ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Having show and tell for dad is something most children beg to do, and Lt. Col. Chris Eden had a chance to show off the 1st Airlift Squadron and its C-32 to his father's undergraduate pilot training's 40th reunion Saturday.
The pilot brought his father's 60-person gathering, part of the Reese pilot training class of 70-01 reunion tour, to his squadron and let them see inside one of the distinctive blue-and-white aircraft his unit flies.
"I'm very happy and proud to help out. Knowing what they've done for our Air Force and the sacrifices they made, I'm proud to give them something back," said the eldest son of retired Col. Tony Eden.
"Events like this don't happen overnight. It couldn't have happened without cooperation from everyone on the base," said Colonel Eden, who started planning the tour with fellow 1 AS pilot Lt. Col. Timrek Heisler this spring, when he found out from his father that reunion organizers picked Washington D.C. for the event.
"Getting everyone who supported the visit to give up part of their Saturday to help out with the visit was something I know the class appreciated," he said.
Many of the classmates have a bond that started before they entered UPT at the former Reese Air Force Base near Lubbock, Texas.
"A lot of the classmates attended the Air Force Academy together for four years before they went to UPT," said Colonel Eden, whose father graduated from the school in 1968.
The classmates began holding reunions at their 20th anniversary and have been meeting every five years since, said retired Col. Tim Davidson, one of the classmates who organized the reunion.
"We're really close to each other," he said. "In fact, 70 percent of the living graduates of the UPT class attended the reunion. Visiting Andrews was really the highlight of the week."
Colonel Eden said he enjoys attending the reunions with is father.
"Seeing how close they are to each other after all these years is amazing to me," he said.
"We're really proud of Chris, and it's great that he could get us this tour," said his mother Janet Eden.
Retirees from the class who visited Andrews included Gen. (ret.) Charlie Holland, a former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command; Lt. Col. (ret.) Bob Daley, one of the initial Southwest Airlines pilots; Col. (ret.) Pete Lindquist, chief operating officer of the Air Force Memorial; and Col. (ret.) Rhip Worrell, an Air Force Cross recipient from Vietnam.
The week-long visit also included trips to the Capitol, White House and Air Force Memorial.