And Yet Another Conclusion

There is a difference between a Guard unit and a unit of the regular Air Force that is not apparent on the surface. Guard units have primarily been made up of men who have lived and grown up in a certain area. A closeness develops that may account for the reason Guard units have excelled in the past. A man in the regulars is sent from one base to another. Each time he moves, for a short while anyway, he becomes a part of that unit's history. Even though there can be pride in what that unit was in the past, or even when it accomplishes in the present. One does not experience the continuity or share the belonging that comes with association in a Guard Unit. It is a feeling, partly that comes with any long association, but more than that, a feeling that the history of the unit is YOUR history. You helped write the chapters - the good ones and the sad ones. It is a pride in knowing that you truly were a part of it ... your contribution helped make it what it is today. It is doubtful that esprit de corps could be more evident than it is among the old "Hutch Bunch" of the 190th. There is a feeling among them that they belong to a very special club, and yet if one looks closely at this unit they will find that even among the newer members (the "Newer" members being referred to as the ones who enlisted after the move to Topeka ) you will find this same feeling among them. Some of these men have belonged to the 190th longer than the 190th was in Hutchinson and they look with pride on their association with it. In recent years "Old Timers" look back and realize that they grew up with the 190th. They were both youngsters together. The history of the 190th is the history of the men who were in it, and their personal history could not be written without many stories about the 190th being included. As this 25th anniversary approached, it was not at all unusual to find these men gathered in groups at a party trying to put into words what the 190th meant to them. Most were hard pressed to find the words to truly express it, but somehow you came away with the feeling that 25 years from now, at the 50th anniversary, some "Old Timer" will say, "Yeah, I remember the day the first KC-135 rolled in." Hopefully, someone will raise their glass in a toast and say... "To the Guard! - To the 190th!"