[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 23 (Wednesday, March 6, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1596-S1597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

               TRIBUTE TO GENERAL WILLIAM H. FAIRBROTHER.

 Mr. McCain. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a great 
American patriot, Brigadier General William H. Fairbrother, USAF, Ret. 
General Fairbrother passed away on January 27th at Air Force Village II 
in San Antonio. My deepest sympathies go out to his wife, Patricia, and 
his daughters, Bonnie and Nancy.
  William Herman Fairbrother was born in Endicott, NY, on March 28, 
1923, the son of Lieutenant Herman and Caroline Fairbrother. He grew up 
on a variety of Infantry Posts, to include the Panama Canal Zone and 
Manila, Philippine Islands. Bill entered the United States Military 
Academy at West Point on a Congressional appointment from the 34th 
District of New York. When he arrived at West Point he knew the 
prepared sling, the hasty sling, and had qualified with the 30-caliber 
water-cooled machine gun which made it easy to shoot expert with the M1 
Garand plebe year. Academics, however, were something else. With the 
help of ``Sully's Cram School'' in Washington, DC the previous year he 
did fairly well in the first half year. But after that it was a 
continuing struggle to stay proficient. Because of many moves, high 
school had been rushed and spotty, and four years of Academy study 
being rushed into three because of World War II made the task even 
harder. On the other hand, flying, which was his first love went 
smoothly. Primary flight training in Texas and then Basic and Advanced 
at Stewart during the three years went without problems. It was during 
the Plebe year that he picked up the nickname ``Fair-B'' in keeping 
with the academy tradition to reduce the spoken word to its simplest 
form.
  Fair-B graduated with the class of 1944, the D-Day class, albeit 
rather far down the list. On the very next day, in the Cadet Chapel, he 
married his childhood sweetheart, Patricia Ross of Kenmore, New York 
and they lived happily ever after. P-40 and P-47 training, together 
with those of the class selected for the Fighter business, followed 
with time at many different bases, as the Service endeavored to cram as 
much military experience into the class as they could before sending 
them overseas. Shortly thereafter it was off to Ie Shima Flying P-47's 
against the Japanese. After the war the unit moved over to Okinawa and 
Patricia joined him there in 1946. They, along with many other pioneer 
souls, set up housekeeping in a Quonset hut. , Bonnie, his first 
daughter, was born in Okinawa in 1947. In December 1947, Fair-B brought 
the family back to the U.S. to Selfridge, Michigan. The duty was with 
the 56th Fighter Group flying F-80's and F-86's, where he was squadron 
adjutant and group adjutant. It was during this time, in 1948, that his 
second daughter, Nancy, was born. In 1951 it was off to Minneapolis in 
the Air Defense Control Center business. There he was assigned as an 
aircraft controller and control center chief with the 31st Air 
Division. Flying time was cadged from the local guard squadron, which 
was equipped with P-51s. Then in 1953 cold weather assignments 
continued, this time to Rapid City, South Dakota and the 54th Fighter 
Interceptor Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base. This was probably the 
happiest assignment in his career, with over two years of the time 
there being in command of the squadron. Initially, the airplanes were 
P-51s, then F84Gs and finally F-86Ds. He had always said that next to 
being a Captain and Fighter Squadron Flight commander, the position of 
Fighter Squadron Commander was the best job in the Air Force.
  Exchange duty with the Royal Air Force at RAF Manby, England followed 
in June of 1956. The assignment was attendance at the RAF Flying 
College. The family thoroughly enjoyed this short tour living in the 
small East Anglia town of Sutton-on-Sea, going to English Schools, 
learning the language, dealing with pounds, schillings and pence, and 
driving on the left side of the road. Fair-B accumulated a respectable 
amount of time in British Aircraft to include the Gloster Meteor, 
Hawker Hunter and British Electric Canberra. In January 1957 the family 
arrived in Rabat Morocco. The assignment here was Chief, Combat 
Operations in the 316th Air Division. Further broadening and true 
sophistication took place during this time. Not only was the Division 
partially manned with French Air Force personnel but also, the family 
lived in a French villa. In addition, flights with the family on 
military aircraft up to the European continent were allowed once a 
year. They took full advantage of this privilege and managed to visit 
Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland during their 
Moroccan stay. The Division Fighter Squadrons were equipped with F-86D 
and F-100 aircraft so Fair-B was able to keep his hand in flying. There 
were many trips to Wheelus Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya, where the 
squadrons went TDY for gunnery and rocketry training.

