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Marchbanks Building is a family affair

  • Published
  • 433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

The widow of the first Chief of the Air Force Reserve visited the 433rd Airlift Wing here March 17. Mrs. Peggy Marchbanks and her family toured the building that bears the surnname of her late husband, Maj. Gen. Tom E. Marchbanks, Jr., who served as CAFR from January 1968 to February 1971.

"For me coming out here after all these years, it brings back a lot of memories," she said.

The tour began with a mission brief by Col. Thomas K. Smith, Jr., 433rd AW commander, followed by a walk-through of the Marchbanks Building lead by Col. David Enfield, 433rd Mission Support Group commander.

The family stopped outside the building to read the dedication plaque in honor of the general. From there, the tour moved inside where the family read the names of past 433rd AW commanders in the buildings foyer. A bronze bust of the general is prominently displayed inside the doorway of the building. Marchbanks served as the 433rd Troop Carrier Wing commander from 1962-1968.

Marchbanks was nominated by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve as the first chief, AFR in 1967.

"Seeing the names of those men on the wall that I knew, its just great, it really makes me feel good and I know Tom would be thrilled." said she said.

After visiting the building, the family moved to the flight line for a C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft tour, lead by Senior Master Sgt. Miguel Casso, 356th Airlift Squadron load master. By living in nearby Bulverde, Texas, Tobin Marchbanks regularly sees C-5's flying in his area,

"I think it's very impressive, the aircraft was much larger than I thought it would be," he said.

Mrs. Marchbanks, a San Antonio native, taught History and English at Eisenhower Middle School, in the Northeast Independent School District, before moving to the Washington D.C. area in the early 1970's. After the general's death in 1975, Peggy worked in the White House under President Jimmy Carter as the personal assistant to the White House Secretary.

Today, Mrs. Marchbanks is back with her family in San Antonio, "I lived in Alexandria, Virginia for many years, but I was ready to move back to Texas to be closer to my family."