| McConnell AFB |
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Reviews / Comments by our visitors
| Jana Edwards Plainwell, Michigan | It is nice to see discussion about the McConnell brothers. My parent's were very close friends with Fred and Blondie McConnell and we are still close to their daughter Kittie Lou English. My father is still living (in California). He is 93 and still has a sharp memory in case anyone is interested in hearing personal stories about the McConnell brothers. I have always found them fascinating. 12/11/2007 @ 12:56 [ref: 6575] |
| Kittie Lou McConnell-English Bandon, Oregon | In response to Mr. Marcus Killion's statements about the correct spelling of Fred McConnell's name, namesake of McConnell AFB - I am Kittie Lou McConnell-English, daughter of Fred. His correct name, as I stated earlier in this column, as is on his birth certificate is: Fred Junior McConnell, NOT Fred N. nor Fred McConnell, Jr. You were right, Mr. Killion in that there are conflicting spellings everywhere, but I have all the legal documents including his birth certificate and I, too, have the dedication book, newspaper articles, and "Sweepbacks". My mother's name was Mary Louise Stevens at the time of the base dedication and my little brother, Fred's son, is Thomas Lance McConnell. My little sister Nancy Drue Stevens also attended the base dedication with us. My name is constantly mispelled as Kitty, with a "y" instead of "ie" and sometimes only one "c" in McConnell or they leave off an "l". My name is Kittie Lou on my birth certificate. Names are mispelled all the time. Do you by any chance know what happened to the portraits of Fred & Thomas McConnell (my father and uncle) that were unveiled at the dedication? They were magnificent likenesses and we were told they were done by a young man at the base. Thank you for your input! I have spoken at length with a wonderful young man whom I met thru this column named Randolph D. Brown, Jr. It is so nice to hear from people who are still interested in my father and his life. ~ Kittie Lou 08/23/2007 @ 21:57 [ref: 6242] |
| Dom Catarinicchia, US Army Ret. , New Jersey | McConnell AFB was one of the best station assignment I ever had. I was crew chief of B-47, tail number 0060 from 1960 to 1962. McConnell AFB is a good memory for me. 05/03/2007 @ 05:09 [ref: 5893] |
| marcus killion wichita, Kansas | Well it seems there is a lot of mis info out there about McConnell names. This is no doubt do to media. According to news paper Fred is Fred N. Jr. and according to MAFB he is Fred McConnell Jr. I have the dedication ceremonies booklet from the Wichita Chamber of Commerce and a copy of AFB news paper [ Sweepback ]and lots of other articles that all call him Jr. His dad is called Fred N. McConnell. However the W.C.C. booklet mistakingly syas: Miss Kittie Lou McConnel daughter of Fred McConnell Jr. , Thomas L. McConnell son of Fred Mc Connell Jr. , Mrs. Mary Lou Stevens Widow of Fred McConnell Jr. I also have articles that refer to him as Fred J. McConnell. So this is how things get mixed up. There are a lot of McConnell's out there. Verlin and his family were busy. 01/06/2007 @ 15:10 [ref: 5513] |
| Randolph D. Brown, Jr. Haysville, Kansas |  I have been an Air Force Historian for nearly 16 years now; most of those years spent at McConnell AFB, Wichita, Kansas. I have the destinct honor of meeting one of the namesakes of McConnell AFB: Mr. (Lt Col, USAFR, ret) Edwin Maurice McConnell. Edwin encouraged me to re-enter the Air Force, after a short heiatous in 1993. I am eternally grateful to him for his wisdom. June 14, 1999, will be a date that will live in infamy, in the anals of McConnell AFB history, as that day saw the addition of Edwin's name, alongside his two brothers - Thomas Laverne and Freddie Junior - as the namesakes of McConnell AFB. This was his dieing wish: to rejoin his brothers, as they had done so many times in their lives, as boys, young men, and military servicemen. Any confusion expressed here, as for the base being named after some guy named Nando should not be so; as the base was named after the Three Flying McConnell Brothers, from Wichita, Kansas, on 15 May 1954. 11/08/2006 @ 16:22 [ref: 5414] |
| Kathy Costello , Missouri | I live in the suburbs of KCMO and would like to know the directions to McConnell AFB. I see their having the AF Tbirds out this Sept and would like to make a trip to see them again. 03/11/2006 @ 20:25 [ref: 4875] |
| Kittie Lou McConnell Bandon, Oregon | My father's name, as is on his birth certificate, which I have, was Freddie Junior McConnell, not Fred Nando McConnell, Jr. He was the eldest of three sons of Anna Mary Garst McConnell, (not Julia Moore as stated below) and Fred Nando McConnell. He and my mother Mary Louise Klein went by the nicknames of "Blondie & Jughead". McConnell AFB was named originally for my father and his brother, Thomas Laverne McConnell. I have extensive information and records and photographs of their lives. 09/07/2005 @ 04:11 [ref: 4416] |
| Kittie Lou McConnell Bandon, Oregon | My father's name, as is on his birth certificate, which I have, was Freddie Junior McConnell, not Fred Nando McConnell, Jr. He was the eldest of three sons of Anna Mary Garst McConnell, (not Julia Moore as stated above) and Fred Nando McConnell. He and my mother Mary Louise Klein went by the nicknames of "Blondie & Jughead". McConnell AFB was named originally for my father and his brother, Thomas Laverne McConnell. I have extensive information and records and photographs of their lives. 09/07/2005 @ 04:09 [ref: 4415] |
| Jerad Wichita, Kansas | The B-1 Static should be on display by the end of Jan. I was one of the main players involved in preparing this aircraft for static Display. After maintaining B-1's for 15 years, it was really fun to take one apart without caring how you did it, as long as certain pieces were not damaged. You will be able to see it from the turnpike or from the West gate if you can not get a personnal tour. I fought hard to get the B-1 next to the 135 and 47 so many others could see it every day as they drove Rock Road. 01/24/2005 @ 21:53 [ref: 3750] |
| Jared Arrington Wichita, Kansas | The KC-135 on display was the first in AF inventory, assembled here in Wichita. Also, the Kansas Aviation Museum is off the west side of base, and open to the public. It has several interesting pieces, most of which are open. The Guard side has one of each plane assigned to the unit, including a B-1 on static display. These will be open to public next year. 12/30/2004 @ 02:03 [ref: 3656] |
Last updated: 02/14/00.
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