The Morning Mustering of the Mugs

My first duty assignment, after tech training, was to the 430th TFS (Tactical Fighter Squadron) at Nellis AFB, NV as a Weapons Load Officer.  We were just receiving our compliment of F-111A aircraft.  I loved the assignment, and everything it had to offer.

One of the things I enjoyed most was my 430th coffee mug.  That simple mug gave me a sense of belonging; something I had been longing for all my life.  It made my coffee taste oh so much better!

Soon after I left Nellis I had to ‘retire’ that mug.  For whatever reason it developed a stress crack.

You can see the crack, running down the left side of the mug, as you’re looking at it.  The ‘irony’ of this mug is, on 22 December 1969 we lost an F-111A because of a crack in the wing pivot fitting… 

This morning I decided to have a ‘mustering of my mugs;’ a formation of all the mugs I have collected from my Air Force career.  Plus a couple others I picked up along the way.  It only be fitting they be led by that famous WW I Aviator, Snoopy!

Now they’ll go back on various shelves throughout the house, to await the next ‘mustering of the mugs.’  I like my mugs…

(And yes, there’s a ‘story’ – a blog – with each one of them I’ll be telling you about soon, in the months to come…)

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