Technical Center Director Holds 50th Anniversary Celebration Kick-Off: Veterans of Naval Air Station Atlantic City Sought

By Pete Castellano

Richard Squires and Dr. Wilson Felder

The Technical Center is organizing its upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration. The year 2008 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Technical Center, which opened in 1958 as the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC). The first event to kick-off the celebration was held on Wednesday, October 17. In attendance were Center Director Dr. Wilson Felder, Atlantic Heritage Center President, (and former Atlantic County Executive), Richard Squires, and June Sheridan, Historian for both Atlantic County and Egg Harbor Township. Members of the local media were present, along with Stan Ciurczak, Technical Center program manager for the 50th Anniversary events, and Shelley Yak, Manager, Center Operations Group.

From left to right: Marfred Clark, Shelley Yak, Dr. Wislon Felder, Richard Squires, June Sheridan, and Stan Ciurczak at the VC-4 Squadron Memorial.

The group discussed plans for the Technical Center’s anniversary activities, and launched an effort to locate veterans who served at the former Naval Air Station Atlantic City (NASAC), along with early Technical Center employees. The Technical Center sits on the site of the former NASAC site, rich in World War II, Korean War, and aviation history.

Felder and Squires want to reach out to veterans who once served at the former naval air station. They hope to gather as many servicemen and women as possible for special recognition during the 50th Anniversary Ceremony, planned for July 1, 2008 at the Technical Center. As Felder noted, “There would have been no NAFEC - and no Technical Center – without Naval Air Station Atlantic City.” Felder went on to highlight the history of NASAC and the Technical Center, and some ‘firsts’ that took place here – such as the first known airshow, in 1910, and the first Navy jet flights, in the 1950s.

Richard Squires and Dr. Wilson Felder discuss plans for the upcoming 50th Anniversary

Felder and Squires both have Navy connections. Squires served during the Korean War aboard the battleship Wisconsin, and later was stationed at NASAC, from 1953 to 1955. Felder served for 24 years as an active and reserve naval intelligence officer, retiring as a Commander.

Following the meeting, the group toured the former naval air station grounds, including the memorial to the members of the famed VC-4 Squadron. The memorial honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice serving in Composite Squadron Four, the Navy’s premier night and all-weather squadron, between 1948 and 1958. Tech Center employee and former Navy Pilot, Marfred Clark, led the tour. In addition, June Sheridan, whose father was Harold H. Gray, the first Director of Security at NASAC, shared stories dating back to the opening of NASAC in 1943. Sheridan has vivid memories of riding around the perimeter of the Navy base in a jeep, with her father, in the years 1943 to 1945.

The Technical Center 50th Anniversary Celebration is being led by Stan Ciurczak, with Squires serving as a volunteer committee member. In addition, Ciurczak and Squires are co-chairing a subcommittee to locate NASAC veterans. The full 50th Anniversary Committee at the Center also includes Dr. Felder as Center Director, Squires, as well as volunteer members Barbara Mong, Ken Beisel, Gerald Myers, Saliann Deaver, Bernice Merly, Gerald Myers, Amy Thompson, Lisa Cotterell, Melissa Silipena, Norm Jones, Bessie Johnson, Patty Naegele, Henrietta Shelton, Keith Buch, Linda Rigsbee, Mary Lalasis, Mike Cicali, Janet Kinsell, Janine Brown, Lori McLaughlin, Karen Mercer and Tim Goodwin.

Shirley Rogers is staffing the 50th Anniversary Access Center, which responds to regular mail, e-mail, internet-based information requests and telephonic requests for information about the Tech Center's 50th anniversary, including the first reunion of NASAC personnel since the Navy base closed in 1958.

The year 2008 is also the 50th anniversary of the FAA. An agency-wide committee has been established to organize the celebration at FAA Headquarters, consisting of the General Counsel, Kerry Long (committee chairman); the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Internal Communications, Gerald E. Lavey; Dr. Wilson Felder, and the FAA historian, Dr. Terry Kraus.

Dr. Kraus Speaks to Southern Jersey Professional Societies about the 50th

By Holly Baker

The October 17 meeting of the Southern Jersey Professional Societies, including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the IEEE Computer Society previewed plans for the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the FAA. Featured speaker Dr. Terry Kraus, Research and Development Office Analyst, talked in part about the huge research and writing task she has taken on. Terry is on a one-year detail, devoting her time fully to publications focused on the 50th Anniversary. She is writing Volume 6 of the FAA’s history series, which will document the FAA’s efforts to modernize its technology, organization, and policy, while advancing its mission to enhance aviation safety, security, and efficiency, from 1977 through 2007. A good student representation helped make the dinner meeting a success. A whole table of interested, engaged students from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey's chapter of the IEEE participated.

Anyone with pertinent historical information about the agency or key project highlights is welcome to contact Terry.

FAA 50th Anniversary Banquet Planned for Tech Center Retirees

By Stan Ciurczak, Program Manager, 50th Anniversary

The first of a series of Technical Center activities in honor of the FAA’s 50th Anniversary is a winter banquet that will be held on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at the Greate Bay Country Club in Somers Point. The historic 1923 golf course and country club has hosted many FAA retirement parties and holiday parties in the past, and this party is one that surely will be long remembered. Maybe we can even get Bruce Singer to come in off the golf course long enough to have dinner with us (hi, Bruce).

The banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. and will offer Technical Center and NAFEC retirees a wonderful opportunity to get together and reminisce about the “good old days.” The banquet committee, which is chaired by Ron Esposito, needs to receive payment for tickets by January 22.

Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased by calling Janine Brown (485-7879), Beth Burkett (485-5390), Beth Delarosby (485-9171), Kathy Fleming (485-6141) or Carolyn McKinney-Bobo (485-6631).

Can You Help Us Locate a Tech Center Retiree?

The 50th Anniversary Committee needs your help in locating as many NAFEC and Tech Center retirees as possible. If you know the name and e-mail address (or regular mail address) of anyone who retired from the Center, please call us at extension 5-6999 (485-6999) or send e-mail with that information to 9-ACT-NAFEC@faa.gov. We want to keep them posted on 50th anniversary events and invite them to the January 31 banquet.

Stay tuned for the announcement of additional 50th Anniversary activities and events that are now being planned for current employees, Tech Center retirees and Navy veterans.

FAA 50th Anniversary: William J. Hughes Technical Center Retiree Banquet