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Malmstrom firefighters reunite after 30 years

  • Published
  • By Airman Cortney Hansen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Airmen who previously served with Malmstrom's fire department returned to the Air Force Global Strike Command base here for a reunion Aug. 28 after more than three decades. The reunion was held to bring honor to those who served on Malmstrom's fire team 31 years ago.

Ron Wright, who served at Malmstrom from 1977-1979, found an old friend he served with on Facebook - Peter Carp. After several phone calls with Mr. Wright, Mr. Carp came up with the idea to hold a reunion for the firefighters they served with. Soon after talking about plans for a reunion, they both got straight to work trying to locate everyone else on their team.

"After 30 or so years, trying to remember everyone's name you served with can take a while," said Mr. Wright. "Pete and I used what we remembered along with what other people remembered to locate everyone."

Several e-mails and phone calls brought the previous firefighters and their families - from all over the country - back to Great Falls for a two-day reunion to restore friendships, pay tribute to individuals who had passed on, and honor their service in the United States Air Force.

As soon as they arrived back in Great Falls, the firemen started filling the next two days recalling memories from when they were stationed together, and the latest news in all of their lives.

"Both nights lasted until about three or four in the morning," Mr. Wright said. "It was like we didn't miss a day. We just picked up where we left off."

During their stay in Great Falls, the firemen toured the current Malmstrom Fire Station.

They wanted to leave a piece of their past with the station, so during the tour they passed on a plaque with all their names on it.

"Over the years, my thoughts drifted back in time to the friends of Malmstrom," said Mr. Howard Schnieder, a previous Malmstrom firefighter and attendee of the reunion. "The best friends I have ever known."

After their stop at Malmstrom, the two-day reunion was highlighted with a formal ceremony. At the ceremony, their former commander, Col. Duane Knutson, handed out the Warrior's Medal of Valor to each of them.

The Warrior's Medal of Valor, created by Marshall "Tall Eagle" Serna, is a tribute to all veterans from the Native American Nations of the United States. To the men at the reunion, the medal represented more than just a tribute from the Native American people; it meant everything they stood for 31 years ago.

The reunion brought renewed friendships, laughter and even tears to the men who served together more than three decades ago, but most of all, it brought honor, and the sense of pride they had when they were all together serving as Malmstrom's firemen.