  The three and a half years in North Africa went by quickly, and the 
return to the US happened in June 1960 with attendance at the Air War 
College. Following graduation from the Air War College he spent a long 
five years in the Pentagon, first on the Air Staff in War Plans and 
then as Executive Assistant in the Office of the Air Force Chief of 
Staff. One year with Curtis LeMay and one year with John McConnell 
provided rare and valuable staff experience.
  After the fast pace of the Washington area, duty on the CINCPAC staff 
in Hawaii, starting in 1966, seemed slow indeed. Here Fair-B served on 
the staff of the Commander in Chief, Pacific, at Camp Smith. Not only 
did they take off for the weekends, but Wednesday afternoons as well. 
The duty was good, with many evaluation trips to the MAAG supported 
countries in the Far East. This, together with quarters on Hickam, and 
the benevolent Hawaiian weather made for a delightful tour.
  Patricia stayed in Hawaii when Fair-B went to the Republic of Vietnam 
to join the 14th Special Operations Wing. As Vice Commander and then 
Commander he was kept busy monitoring the varied activities of the 
Wing, which were performed from nine separate bases. The little command 
O-2 aircraft spent a lot of time touring the country. In addition to 
the clandestine operations, the Wing had the AC-47 and AC-119 gunships, 
the psychological warfare business with O-2s and C-47s and the only 
armed helicopter squadron in the Air Force, flying UH-1Ns. He served 
the Wing from September 1969, to September 1970.
  After Vietnam the next assignment as Deputy Chief of Staff at 
Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force 
Base, Ohio with the job of DCS Distribution. The assignment was not 
awarded because of any logistics experience buy mainly because the boss 
man wanted some operational talent on the staff. The job was 
fascinating and of enormous scope. Fair-B jumped in with his typical 
enthusiasm and his performance helped in getting him promoted to 
Brigadier General on April 1, 1972. Separation from the Air Force came 
in 1974 with Fair-B being allowed to keep the wife and kids and the Air 
Force keeping the airplanes. His decorations and awards include the 
Legion of Merit (2), Distinguished Flying Cross (2) with oak leaf 
cluster, Air Medal (3) with two oak leaf clusters and the Meritorious 
Service Medal. He was a command pilot.
  Fair-B and Patricia, hand-in hand then returned to Hawaii, their 
choice of all the places they had tried throughout the years. They 
moved into an apartment on Waikiki beach and then took the time to read 
what there wasn't time for before and work on the projects that had 
long ago been put aside. Other activities during this eight-year idyll 
included working with the House Republican Whip in the Hawaii State 
Legislature, activities with the Retiree Affairs Council at Hickam and 
work with the Oahu Chapter of the Air Force Association. 1982 found 
them in San Antonio, Texas, and in 1987 they made their next-to-the-
last move into a cottage at Air Force Village II. Fair-B served three 
year as a Trustee on the Board of the Air Force Village Foundation, and 
over three years as a Director on the Air Force Village II Board of 
Directors.
  Fair-B is survived by his wife of 57 years Patricia; daughters and 
sons-in-

[[Page S1597]]

law Bonnie and Jerold Kreidler, Nancy and James Councilor and 
granddaughters Katherine and Patricia Councilor.
  While it can be said he never single handedly moved the world around, 
Fair-B certainly participated in many worthwhile events that did. As a 
result, those who knew him well can look back over his busy years and 
say, ``Not too shabby, old son, not too shabby.'' 

                          ____________________