AFTAC memorializes fallen comrades

  • Published
  • By Susan A. Romano
  • AFTAC Public Affairs
PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. --  In 1984, when President Ronald Reagan dedicated the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., he said, “This memorial reflects a hunger for healing.  I don’t know if perfect healing ever occurs, but I know that sometimes when a bone is broken, if it’s knit together well, in the end it will be stronger than if it had never been broken at all.”

In that same vein, members of the Air Force Technical Applications Center, in conjunction with the AFTAC Memorial Corporation, held a ceremony April 3 to memorialize four people assigned to the nuclear surveillance center who perished while actively serving their nation.

Dr. Gregory Wagner, Lt. Col. (ret) David Paynter, Staff Sgt. Myami Smith, and Mr. Paul Huffman had their names formally etched on the stone wall that sits prominently in front of AFTAC’s headquarters here.

The ceremony’s presiding officer was the center’s commander, Col. Creighton Mullins, who spoke solemnly about the fallen members.

“AFTAC’s legacy is forged on the dedication, expertise and unwavering commitment of our people,” Mullins said, “and the Memorial Wall is a testament to that truth.  Its journey mirrors our own – resilient, persistent and carried forward by generations of Airmen, civil servants and alumni who refused to let the memory of our fallen comrades fade.”

In attendance were three members of Wagner’s family:  sister, Nancy Hannon and brothers Jeff and Ken; and five members of Paynter’s family:  wife, Jennifer, and sons Benjamin, Luke and Samuel.  Each family was presented with an engraved shadow box containing an American flag that was flown on AFTAC’s flagpole in honor of their loved ones.

The ceremony outlined the significant contributions each person made in service to their nation, many of which were in direct support of national defense and global nuclear deterrence.

Wagner served as a geophysicist and a technical lead for the U.S. National Data Center, collaborating with premier scientists from several national laboratories.  Paynter was AFTAC’s Logistics Director who oversaw the sustainment of the center’s $158 million headquarters facility and $30 million power production system.  Smith held the title of noncommissioned officer-in-charge of Force Management and was a well-respected and admired leader and mentor to his subordinates.  Huffman was AFTAC’s sole maintenance technician, providing oversight for more than 760,000 square feet of space in 16 different facilities.

Lou Seiler, a retired Air Force major and AFTAC alumni, was the driving force behind the creation of the wall.  In January 2018, he spearheaded the formation of the AFTAC Memorial Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, to formally recognize fallen personnel.  Five years later, in August 2023, the center held a dedication ceremony to memorialize 82 members who died while in active government service since the inception of the long range detection mission in 1947.

“Over these past 79 years many of our organization’s members passed away while performing some portion of the mission, only to be logged on a list out of site and out of mind,” Seiler reflected.  “The Memorial Wall stands as a visible reminder to all that service to the mission by those who died supporting that mission will live on in the minds and hearts of all who view the Wall. 

He added, “It is said that we all stand on the shoulders of those we follow.  This memorial reminds us that those shoulders remain strong even in death, continuing the AFTAC commitment of, ‘mission comes first…always the mission.’  For all of those whose names are on the wall, may they rest in peace.”

The memorial consists of a 15-foot square concrete pad that holds two granite wall segments displaying the names of the fallen, with two stone benches to give visitors a peaceful place for moments of reflection. Immediately in front of the wall is a brushed steel lithium ion atop a granite pedestal, and leading up to the monument is a bricked walkway that contains inscribed dedication stones for purchase.

Paul Cook, AFTAC’s historian and project lead for the ceremony, is proud that the treaty monitoring center devotes the time and energy to pay tribute in such a meaningful and lasting way.

“AFTAC is a tight-knit community. Everyone touches a lot of lives and when paired with the career longevity on both the uniform side and the civil servants, the bonds are forged across decades,” said Cook.  “It is moving to see the center come together to honor and remember those individuals who pass on while still a vital part of the mission.”