435th APS

435 APS 1984 calendar

 

The words from this 435APS calendar sum up why we have this reunion site.
Professional transportation personnel -
dedicated to preserving peace and providing airlift support
for the Military Airlift Command.


A Unit with PRIDE.


 

435aps shieldThe member's Directory has been updated
in the member's area.

 


 

Reunion 2016

Sad News to pass along ...

Obituary for Col. Donald Ray Brewer (Ret.)
October 9, 1936 - December 27, 2019

Colonel Donald Ray Brewer, Ret., age 83 of Grant, Alabama passed away Friday, December 27, 2019 at his residence.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at Grant Church of Christ with David Powell and Clayton Tuggle officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in Panquin Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Monday at Grant Memorial Chapel. The body will lie in repose from 1 p.m. until time of service on Tuesday at Grant Church of Christ.

The family will accept flowers or donation so may be made to Grant Church of Christ or to Families of Fallen Soldiers, in his honor.

Col. Don Brewer is a native of Grant, Alabama, the son of J. L. and Dollie Foster Brewer. He graduated from Kate Duncan Smith DAR High School in 1954, worked for the FBI in Washington, DC as a fingerprint specialist for a time, and enlisted in the DC Air National Guard. Called to active duty with the Air Force during the Pueblo Crisis, he remained in the Air Force until retirement with over 38 years of service.

His educational background includes a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Maryland. He is also a graduate of the Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, The Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Air War College. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for service in Vietnam, and the Legion of Merit.

During his military career, Col. Brewer held every rank in the Air Force from Airman Basic through Senior Master Sergeant, and from 2nd Lt. to Colonel. He says the highlights of his career were commanding the military air terminal at Kadena AB, Okinawa, service in the air terminal at Rhein Main AB, Germany, and as Director of Air Transportation for the Pacific Theater while stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

He and the former Jean Kirkland, daughter of late Homer and Ruth Kirkland of Grant, were married for 64 years. Together, they raised three children: Roger (Jo Donna) of Grant, Jennifer of Huntsville, and Renee of Seattle, Washington. They also had three grandchildren: Christa Frangos of Huntsville, Chelsea Brewer Hagen (Mat) of Dothan, and Chandler Brewer (Sidney) of Montgomery. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by 5 brothers and 4 sisters.

Thanks to Roger, Renee and Chandler for putting this slide show together

 


BG Steve Ritchie meet with Don and Jean Brewer
Don Brewer
1979 - 1982

Jean and Don with BG Steve Ritchie
BG Ritchie Bio

 

Hello and Welcome to the 435th Aerial Port Squadron, Rhein Main AB, Germany Reunion Group on-line community site.

This reunion group started in 1999 as the 435APS Reunion Group. Although we still call it the 435th APS we have expanded the field of membership to any military, civilian or dependent who were assigned to or associated with the aerial port at Rhein Main, from the beginning to present and wish to be a part of this social/reunion effort. If you are in the field of membership and haven't registered, please do so by completing the form on the "Member" page.

Some former Rhein Main aerial porters have given a great deal of time and personal funds to locate/contact alumni and to make this reunion group possible. Carole Paddock Lail set up our first Web site at http://communities.msn.com/435APSReunionGroup, posting changes, maintaining the directory, contacting individuals who did not have email, and working on the 2002 reunion. Without her we could not have arrived at this point in organizing. Ron Ferranti volunteered to set up the permanent site you are presently viewing. Ron says the site is a work in progress so you can expect to see new things appear regularly. He also owned the 435aps.com domain and donated that to the cause. Chuck Ulmer has been magnificent in locating former porters from Rhein Main. Between the four of us we have found lots of alumni. But there are even more out there whom we have not yet located. Carole, Ron and Chuck are my heroes! You might drop them a personal note of thanks if you like what you see here.

We hope you enjoy this site and that you will find many friends from your Rhein Main days. But most importantly we look forward to seeing each of you at one of the reunions.



reunion store

Don and Jean Brewer

 

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Charlie Leathers
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Rhein Main AB movie

The History of Rhein Main AB

 

Rhein Main
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Nice Tour of the Base

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video Base Closing

U.S. Takes Last Step In Closing Rhein Main

Rhein Main AB Closes
(U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Jonathan Friedman)

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Brig. Gen. Mike Snodgrass handed over the keys to Rhein-Main Air Base on December 31, 2005, to Manfred Schvlch, operator of Frankfurt International Airport.

The symbolic event, marked the last Air Force function at Rhein Main AB. The 120 buildings on base are to be bulldozed to make way for a third terminal for Frankfurt's sprawling civilian airport - continental Europe's busiest.

Rhein-Main, known as the "Gateway to Europe," was once a hub of activity for American forces facing Soviet-bloc forces and tensions in the Middle East. It saw a steady stream of planes fly supplies to West Berliners in the late 1940s during the Soviet blockade of the city.

>> click on base closing on menu for more information

 

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