To add information please contact Jim Farris John Elkins B J Long
All members and friends of the Perrin Air Force Base Museum are sincerely blessed once again! For all of our volunteers who showed up and demonstrated outstanding loyalty and dedication to our mission, everything went off with clock-work. We as an organization owe a debt of gratitude to Terry Rogers and his aircraft specialist of Air #1, Henry Scharff and his crane service, Larry Jester and his eighteen wheeler and the Sherman Police Department escort service. The Saber jet tail number # 51-6144 is safely back at Perrin after more than a half century on a Pedestal at Sherman's Post 29, American Legion. It awaits our continued volunteerism to get it cleaned up and ready for display. I am sure the North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field board appreciates our assistance in getting the Saber jet moved to Perrin plus whatever future work required to make it presentable for their airport aircraft static display project. Donations for the cleanup project are welcome.
Three Generations
Three uniforms worn by John M. Elkins while
in the U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne, United States
Air Force, and Texas Guard/Texas National Guard. (Private to
General.)
F-86
L on pedestal for a half century at Post 29, American Legion in
Sherman, TX assigned to Perrin AFB Museum for static display at
Grayson County-Perrin Airport. (F86L Tail #16144 returns to Perrin!)
Will be on static display in the boulevard when cleaned up.
3. Rogue’s gallery of the current five Perrin AFB Museum Directors
on the “Whitehouse” wall (Left to right: Dan Stange, Charlie Brown,
Jerry Day, James Farris & John Elkins
4. Rogue’s gallery of Perrin Commanders and staff as well as
museum’s appreciation plaques reflecting the financial contributor’s
of building and perpetual funding.
5. Booklets on previous Wing Commanders and base staff officers
composed by John M. Elkins, (Members and/or interested personnel are
encourage to help get all of the commanders recognized by doing up
these kinds of booklets on their own collection of documents.
6. West side of “Wall of Honor,” upper level at foyer. U.S. Marine
Corps, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard. United
States Air Force and United States Army are displayed on the east
side. Uniforms on these mannequins depict all five branches of our
Armed Forces with flags and insignias. Uniforms donations from all
local past and present Grayson County service personnel and or
families.
7. Replica or the Perrin AFB’s main gate centerpiece upper level at
foyer. This is how it looked for a couple of decades after opening
as an air base.
8. Mannequins representing WWII and Korean era uniforms, women and
men. (Nurse uniform donated by Dickie Gerig in her U.S. Navy Nurse
Corps uniform. (Dickie is retired as Director of Nurse Training at
Grayson County Community College.
9. Plaque with data plates which were removed from Japanese war
weapons (rifles, tanks, radios and airplanes) during World War II
battles on Luzon, New Guinea, and other Philippines islands by WWII
veteran E.H Smathers, Mounted for display by John M. Elkins.
10. Colonel William Buck, Jr., former Perrin Wing Commander’s F102
painting donated by his son following Colonel Buck’s death. Colonel
Buck had this in his study at his home until he passed away. Colonel
Buck flew the first F102 into Perrin AFB in the 1960’s. Mural
located in the museum’s Brown recognition and learning center.
11. Guardian of Perrin Field. A tribute to United States House
Speaker Sam Rayburn. “Mr. Sam” Rayburn represented the 4th District
of Texas longer as well as the office of Speaker of The House longer
than any other person in the history of the United States. (Perrin
Field/Perrin Air Force Base remained active when Mr. Sam was our
representative.)
12. On the back wall, please note the three U.S. flags with 48, 49,
and 50 starts. Representing the three flags that few during Perrin’s
30 years of active status. Also other flags representing Texas and
local communities are displayed.
13. Ship bell recently donated by Max Lash.
14. Navy and Coast Guard displays.
16. Aircraft mechanic at R975 radial engine. The engine displayed
came out of a WWII Sherman tank. It was also used in the BT-13 Basic
Trainer and Beech Twin engine AT-11’s, C-45’s. and many other
aircraft of the era.
17. U. S. Flag (20’X12’) garrison flag displayed behind the Cessna
T-37 jet trainer. This flag flew over Epinal at The U.S. Battlefield
Commission’s World War II Memorial Cemetery in France.
John Elkins’ younger brother, Kenneth J. Elkins Sergeant
Major (E8) U.S Army (Retired) worked after retirement for the U. S.
Embassy, Paris, France as Epinal cemetery superintendent. He was
given the wool flag as a nylon flag replaced it.
