Pensacola News Journal from Pensacola, Florida • 3

OhaloosalVest Florida Sunday June 23. 1974 Qffcas DedkatJ New Area Af fraction eflected In Armament Museum e- Mission i 1 I -r- i -v-y 'vn -c v. -li-x- v-l. tats The museum boasts a collection of aircrrilft machine guns and cannon dating from the VVV? I Vickers machine gun to the GAU-8 30mm gun wh'rh will be fitted on the Air Force's A-10 close supp art aircraft A large collection of American and foreign ha hd-guns is also on exhibit More than 100 rockets, gui ffed missiles, bombs, and electro-optical guided sirmrt bombs are displayed. One of the most unusual items is the famous "V-l "Buzz" Bomb developed by the Germans during IV II and used to harass Great Britain.

Exterior displays featured in the museum pai flung lot include the F-lOt F-84F "Thun Bers-treak." F-100 "Super Saber Jet." F-102 "Delta I3art" and the F-104 "Star Fighter." Aircraft soon to be include the P-5! "Mustang." P-80 "Shooting F-86 "Saberjet" and the B-17 "Flying Fortress." Also presently on display are the BOMARC ground-to-air interceptor missile, and the IlliACE ground-to-ground missile, which is now used at; Eglin as a drone target. In addition to armament exhibits, the muse um has a large gallery of photographs and paintings Spicting the history of aviation and air combat from the Wright Brothers through the Vietnam era, including nriginal watercolor paintings by combat airtists. Portr? cits of all American aviators awarded the Congressional I ledal of Honor, the nation's highest military decor; ti.ion for valor, are hanging in a special section of the rr mseum. Natives of Northwest Florida will be particularly interested in photographs and related inforr cation on the early history of Eglin and the adjacent tei itory. The museum Is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m.

until 4:30 p.mfc and Sun- NtM-Jwmol Oarm EGLIN AFB A new dimension was added to Northwest Florida's historical attractions Saturday when the Air Force Armament Museum of Eglin officially opened to the public. The opening climaxed a year of intensive preparations by officials of the Air Force and Okaloosa County, co-sponsors of the museum. Scores of local officials and dignitaries, senior Air Force officers, and civic leaders turned out for the ribbon-cutting affair. Rep. Robert "Bob" Sikes, Florida's First Congressional District, guest speaker for the occasion, was introduced by Major General Henry B.

Kucheman Commander of Eglin's Armament Development and Test Center. The Air Force Chief of Staff was represented by Mai. Gen. M. L.

Boswell, director of Legislative Liaision. Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Eglin's base commander, Col. William R. Morton, was an honored guest at the event.

Col. Morton is a strong supporter of the museum, and contributed sig-nificately to its becoming a reality. Patriotic Music was provided by the Maxwell Air Force Base Band, from Montgomery, Ala. The Air Force Armament Museum will collect, preserve, restore and display significant and historic items of aircraft armament. Emphasis is placed on the role played by Eglin in the armament development and test programs of the Air Force.

As the home of Air Force Systems Command's Armament Development and Test Center (ADTC). Eglin is the logical site for the museum. The center is responsible for the planning, development, testing, and initial procurement of all non-nuclear munitions for the Air Force. Encompassing 724-square miles of land test area in the Gulf of Mexico, Eglin is also the world's largest air force base. MODEL AIRCRAFT ON DISPLAY AT EGLIN'S NEW ARMAMENT MUSEUM Joseph Mingiene, left and son Bill of Donglasville, Penn.

take tour Tin to 4C i Friend Honored Watermelon Demands 66 Dollars Teague Renames Ill- ill A a-iff 1 Tr i vxK I Station Range By E. W. CARS WELL pwvjo)urnot Staff Wriftr CHIPLEY Holmes County's R. D. Peacock showed the biggest melon Saturday at the Panhandle Watermelon Festival here and Florida Bank at Chipley bought it for $100.

Peacock, of Rt. 1. Westville, collected $1 per pound as grand prize for his 66-pound melon. It was then sold, with the proceeds of the sale being allocated for festival expenses. His melon was of the Jubilee variety.

Next biggest Jubilee, a 60-pounder, took first place in the Jubilee Division. It was shown by Eddie Scurlock of Rt. 2, Cottondale. It sold to Chipley Livestock Co. for $75.

Second place Jubilee was shown by Hubert Smith of Rt. 3, Bonifay. It weighed 59 pounds and was auctioned to First Federal Savings and Loan for $50. Third place in the Jubilee Division was taken by Archie Sapp of Port St. Joe.

