Fifty years of heritage Published Jan. 21, 2011 By Eric M. White 910 AW/PA YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- The 910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs office has an archive of hundreds of base periodicals dating back to January 1957. What is today called The Airstream, was once called the 910 Flyer, and before that, the Buckstone Carrier. The archive is a rich collection of history chronicling the heritage of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station through its various missions, titles, commanders and units. Each Thursday in 2011, the 910th AW/PA office will republish a historic article or highlight from the archive along with a brief commentary. In the case of articles, we will publish exact copies of the originals, so any grammatical or typographical errors are intentional reproductions. Each week will feature a different year in Youngstown ARS history, beginning with 1957 and ending with 2007. Article One: Foundations of a Wing Dated Dec. 2, 1957, the following introductory heritage piece is the oldest piece of Youngstown ARS journalism we have. The article comes from the Buckstone Carrier, the official newsletter of the 757th Troop Carrier Squadron. The magazine is printed on now-faded, thin and opaque but seemingly durable paper. Produced well before the digital age, this newsletter was likely crafted on a typewriter, the images cut by hand and arranged on the pages with glue or tape to be copied. Flip through the pages, and a musty scent accompanies the curious feeling of history in your hands. This issue has no photographs but several hand-drawn cartoons grace the pages. In several spots, the ink has either faded or was misprinted. The bulletin's first paragraph explains the Office of Information Services' (the Public Affairs title was apparently not yet in use) decision to change the newsletter's cover and title. The unknown writer explains that, "the 757th is a two state unit composed of residents from Ohio--the Buckeye State--and Pennsylvania--the Keystone State. From the buckeye we got the Buck, and from Keystone we took the Stone. Putting the two together---we came out with BUCKSTONE. The CARRIER was used because our mission is to carry and also the news Letter carries information." The newsletter's cover features the tagline, "ON TIME WITH ENOUGH," which the writer explains , "was derived when we decided that for a Troop Carrier Squadron to be the best, it must always be on time with enough to complete the assigned mission." The acting commander of the 757th Troop Carrier Squadron at the time of publication was Lt. Col. Randall W. Hendricks, after whom the Youngstown ARS OPS building is named. The newsletter's articles describe squadron events and a "LAFFS" section has a series of clean jokes. The following article selected for republication explains the history of the 757th Airlift Squadron--still active today--which was originally activated in 1943 as the 757th Bombardment Squadron in New Mexico. 26th FBS NOW TITLED 757th TCS (From the Buckstone Carrier--Dec. 2, 1957) Saturday November the 16th the 26th Fighter Bomber Squadron (Reserve) became a "has been" when it was redesignated as the 757th Troop Carrier Squadron . In addition to the redesignation, the unit changed from jet to conventional type aircraft. 16 C-119'S SLATED When in full swing the 757h TCS, under the 459th Troop Carrier Wing at Andrews AFB, Maryland, will be composed of sixteen C-119 "Flying Boxcars", and will provide air transportation for airborne forces, their equipment and supplies as well as provide air evacuation for personnel, equipment and supplies within their Theater of Operation. FORMERLY A BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON Formerly known as the 757th Bombardment Squadron, the 757th was activated in 1943 in new Mexico and later that same year transferred to Utah. In 1944 the unit was transferred overseas and established location in Italy. From these headquarters a total of 242 missions were flown, hitting targets in Italy, Balkans, Southern France, Austria and Germany. In April 1944 the Squadron received the Distinguished Unit Citation for outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy. Following its return to the states, the 757th Bombardment Squadron was inactivated in August 1945. ASSIGNED TO AF RESERVE Two years later the Squadron was reactivated at Long Beach, California and in march 1955, the unit was redesignated the 757th Troop Carrier Squadron and assigned to the Air Force Reserve. In April that year the unit was assigned to Byrd Field, Virginia, where it remained until transferred to Youngstown. In addition to five C-119's the unit has three C-45's which will be used in transitions into the "Flying Boxcars". Two T-33 jet trainers are still pending reassignment.