The 56th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (56WRS) was a relatively small tenant organization stationed at Yokota Air Base about an hours drive west of Tokyo Japan. Formally deactivated in May 1972, many assigned members transferred across base to 610MASS (Military Airlift Support Squadron) while others rotated to new assignments. The 55th WRS at McClellan AFB CA picked up the aircraft and missions that were occasionally required. 56WRS was on the opposite side of the flight line from main base where most all activities resided. The main side of the air base contained two large outfits, the 347th Tactical Fighter wing with assigned F-14s and the 610MASS supported C-141, C-130, and C-5 cargo transports through out the Pacific.
An archived welcome letter is available for viewing. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to read it. The letter from the commander to the parents is a basic template that introduced parents to where and what their sons were doing and what activities were afforded them. Col Bishop neglected to mention the nearby bar row or Hon as we called it for entertainment. Welcome Letter in PDF Format
One of the highlights of the small squadron was the camaraderie between members attached to the unit. The Vietnam war was in full swing around us, and when the tree chopping incident in the DMZ caused the US to rattle sabers by filling the Yokota runway with KC-135 tankers and other various aircraft, we knew that we lived in a time of turmoil. Most of the younger troops were housed in barracks 333, a two story barracks directly next to the Airmans club where slots and the monthly membership stag nights were held. Higher ranking members could live in barracks 212(?) where some realm of privacy and sanity existed.
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