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Robinson is located about 200 miles South of Chicago (about 20 miles south of I-70) along the Wabash River. This is a agricultural area. Major employers are Marathon Oil Refinery, Hershey Chocolate Plant, and Victor Dana Plant, and home of author James Jones (from here to eternity etal). There are still quite a few oil wells still pumping since the "oil boom" days of the 1920's. Robinson population about 6700, Crawford County about 20,000.

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WB9VKZ FRANK


                                        MY FAMILY 2001
                 

Crawford County VFW Post 4549   Robinson, Illinois

The Life & Times of Francis V. (Frank) DeDoming USAF Ret.

I was born in Swansea, Ma. Sep 3, 1930. (Age79) Moved to Needham, Waltham, & Newton Upper Falls, MA 1932-1947. Enlisted in U.S. Army Air Force Sep 8, 1947.

Service:

Sep 1947-Apr 1950 Lackland AFB & Sheppard AFB, San Antonio & Wichita Falls, Tx

Apr 1950-Sep1950  Johnson AFB Japan

Oct 1950-Jan 1951 Korea (K-14 & K16)

Jan 1951-Jun 1952 Misawa AB & Chitose AB Japan

Jun1952-Sep 1953 Grenier AFB, NH

Aug 1954-Jun 1956 Miho AB, Japan

Jun 1956-Jun 1960 Madrid, Spain Getafe AB (Spanish Air Force Base) (Torre de Mando) Control Tower

Jun 1960-Jun 1962 Craig AFB Selma, Al

Jun 4, 1962 Married Hazel Knecht ( 5 children, 7 grandchildren)

Jun 1962-Oct 1964 Seymor-Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, NC

Oct 1964-Nov 1965 Sondestrom AFB Greenland.

Nov 1965-Aug 1968 Beal AFB Marysville, Ca

Control Tower/GCA/Rapcon

Retired from US Air Force Sept 1968

During my military career i visited many other places, Okinawa, Wake Island, Hawaii, Azores, Germany, France, Greece, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Tripoli(Libya), French Morocco, Iceland, Newfoundland, Labrador.

1969-1972 Deputy Sheriff  Crawford Co., Il

1972 Prison guard, Joliet, Il (Menard)

1973-1990 Dana Corp. Victor Products Div., Robinson, Il

Retired 1990

I lived in Madrid four years, 1956-1960. Two addresses i remember, Avenida de la Habana 48 and Virgen del Val 28. I served 20 years in US Air Force, 1947-1968. About 18 years in air traffic control. My I.D. card below shows i worked at the Spanish Air Base, Getafe. When Torrejon AB opened i remained at Getafe and lived in Madrid. Spain was my favorite duty station.