18. Chief Master Sergeant Ross W. Rigg’s uniform on a mannequin as a
guard over the T-37 jet trainer in the north building. CMSgt Riggs
was a forward air control ground station operator in the Vietnam
War. (See his other awards and decorations in the museum)
20. South end wall displays on the north building.
21. Glass display cases of Perrin artifacts along the southeast wall
of the north building.
22. Photo take of the south building looking toward foyer area.
24. Cross-stitch murals done by Ed Barton, a volunteer at the
museum. Thousands of hours spent by Ed to create these artifact
masterpieces.
25. The WWII B-17 art with two of our local B-17 aerial
gunner-heroes depicted. Chief Master Sergeant Ted Nurre and Buck
Sergeant Russell Jordan of Sherman, Texas
26. Aircraft flight suits and flight jackets worn by and donated by
aviators from Perrin Air Force Base displayed on a circular rack at
north end of south building.
27. The Cessna T-37 “Tweetie-bird” jet trainer on display. Acquired
from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Modified versions of the T-37’s
were called A-37’s and used in Vietnam as attack bombers. The
A-037’s had guns and bomb racks. A more powerful engine and beefed
wings and landing gears for the extra weight it carried.
28. Base ball uniforms used by “Perrin Pilots” teams through the
years during Perrin’s heydays. Donated by Mike Byrd and others.
Sixth graders visit Perrin AFB museum on November 10, 2006 as a Veteran's Day field trip. They are from Gunter Intermediate School at Gunter, Texas.
Pearl Harbor displays, three United States flags, with the 48, the 49, and the 50 stars over the center walk-through to T-37 "Tweet Suite." Flags like these flew over Perrin Air Force Base from 1941 to 1971 when it was active.
"Life Guard" representing the Perrin recreation area on Lake Texxoma with the T-37 jet training and an engine that is used in the jet.
T37 "Tweet" cockpit with canopy raise and crews "ready" for flight.
Turbine ends of Russian MIG VK-1 turbo jet engine at left and F-86 Saberjet's J-47 turbo jet engine with safety shields in place for public viewing.
"First occupant" in barracks 4575
(Replica of Perrin's 1940-1950 barracks.) Constructed by James
Farris and a tad of helpers from an offical 1942 photograph of
Perrin barracks.
Back in the 1960's the then Major Bill Grusy commanded Perrin's 3560th Field Maintenance Squadron. All of his staff officers were Chief Warrant Officers including Farris. This was a first for the United States Air Force and made page one of the Air Force Times Magazine. CWO Farris was the Jet Engine branch chief at Perrin AFB for all of the jet aircraft on base.
A photo taken of the reunion of Lt Colonel Bill Grusy and Chief Warrant Officer James W. Farris on June 30, 2006 at the Perrin AFB Museum
Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson's visit to Perrin Air Force Base in 1963. Left to right: Lyndon B. Johnson, Vice President. Colonel Raymond Gallagher, 4780th Air Defense Wing Commander, and David Williams, 4780th Wing Staff Officer. David Williams is a regular volunteer at the museum.
Photograph of "enemies side by side." On
the left is a Russian built VK1 turbo-jet engine that powered the
MIG 15 during the Korean war. On the right is the General Electric
J-47 turbo-jet engine which powered the F86 Saber jet. The kill rate
during the war was ten MIGs shot down for each F86 Saberjet downing.
The engines are on display for public viewing.
Front yard photo at the museum showing the "Age of The Propeller" display and main entrance to the museum at Grayson County-Perrin Airport.
Iraqi Freedom displayed items including an original copy of the December 2005 Iraqi ballot.
Photo above showing the Gunter School group surrounding the T37 jet trainer located in the new expanded Perrin AFB museum building. Sixty three Gunter elementary school students with their teachers and several parents from Gunter Independent School District made a field day to Grayson County-Perrin Airport on May 6, 2005. Six areas of interest at the airport were set up to include a visit to the fire station, a small aircraft maintenance hanger, four wide body 727 jets at their parking apron, the Texoma Jet Center, and systematic tour throughout the new expanded Perrin Air Force Base Museum at 4575 Airport Drive. A thirty minute video was shown on theory of flight and the United States Air Force Thunderbird aerial demonstration team at an air show at their home base of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. On Thursday,May 5, 2005,) a field trip was made by 150 students from Dillingham Intermediate School of Sherman. Their field trip also made the six vital areas of aviation interest at the airport.
