Robert E. Ruppel went to Pope AFB after graduation from pilot training
in March l956. I flew the C-ll9 Flying Boxcar on troop drop missions supporting the Army. Left the Air Force after
2 years 8 months total service to fly for Capitol Airlines, in Virginia Beach, Va., flying the DC3. I was furloughed
after six months and went to work for Hallmark Cards as a salesman.
While training for Hallmark in Philadelphia,
I joined the Air Reserve 5l2th Troop Carrier Wing at Willow Grove Naval Air Station in November l958 and flew the
C-119.
Left Wilow Grove in March l961 to join the Pa. Air National Guard , l40th.
Aeromedical Transport Squadron in Middletown, Pa. and flew the C-119 in a medical air evacuation mission. We got the
C-121 Super Constellation in early l963 and began flying in support of
Military Air Transport System as the l68th Military Airlift
Group.
In Sept. l967 we became the 193rd Tactical
Electronic Warfare Group and had four of our eight super-connies outfitted with electronic gear. We flew a classified
electronic mission called Coronet Solo.
In late l977 we began flying the C-130
Hercules in the electronic mission and became the 193rd Special Operations Group.
I retired as a Guardsman from the Air
Guard in June l982 after amassing 6200 hours flying time in my active duty and Air Guard carrer. I continued on in my
civilian career with Hallmark until my retirement in June l995.
Not completely ready to retire I worked as a manufacturers
representative selling souvenir type products to K-Mart and WalMart part-time. At age 70 I gave up working part-time
and now play softball, ice hockey and basketball full time. My wife's name is Jane and we have been married 43 yrs. We have
three children and
five grandchildren.