His 58-pounder sold to J. Nicholas, Lakeland melon buyer, for $50. First place Charleston Gray was eighed-in by L. D. Corbin of Chipley at 46.5 pounds.

Evergreen Construction Co. bought it for $75. Second place Charleston Gray, weighing 46 pounds, was shown by Otis Gibson of Rt. 2. Marianna.

It sold to Chipley Piggly-Wiggly for $50. Third place Charleston Gray was shown by J. O. Chestnut Jr. of Chipley.

It weighed 44.5 pounds and was sold to Aukema Dairy for $30. DUPLICATE OF WWII GERMAN I 'BUZZ BOMB" ON DISPLAY Eglin tested a captured mlssle from 1944 until 1952 Mayor to McLaughlin Receives Keys Hospital Tours Conducted Today By LEE CEARNAL Mm-iwraol Man WrIHr EGLIN AFB Texas Congressman Olin Teague was principal speaker Saturday morning at ceremonies which officially named the Arm's Florida Ranger camp to honor his longtime friend the late Maj Gen. James E. Rudder. The camp at Eglin's Field Six was named after "the epi-.

tome of a great American," said Teague, who represents Texas' Sixth District. Rudder was a Ranger hero in the invasion of Normandy at Point du Hoc during World War II. The 48-star American flag which was raised over Pont du Hoc after the invasion was given to the camp by Mrs. Teague Saturday. "His contributions to the country continued after the war," said Teague.

"He was constantly on the go to help this country." Teague, himself an infantry batallion commander in World War II, said he had known Rudder since he was a student at Texas "He is certainly deserving of every honor that will ever come to him." In other remarks, Teague said of the nation, "Things are happening that none of us like, things that are embarrassing," but, he added, they only served "prove our system of government works." being as "acute-care general hospital." Attached to the central building is the psychiatric treatment center and the entire complex is bordered on three sides by lighted, asphalt parking area. The hospital will include seven-bed intensive care unit, six-bed Turn to 4C where Fort Walton Mayor Maurice McLaughlin will receive the hospital keys, and Congressman Bob Sikes will comment on the significance of the new facility for Okaloosa County. The $7,000,000 four-story hospital was built by Humana, Inc. of Louisville, following the design of Nashville architect Earl Swensson. The 236-bed facility is expected to open within three weeks and is stressed as By JUDY KACZOR IK-Jwrml Staff writer FORT M'ALTON BEACH Open house tours of the new General Hospital of Fort fValton Beach will be conducted fr im p.m.

Sunday following jiehing ceremonies presided over by Judge Erwin Fleet at the new comp' iex on Mar-Walt Drive. Hospi al Administrator Willard Wisler is supervising the program Belandville Once French-American Dream Youth Camp Developed On Belandville Site homes, businesses and industries. The word Florida was magic to the prospective colonists. They probably found Beland's optimism easy to share. Beland was providing them an opportunity to join the great exodus to the land, prompted nationally by a deepening economic depression.

Pensacola engineer Stephen Lee surveyed the tract, with the Belandville townsite to be in the center of the property. It was at what had been known as Geronimo, a watering station and naval stores-logging community on the soon-to-be abandoned F. A. Railroad. The community at one time had been known as Pine Level.

Among the first families to arrive in 1930 was that of Gerard Paradis, who became postmaster when a' post office was established at Belandville on Nov. 24. 1932. Another of the pioneer families was that of Albert F. L'Ecuyer and that of Mrs.

Paquette. Other early arrivals were the families of Walter, Fred and Joe Poirier. Jerry O'Conner and John Maguan. Nineteen families had arrived by February. 1931.

when 16 Turn to JC (This is the first of two installments about Belandville, the French-American settlement started in what is now the Blackwater River State Forest north of Mansen. The second Installment will be published next Sunday.) By E. W. CARSWELL twi Journal trail Wrlttr BELANDVILLE A youth camp is being developed on a part of this onetime French-American community site. It will be called Camp Paquette, being named for Mrs.

Elizabeth Paquette. who once owned the camp site. She had come with her family in the early 1930s to make their home here. Blackwater River State Forest is developing the camp as a part of its multi-purpose uses for the forest area. It will be made available to youth groups, such as the Scouts and similar organizations, according to Phil Krul.

forest superintendent. The site, acquired in 1930 by Albertino J. Beland, was 30,000 acres in size. Beland obtained the cutover land from Bagdad Land Lumber and set out to attract French-American colonists here to establish farms. BELANDVTLLE WAS ONCE SITE OF FRENCH-AMERICAN COMMUNITY a youth camp Is scheduled for development Ii UstorfM area.