New Addition to Museum Has Arrived!
Many thanks to the 25 to 30 volunteers who
showed up this morning at the Perrin AFB museum at Grayson County-Perrin
Airport to help move the T37 from the north parking ramp into the new
addition to the museum. We were also blessed with the T37 expertise of
Mr. Donald McElrath from Lear Siegler Service Inc. at Sheppard AFB, TX.
He is the former crew chief of our T37.
United States Post Office, Perrin Field Branch. Boxes actually taken out of the Perrin Post Office when the base closed in 1971. Silver boxes sold out with $100 boxes dedicated to building fund. The $100 blue boxes are half sold out and is dedicated to the museum funding into perpetuity.
Newly erected sign on the east side of the museum's expansion next to Airport Drive.
T37 loaded on Larry Jester Construction Company's 18-wheeler, ready to depart from Sheppard AFB, TX to Grayson County-Perrin Airport's Perrin AFB Museum. Jet was reassembled at Perrin on January 30, 2005. It will be on public display in the new addition soon to be built next to the current museum building around March 1st, 2005
Patches now available at the Museum
Museum Pictures
View from museum looking out of southwest conference room window toward aircraft control tower and terminal building
Perrin Air Force Base Commemorative Coin
Obverse Side
Reverse Side
Perrin Field 1941/Perrin Air Force Base 1971 - Commemorative Coins are available for sale.
The PAFB coins are one ounce and made of .999 Silver. As previously announced, all proceeds from the sale of the coins are dedicated to the Perrin Air Force Base Museum Building Fund. On the Perrin Field, TX 1941 (Obverse side) is Lieutenant Colonel Elmer D. Perrin, the name sake of Perrin Air Force Base, Denison, Texas. Perrin Field opened in 1941. Colonel Perrin was Army Air Corps flight test acceptance team commander at Glenn Martin Aircraft Company. He was killed on April 21, 1941, during an acceptance flight in a B-26 Martin Medium Bomber in Maryland. Convair BT13 Vultees are flying overhead, and were the FIRST aircraft used at Perrin Field in 1941. On the (Reverse side) Perrin Air Force Base 1971, is Colonel Vermont Garrison, triple war ACE from combat in Europe in WW.II and Korea. He is also one of the 39 jet aces of the Korean War. The three stars also represent Colonel Garrison's triple war ACE battle records. The three stars also signify the three decades that Perrin was an Active US Air Force installation. Convair F102 Delta Daggers are flying overhead, and were the LAST aircraft assigned to Perrin AFB. Our Air Force Family of retirees, both military and civil service, are urged to get at last one coin. They are great keep sakes for the children/grand children/greats to have, while remembering Perrin Field's past. They cost per coin is $30.00 by mail. This includes USPS insurance coverage of the $25.00 cost of the coin, the packaging, a felt lined coin display box, and postage. All coins are in a protective plastic case. Send check or money order made out to: Perrin AFB Museum Fund, 4575 Airport Drive, Denison, TX 75020. The Silver Coin(s) will be mailed the same day we receive your check and/or money order. Contact Jim Farris at 903-893-0376, Robert Sylvester 903-463-1942, or John Elkins 903-893-6400. Other members will be selling the coins as time passes. It is the sincere hope that the sale of this commemorative coin may provide financial aid towards preserving those precious memories well into the millennium through the displays and memorabilia seen in the Perrin Air Force Base Museum’s own building at Grayson County Airport, Denison, Texas. ARTIST FOR THE COIN, Obverse and Reverse is John Merl Elkins, Chief Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired).
Replica of Perrin Field Dedication Marker Installed
On Saturday, August 7, 2002, the long awaited replica of the original Perrin Field dedication marker was installed on the stone cairn east of the flag pole, Grayson County Airport (formerly Perrin Air Force Base, Denison-Sherman, Texas.) Thanks to the many donations from those Perrin Field people who continue to perpetuate Perrin Field’s legacy. Also thanks to the Perrin AFB Research Foundation, Perrin Historical Society, and Perrin Reunion Committee. Marker installed compliments of The Sign Machine Company of Denison, Texas. The original marker was stolen soon after and/or while the base was closing down in 1972. Shown below is what the replica looks like today and what the original marker looked like in 1942.
The Replica Marker rededicated on February 23, 2002 and installed August 7, 2002
The original Perrin Field Marker dedicated February 23, 1942
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