 pounds of butter. He brought it to her from the ship with one request; for her to not make Mashed Potatoes for dinner. He had been out at sea for 3 months and that was all that he had been given to eat.

 Irene also had 4 Brothers, all of which were in the service. Peculiarly enough, they each chose a different branch. Bill served in the Army as a tanker and was sent into the conflict in Africa. Twice, his tank was blown up with him inside, but he managed to survive both times when many did not. He was awarded the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts for his actions during the war. Irene said that Bill “definitely got the worst of it” in comparison to the other brothers. Her brother Ben joined the Marines and was sent to Japan. She remembers him sending her a beautiful Japanese Kimono as a gift, and his job was to clear though the caves where it was believed that the Japanese were hiding. Joe was a member of the Army Air Corps and was sent to the Philippines. Irene describes him as a “very friendly man” and told us of how he made friends with the locals. He got Jungle Rot (Trench Foot) in his feet, a fungal infection caused by being constantly in damp conditions, and felt the effects of that for the rest of his life. Her fourth brother, Clarence, was a ship Gunner in the Navy. She says that he had the best time. He went completely around the world; he left from California and docked in New York.

Start of Spring 2016

It’s the end of week four of spring semester here at the University of Minnesota, and Detachment 415 has kicked it into high gear. Hopes are high and the detachment goals are higher as we continue this journey into 2016.

The cadet wing started strong on the first day of the semester with a mock fitness assessment to gauge where the physical fitness training would begin. Since then, the cadets have been working under the instruction of Cadet Donahue who is working on getting them to their best physical shape.

Speaking of the best physical shape, the cadets applying for Field Training this upcoming summer have begun their journey to becoming the best applicants possible. Under the instruction of Cadet Brown, Cadet Amundson, and Cadet Bryson, these 17 cadets are putting their best foot forward in training.  They are currently strengthening and improving every aspect that will be demanded from them this summer: fitness, mental strength, warrior knowledge, dormitory procedures, and uniform maintenance. They are in the most capable hands with the supervising cadets who have just returned from the Field Training experience.

In other news, graduating seniors reached an exciting milestone recently in their AFROTC progression by learning of where they will be stationed once they enter active duty. The newest future lieutenants coming out of Detachment 415 will be stationed everywhere from Alaska, to North Carolina, to even Japan. 

The excitement doesn’t stop there, a number of cadets will soon learn if they will have the opportunity to enter into an Air Force rated career field. The rated career field includes highly coveted jobs, such as: Air Battle Manager, RPA Pilot, Combat Systems Officer, and of course Pilot. The selection board was held recently and many here at the 415^th Cadet Wing are eagerly anticipating the release of selections.

Meanwhile, the cadet wing is busy getting back into the swing of academics and training. The cadets have placed their head and hearts into this program and it is already beginning to show.   

- Elizabeth Rick & Cadet Krapf 

JMAC

On 7 November 2015, our detachment competed in the annual Joint Military Athletic Competition between the Naval and Army ROTC battalions here at the University of Minnesota. It was a super-fun day filled with great competition, and (most importantly) an Air Force victory. Saturday started off with a competition involving the entire corps of cadets here at the U: the cadence push-up. This competition involved doing push-ups on a cadence; the last team with 6 remaining participants was declared the winner. The Air Force set the tone for the day by winning this competition while showing extreme motivation in the process. 

Next came the warrior relay. This event consisted of a log carry, tire flips, pull-ups, more push-ups, and a series of exercises held in a relay format. After a hard-fought battle, the Air Force came in second to the Navy squad. The time then came for the events in the sports dome, which (as a fun side note) the joint force helped construct. 

 The first competitions in dome were ultimate Frisbee and flag football. The ultimate Frisbee team put up a valiant effort, but fell short due to the numerous substitutions we were required to rotate through. The flag football team put up a good fight, beating Army and tying with Navy. Cadet Lamers was able to go out on a winning record after having captained the team for the past 2 seasons.


After this came the soccer and volleyball competitions in the sports dome and the Armory gym respectively. With true air superiority, the Air Force dominated the skies on the volleyball court, going undefeated and securing the Air Force’s position at the top of the leaderboard. The soccer team also posted a winning record with a victory over Navy one to nil, and 1-1 tie with the Army’s ground forces. Everyone then enjoyed a lunch of Subway sandwiches while the points were tallied. It was announced that the competition was in a tie; a tiebreaker was necessary. The Air Force then proceded to dominate the Navy in not one, but 2 tug of war competitions, sealing the deal for the Air Force’s victory.

