U.S. Air Force's Flying Cossacks of 1964-1965 hold reunion (10/29/00)

U.S. Air Force's Flying Cossacks of 1964-1965 hold reunion

by Steve Olek

TUCSON, Ariz. - The U.S. Air Force pilot training unit that in the 1960s adopted the Ukrainian trident (tryzub) as its emblem and assumed the name of The Flying Cossacks held its second reunion here over the August 25-27 weekend.

Thirteen members of the orginal group and one instructor, Jake Sorenson, were able to attend.

The reunion was held at the Tucson Hilton Hotel and hosted by Flying Cossacks Gary Catren and Jim Walker, who both live in Tucson. Mr. Catren is a retired USAF colonel and Learjet instructor, while Mr. Walker is a captain for United Air Lines. Most former members of the unit are now retired from active duty in the Air Force and are captains with the airlines, or businessmen.

Since only 13 members and their spouses were able to attend this reunion, it was decided to hold the next reunion near the East Coast, where most of The Flying Cossacks reside.

The reunion's organizers are currently in touch with more than half the original 40 members of this 1964-1965 flying group that went on to fight in Vietnam. They adopted The Flying Cossack name and tryzub emblem at the suggestion of Lt. Steve Olek of Chicago, the only Ukrainian in the group.

Mr. Olek is retired from the Air Force and is a writer in Riverside, Calif. As The Flying Cossacks maintain a strong interest in today's Ukraine, he gave a briefing to the reunion on the current situation in the unit's adopted country.

Mr. Olek had spent the summer of 1995 in Lviv as a volunteer English language instructor and is currently in touch with many of his former students.

The next reunion of The Flying Cossacks will be held in 2005, when the unit's members will celebrate the 40th anniversary of receiving their orginal pilot wings from the U.S. Air Force.

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