Gary Naylor
Gary Naylor of Topeka has been a lover of aviation since he was a child. In 1984, when he turned 18, he joined the United States Air Force. “I was a tactical aircraft maintenance specialist, which is a crew chief,” he says. “Then, in 1987, engines, hydraulics and crew chiefs were combined into one career field, so I had to learn to do all of them.”
Instead of spending just four years in the military, he made the Air Force a career. After 23 years, he retired as a Master Sergeant E7. During that time, he was sent to three different bases.
“I first went to Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, which was where my dad was stationed 40 or so years before that,” says Gary. (His father was a flight engineer on B-24s during World War II.) “Then I went to RAF [Royal Air Force] Lakenheath in England for three and a half years, and after that I ended up at Langley Air Force Base.”
He says he loved it and would do it all over again. “When you get out, and you'll hear this from a lot of veterans, the biggest thing is you miss your brothers and sisters you served with. There was a whole ton of camaraderie.”
Today, Gary’s a civilian contractor who just returned from a stint in South Korea, and he also volunteers with the Combat Air Museum, where he and his family volunteered many years ago. It’s also what inspired him to join the Air Force.
“Before I got married, I would come home on leave just for the air shows, and I was always on hand to go with them to this air show or that air show,” he says. He and his wife, Susan, have three daughters.
Gary is currently working on restoring an F-15 at the museum. “The F-15 that I crewed when I was at Langley AFB was being retired and I wanted it,” he says.
Although we weren’t able to get that particular one, we did find another one in St. Louis. “That airplane was in pieces, but it’s mostly put together now. We're still trying to strip the old paint off and get it ready to repaint.”
Gary also likes to visit air museums across the country, including those in California and Florida. “It’s been a passion of mine ever since I was a kid.”
John Plumb
John Plumb has always loved airplanes. “I started flying when I was 14 years old,” he says. “I got a job at the local airport and soloed on my 16th birthday. By the time I got out of high school, I wanted to join the Air Force.” His dream was to one day be a pilot for a major airline.
“I was 20 when I enlisted in 1952, and I went through pilot training and got my wings,” says John. “I took some additional training after I got out of pilot school, and my first active squadron was here in Topeka at Forbes Air Force Base. I joined a squadron in the Strategic Air Command flying KC-97s, the old propeller tanker aircraft.”
Luckily, he never had to enter a combat zone. “I was in the service during the Korean War and never went to Korea,” he says. “I was in the service during the Vietnam War and never went to Vietnam. I was fortunate. At that time, my duty as an air refueling pilot precluded operations in a combat zone.”
After spending 14 years on active duty with the Air Force, John decided to follow his dream and applied for a job with a major airline. “I applied for a release from military duty, which took a while because there was a war on,” he says. “But I did get out in 1966 and went to work for American Airlines.”
During his first year with American Airlines, he joined the Air National Guard. “I stayed with them for 10 years, so I had a total of 24 years in when I retired in 1976,” he says.
While in the Air Force, he was based in the United States, and then commuted from Topeka to Chicago while in the National Guard. “I flew overseas quite often, but it was always temporary,” says John. “I flew to Canada, Mexico, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.”
The highlight of his career is when he received notification that he was accepted into the pilot training program with a chance to become an Air Force pilot. “I went from Airman Basic and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. I received more than I gave.”
Today, John volunteers at the Combat Air Museum operating the flight simulator. “I'm able to share with people, young and old, all the aircraft we have here at the museum.”
Joseph Wulfkuhle
After graduating from high school in 1965, Joseph Wulfkuhle was planning to go into the Navy. “But, my dad was in the Lions Club here in Topeka, and an Air Force recruiter came to speak at their club meeting,” he says. “Dad sent him to me, and I guess he just had a better story.”
Joe spent 20 years in the Air Force, and during that time, traveled all over the world, including to the Philippines, Germany, Thailand, Egypt and Vietnam.
He had experiences he’ll never forget. “While stationed in the Philippines, I went on temporary duty to Tainan, Taiwan,” says Joe. “I was there for about four months and we had four F-100s on nuclear alert. In case of war, they were to attack China.”
Another unforgettable memory is when he traveled to Vietnam. “I figured I would eventually get sent to Vietnam, but I hadn’t. So, I asked if I could go on temporary duty to Vietnam. They said I could, but not for more than 30 days. Otherwise, they would have had to change my next assignment, which was to Germany, which I liked.”
Joe stayed in Vietnam for 29 days working on aerospace ground equipment. “We maintained the generators, air compressors, start units, air conditioners and hydraulic equipment that's used on the flight line to support the aircraft. That was an adventure.”
While in the Philippines, he would catch rides on aircraft flying from Clark AB. “There was a T-39 going to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we flew into Vietnam right at sunset. Cam Ranh Bay has white sand on its beaches and during sunset it was the most beautiful scene going into a war zone.”
In 1985, he retired from the Air Force with the rank of E7 Master Sergeant, then worked Federal Civil Service for the U.S. Border Patrol and Department of Interior.
“In 2009, after 44 years with the government, I was ready to retire for good,” says Joe. Eventually, he found his way back to Topeka, where he had grown up. “My family's here. I’m a Native American of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation now based in Shawnee, Oklahoma.”
He has been volunteering with the Combat Air Museum for about six years now. “I'm a retired airframe and power plant mechanic/inspector,” says Joe. “I enjoy working with the aircraft at the museum.”
Visit CityLifestyle.com/Topeka to view additional photos from this article.
Combat Air Museum
7016 SE Forbes Avenue
Forbes Field, Topeka,
Phone: (785) 862-3303
Hours Through-December:
Monday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Sundays: Noon - 4:30 pm
Winter Hours: Jan 2nd - Feb 28/29th
Monday - Sunday: Noon - 4:30 pm