-Cadet Beck

Costume PT

On the morning of 29 October, something unusual was happening in the Rec Center Field House. Where one could typically find upwards of 70 gray-and-blue-clad cadets engaged in challenging exercises, stood a collection of conspicuously costumed characters. Det 415’s Physical Training, in recognition of Halloween two days later, was open to as whimsical and ridiculous a costume as one wanted (within the bounds of taste, of course).

 I was the only one in costume upon my arrival at 0600, dressed as a jovial alien, but the numbers promptly increased. Cadet Clark chose to be a convincing Special Operator (complete with beard), Cadet Wells made a timely entrance as Marty McFly from Back to the Future, and Cadet Donahue’s appearance as a 300 Spartan suited his mountainous frame well. From wizards to ninjas to Jurassic Park Rangers, the diversity and creativity on display was nothing short of exceptional. Only one, however, elicited Wing-wide applause upon entrance: As Cadet Hagood swagged down the hallway, the cadets gathered there erupted in uproarious laughter at the sight of his hustling garb.

For PT itself, the Cadet Wing was treated to an hour of dodgeball. The athleticism on display was phenomenal; encumbered though they were, many of the cadets in the bulkiest costumes played the longest and hardest. The matches varied from POC vs. GMC, to Costume vs. PT Uniforms. All in all, PT was a highly effective motivational tool, injecting camaraderie and humor into an often serious activity.

-Cadet Mitchell

Army 10 Mile

On Sunday, 11 October, six of Detachment 415’s cadets participated in the 31st annual Army Ten Miler run in Washington DC. The event is put on by the US Army and is run by around 30,000 athletes from all over the United States. With teams in divisions ranging from Wounded Warriors to elites to ROTC detachments to active duty service members, this is one of the largest road races in the country. Our AFROTC team (consisting of Cadets Lucas Schaper, Joseph Scholl, Jon Leveille, Daniel Zastrow, and myself) competed in the ROTC division while Cadet Kaitlyn LaFrance competed in the Open Women’s division on the Minneapolis area team sponsored by the local Vessey chapter. 

Having run track and cross country in high school, when I heard about the opportunity to try out for the detachment’s team, I knew this was a chance that I could not let pass me by. Training for this ten mile race began in the middle of August, just before I came to college.  The format of the training followed a similar plan to that of my past running seasons: build a base of mileage, begin working on the speed aspect your race, and finally, taper off to be at one’s fastest on the day of the biggest race. However, our training did include some new experiences for me, specifically training in the morning, usually at 0600 or 0620, as well as increased mileage to be ready for the longer race than what I was used to. These new aspects added a level of uncertainty to the whole experience for me as I wondered if I would not only be able to keep up with my faster teammates in practice, but also if I would be able to handle the early mornings and harder practices while at the same time trying to adjust to a new home at college, make friends, and start classes. As time passed and the final race in Washington DC grew nearer though, I began to realize that there was no reason for me to be concerned about my performance or whether or not this event would be something that I could handle. The greatest thing that I gained from this experience was a group of mentors to rely on as well as an extremely valuable sense of comradery from my teammates and those are the things that would later pull me through not only the weeks training, but also the more difficult parts of the final race.

The day before the race, Saturday, 10 October, our team met at the Minneapolis airport to fly to Washington DC. After connecting in Chicago, we landed at Reagan National Airport to be met by our coach, Mr. DeJesus, and the night before the race was spent enjoying a team dinner at the hotel with the Army teams from University of Minnesota as well as St. John’s. The next morning, we met in the lobby of our hotel at 0530 to walk to the start of the race about a mile away at the Pentagon. After passing through athlete security, we walked up to the starting line for the first wave of the race, in which we would be starting. Finally, at 0800, our wave stepped off to begin the ten mile race through the city of Washington DC, passing by countless monuments and historical buildings along the way. Personally, the entire race went by in a blur. Even as we spent time touring the monuments and the Pentagon (guided by Air Force Colonel David Stimac)  later that evening, I couldn’t seem to remember the roads we had run on or just how close we had been to so many significant buildings along the way. However, I do clearly remember crossing the finish line after ten miles (some of which can only be described as filled with agony) and feeling as though there was nothing that I could not do. While I was exhausted, I had also just overcome a very difficult task, for which I had been very nervous. Not only that, but I had also completed the race with a new personal record. To me, it was very exciting to come home with a first place trophy for my age group, but even more exciting was the fact that I got the opportunity to compete among a large number of the nation’s finest servicemen and women, create incredible bonds with older cadets who were both my teammates and members of opposing teams, and see our nation’s capital side-by-side with some of Detachment 415’s best mentors and athletes.

