Retired Westover maintainers donate to base honor guard

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Biscoe
  • 439th Air Wing Public Affairs
WESTOVER, Mass. --  Kindness spans generations of the Westover family.

A group of retired Air Force Reserve maintainers recently gathered 60 donated shell casing bags and turned them over to the Base Honor Guard April 7.

"We've encouraged our group to give back to the base by getting involved in some of the base's functions such as the Space A office, Retirees office, and the USO," said retired Chief Master Sgt. Vic Viglione.

The retirees took up a collection to purchase and fabricate the shell casing bags with the Air Force logo and Westover ARB embroidered on each. The bags are used to give the spent shells from a funeral, to the next of kin of the deceased veteran.

The Retired Aircraft Maintainers recently formed to reestablish friendships begun over decades of working together at Westover. Members include air reserve technicians and reservists from the 901st, 905th, and 439th maintenance squadron and complexes.

"Some of our members came to Westover from Bradley Field to form the
original 905th maintenance squadron with its C-124 aircraft in the early
1960s," Mr. Viglione said. The group, which numbers more than 100 members,
meets each first Thursday at noon for lunch.