FORBES FIELD ANGB, Topeka, Kan. -- Elsewhere in this month's issue, there is an article about the remodeling of the Dining Facility. When you read it, try to image a facility without air-conditioning and all of the other comforts that we take for granted today.
The picture for this month shows something of what is was like 51 years ago. This photo was taken in 1958 of the dining area of the building used at Hutchinson during the very early days of the 190th's history. Notice the open windows, poor lighting, wooden picnic tables and crowed conditions. It became even more crowed as the 117th was growing from about 150 personnel in the fall of 1957, to 448 in June of 1958.
Also notice the metal trays the meals were being served on. These were leftover from the prior tenants of the base, as the Navy had an Air Station at Hutchinson and was the primary user of the base until early 1958. A great deal of the gear that the Air National Guard used was salvaged from castoff Navy equipment.