The Culmination of an Underclassmen Cadet: Field Training

As the new year begins, many cadets here at Detachment 415 are transitioning into new roles.  No such transition compares to that of the underclassmen to upperclassmen, GMC (general military course) to POC (professional officer course), the culmination of 2 years of training.  This is achieved upon successful completion of our ROTC equivalent of basic training, Field Training. Field training is designed to evaluate cadets' leadership potential and discipline.  Most days start around 4:00 a.m. and end around 9:00 p.m.  Cadets are tested in physical fitness, drill, the Field Training Manual and the Airman's Manual.  Failure in any of these areas results in being sent home.  The first half is housed in-garrison at Maxwell Air Force Base, in Alabama. The second phase includes a 14-day mock deployment to Camp Shelby, Mississippi.  Here cadets are put to the test in field work and a simulated down-range environment.

Upon arrival, cadets are placed into a flight of roughly 20 other cadets from all across the country. Over the next 27 days, these cadets grow both physically and mentally together as their skills are put to the test.  The friendships and bonds created down at Field Training are of those to last a lifetime.

After a long month of training, cadets are able to take part in a pass and review graduation ceremony. After stepping across the distinguished Air Force emblem during the parade, they have officially entered into the Professional Officer Course.

"It's the most fun you never want to have again."

The Warrior Mile

On Saturday, 7 March, members of Air Force ROTC and the University of Minnesota community participated in a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, called the Warrior Mile. The goal of the event was to raise awareness and funds for WWP, an organization whose purpose is to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members. Teams and individuals each took up the challenge of completing an entire mile of burpee broad jumps. At the end of the day, over $1,000  were raised for WWP and nearly 50 people had completed at least part of a mile of burpees.

This was actually the second year Detachment 415 has hosted the Warrior Mile and I have been involved in the planning and organizing both years. The event was started in the fall of 2013, when a senior cadet and mentor of mine challenged me to complete a mile of burpees. That challenge was ultimately the impetus for the Warrior Mile, because while it seemed silly to me to attempt such a feat without having some sort of overarching purpose, I thought it might be worth it to attempt a mile of burpees if it were for a great cause. With the help of Detachment 415 cadet and cadre leadership, my fellow cadets, and many generous family members, friends, and U of M students, the event has been a huge success each year.

In my experience, the process of organizing an event such as the Warrior Mile has three distinct phases. The first is the planning phase. This phase is filled with designing posters, confirming dates, setting up Facebook pages, registrations sites, and donation sites. While this phase requires the most man-hours, it is also very fun and exciting, because all of the organizers are filled with energy and work with fervor to get the event off on the right foot.

The second phase is what I like to call the “persuading phase” and it is by far the most stressful part of the entire planning process. For the 6 to 8 weeks leading up to the event, event organizers spend most of their time informing people about the Warrior Mile, updating the Facebook page, soliciting donations, and convincing and cajoling people to sign up to participate. If I had a dollar for every time I said, “You don’t have to do the WHOLE MILE alone,” I would probably have enough money to raise another $1,000 for WWP. This phase is so stressful because it is filled with questions. Will anyone sign up? Will we raise any money at all? What if this whole event is just a big flop? Thankfully, the group of cadets working on this project is incredibly dedicated and supportive and helps to assuage these fears.

The third and final phase is by far the best part of the entire process. This is the execution phase and it is the reason that I am so passionate about the Warrior Mile. The day of the event, I walk into the field house excited but also a little bit nervous. The fear that no one will donate or show up is still very real, but once the event begins, my worries are gone in a flash. Not only do dozens of people show their support for our cause through financial contributions and/or event participation, but each and every person who shows up is excited to be there. It is difficult to put into words the sense of gratification that comes from watching participants and supporters during the Warrior Mile; whether they are coming just to watch, to do a few laps, or are taking on the entire mile, each person involved is supportive of the people around them.  Furthermore, although they are attempting to do something that is physically and mentally exhausting, each participant rises to the challenge and gives it their all. Not a single person who set foot on that track backed down from the test and not a single person surrounding that track was hesitant to provide encouragement or support.

It is incredibly humbling to see the compassion, encouragement, and camaraderie that result from the collaborative action of dedicated, like-minded people. Both this year and last, I have left the Warrior Mile with a renewed faith in humanity and a greater appreciation for what a motivated group of people is capable of accomplishing. I look forward to helping make this event a new tradition at Detachment 415.

-Cadet Anna Burneske