(Top Row above) (1.) October 14, 2017 shot of (L-R) Sgt. Mike "Gimmaway" McGee, Sgt. Chuck "Sugar Bear" Castillo, and Sgt. Roman "Ok" Okrei in Long Beach, CA. (Note, Sgt. Ok was not wearing his USAFSS T-shirt and was out of uniform = 2 demerits.) The three Dawgs linked up at Chuck "Sugar Bear" Castillo's home in Long Beach, CA, Oct. 14 & 15, 2017. (Photos 2., 3., 4., & 5.) May 20-22, 2017 shots taken during a visit by Chuck Castillo, Mike McGee, and Ted Johnson to Roman Okrei's home in the Chicago area. Photos: (2.) (L-R) Roman "Oak" Okrei, Chuck "Sugar Bear" Castillo, Mike "Gimmaway" McGee, and Ted "Teddy Bear" Johnson. (3.) Ted, Mike, Chuck, and Roman..."Panyos". (4.) Roman at his home with Mike, Chuck, and Ted (taking the photo). (5.) Group shot taken at the Museum of Science+Industry in Chicago.
(Bottom Row above) (1.) Christmas 1971 shot of Chuck "Sugar Bear" Castillo outside of Mike "Gimmaway" McGee's (CA) house in Tien Mou. (1971 photo by Bruce Weagle) (2.) This "mod" and motley crew was caught on film July 1972 in Versailles, KY. They all became "long-haired civilians" just
a few months earlier. (From left) Jim Haverstock, Phil Vogel, Mr. & Mrs. Tom Lippert, Roman Okrei and Chuck "Sugar Bear" Castillo. (1972 photo by Chuck Castillo)
August 1981 Dawg Flight mini-reunion at the El Castillo Real Restaurant in Long Beach, CA...owned and operated by Chuck "Sugar Bear" Castillo and his family. This shot was taken ten years after departing Taiwan and one year after the first Dawg Flight reunion held in July 1980. Dawgs in attendance were (from left) Dan "Bosco" Rish, "SSgt" Roger Lentz, host Chuck Castillo (head of table-yellow shirt), Ted "Teddy Bear" Johnson, Roman "OK" Okrei, "Nice Al" Brewer and their families and guests. Everyone had a great dinner and a fantastic time!
Note: The El Castillo Real Restaurant was a very popular Long Beach restaurant well-known for serving the best Mexican and Southwestern food in the Los Angeles area. This large restaurant had several spacious dining rooms with a Spanish decor and hand-painted murals (shown above) throughout. Its sports bar was a popular place to watch Monday Night Football...often with members of the Los Angeles (Anaheim) Rams and their coach, Ray Malvasi (1978-82), who were regular quests at the restaurant and friends of the Castillo family.
A small reunion was held by three Dawg Flighters (1970 thru 1972), and their spouses in Los Angeles. Don and Rosie Wilson traveled to Los Angeles on a business trip, and were not about to pass up an opportunity to meet up with their old friends. They included Chuck "Sugar Bear" Castillo and his fiance Sophie, along with Mike "Givemaway/Headshake" McGee and his wife Elaine who all live in the LA area. The photos were taken at "King's Fish House Restaurant" on July 3rd, 2001. "A good time was had by all!"
Nelson "Shaky" Carpenter (left) comments on the meeting: "Just wanted to share with everyone a photo of two old Dawgs (1969-71) who met up last week in San Diego. "Rudy" Sorensen and his wife met up with us for dinner one night, while my family and I were on vacation in San Diego. We had a great visit and talked about each and everyone of you Dawgs! Ray and I were shaking (....no pun intended) our heads over the fact that it has been 35 some years since we were first together on Taiwan. And at the time, most of us were in our early twenties, compared to mid to late fifties now.......!" [26 July 2005]
(Photo 2.) John Hanretty (left) and Bill Prucha. John Hanretty (203, 1971-72) "...Photos I took in June (2011) when I visited Bill Prucha (203, 1970-73) on his home island of Maui. We considered it a mini-reunion after 39 years. We figure the last time we saw each other was in 1972 in Clovis, New Mexico. I was stationed at Cannon AFB in Clovis and Bill was passing through. There is park dedicated to Dr. Sun Yat Sen on Maui (photos 3.,4.,and 5.). We learned he spent a number of years on the island, both learning English and plotting the overthrow of the last dynasty in China." [22 July 11]
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