Kreis, Robert, T/5

ROBERT JAMES KREIS WAS - 855 GS-13, SUPERVISORY, AVIONICS ENGINEER, WORKING FOR  McCULLEN AIR FORCE BASE. HE WAS THE SUPERVISING ENGINEER FOR THE F-111-C AIRCRAFT. AND THE MODIFICATIONS, TO INCLUDE RETROFITTING AVIONICS, FOR THE EMBEDDED COMPUTER SYSTEM,  HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE TECHNICAL AND COMMUNICATION SUPPORT OF THAT AIRCRAFT PROJECT. HE WAS STATIONED THERE FOR ONE YEAR BEFORE HIS UNTIMELY DEATH ON JUNE 21, 1986. HE WAS ADMIRED BY HIS CO-WORKERS AS WELL AS HIS EMPLOYEE'S THAT HE SUPERVISED, ALSO SUPPORTING THEM AS A FRIEND AS WELL AS A SUPERVISOR. PREVIOUSLY, HE HAD BEEN AT NORTON AF BASE FROM 1981 THRU 1985, WITH THE SAME PROGRAM AS THE 855-G.M.13 AVIONICS ENGINEER, WITH THE F-111 C AIRCRAFT. 

PREVIOUSLY STATIONED AT NORTON AIR FORCE BASE AS A ELECTRONIC SUPERVISORY - ENGINEER, GM-855, 13, FOR THE ARC - 111-C- , (F-11-C), AIRCRAFT, RETRO-FITTING AIRCRAFT FOR EMBEDDED MICRO-CHIP PROGRAM AT NORTON BASE. FROM 1981 THRU 1985. THE BASE CLOSURE SEND THE WORKLOAD, WITH THE TEAM AND MR. KREIS TO McCLULEN AIR FORCE BASE  CONTINUING THE MODIFICATION WORK AS THEY'RE SPECIALIZATION IN THIS FIELD, WAS CRUCIAL. ALL OF THE TECS  INCLUDING MR. KREIS WERE ESPECIALLY ESSENTIAL TO THE PROJECT AND TO IT'S COMPLETE ON FOR ANY AND ALL DEADLINES, FOR FY-86..

UNFORTUNATELY ON JUNE 21, 1986, MR. KREIS SERICUM TO HEART FAILURE, (HEART ATTACK), AT HIS RESIDENCE. ANTELOPE, CALIFORNIA AND HE WAS INTERNED AT CAVALRY CATHOLIC CEMETERY IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.  THE ENTIRE ENGINEERING STAFF AS WELL AS THE  McCULLEN STAFF ATTENDED HIS FUNERAL, HE WAS MUCH LOVED AND ADMIRED.  DURING THE YEAR HE WORKED AT McCULLEN, HE HAD BEEN TDY FROM NORTON AF BASE AND MADE MANY CONTACTS AT THE BASE AND HAD MADE MANY FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES.

MR. KREIS WAS ON SEVERAL ASSIGNMENTS OF RETROFITTING THE ARC-111 AIRCRAFT WITH UP-TO-DATE AVIONICS AND ENGINEERING. MR. KREIS WAS ALSO A  PILOT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND KNEW THE AIRCRAFT QUITE WELL. 

MR. KREIS ALSO SERVED IN THE ARMY SIGNAL CORPS, 1943-1946, ALSO, THREE YEARS WITH THE INACTIVE READY RESERVES, (IRR), 1946 THRU 1949 AND  WAS PROMOTED TO, PFC, THEN HE WAS THEN DISCHARGED ON 31 JANUARY 1949. FOR A TOTAL OF 6 YEARS DURING THE WORLD WAR II. IN DEFENSE OF THE COASTAL HABOR - SITES AND PROTECTION OF THOSE SIGHTS. HE WAS A  "HAM RADIO OPERATOR", ALSO, LEGALLY BLIND IN ONE EYE, HIS SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE  AND USE OF,  MORES CODE,  ENABLED THIS MEDICAL ISSUE TO BE WAIVED AND HE JOINED THE U.S. ARMY'S SIGNAL CORPS. HE ALSO EARNED A COLLEGE DEGREE IN BROADCASTING ENGINEERING IN 1948.

  MR. KREIS SERVED AS A - G.M. 15,  BROADCASTING ENGINEER FOR  "RCA"  IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, VIETNAM, ATTACHED TO THE UNITED STATES ARMY,   ARMED FORCES, FROM 1967 THRU 1969.  DURING THE TET -  OFFENSE UNTIL THE, ONE YEAR (JANUARY 1968 THRU JUNE 1969),  COMPLETION OF THE 3 YEAR PROJECT, IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM FOR THE SOUTH - VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT. 

MR. KREIS SR., DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY BRING TELEVISION AND RADIO  COMMUNICATIONS TO SOUTH VIETNAM,  DURING THE TET-OFFENSIVE, 1968 -1969. AND THE TOTAL HOSTILITIES, FROM 1967 THRU 1968 THRU 1969,  THREE, (3), YEARS.

MR. ROBERT JAMES KREIS, (BOB),  WAS AWARDED THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE MEDAL, II  ND CLASS FOR HIS OUTSTANDING WORK DURING THESE THREE YEARS DURING HOSTILE TIMES.  ALSO, BY BRINGING RADIO & TELEVISION TO SOUTH VIETNAMESE PEOPLE  AND GOVERNMENT. ALSO HE WAS AWARDED THE VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, ("CIVILIAN"), FOR SERVICE IN VIETNAM, 1967 THRU 1968 AND THRU 1969.. HE WAS AWARDED BY THE "MINISTER OF INFORMATION", FOR MR. KREIS'S OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE , THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MEDAL II HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE SOUTH VINEATMISE MINISTER OF INFORMATION,  SHALL NEVER FORGET THE BLOOD AND LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN LOST BY THE AMERICANS IN ASSISTING IN THE PRESENTING RADIO AND TELEVISION TO THE PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. ALSO, THE VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, (CIVILIAN). FOR SERVICE IN VIETNAM, 1967 THRU 1968 THRU 1969. ("TET OFFENSIVE").

 MR. KREIS HAD THE ADMIRATION OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE PEOPLE.  ALSO,  HIS AMERICAN CO-WORKERS AND AND THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES AS WELL AS THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ADMINISTRATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM.

MR. KREIS'S BROTHER, DONALD ALSO WORKED IN THE  COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IN THE USA, RETIRING, SOMETIME LATER. MR. KREIS WOULD BE STATIONED AT WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO, FOR APPROXMATELY TWO, (2), YEARS. THEN IN 1970 HE WOULD BE STATIONED AT THE  THE SACRAMENTO ARMY DEPOT, BEING THERE ALMOST 10 YEARS, AT THE ARMY DEPOT AT, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, AS  SENIOR BROADCAST ENGINEER, G.S. 856 - 12., TASA, TELEVISION, AUDIO SUPPORT, ACTIVITY, IN 1971 THRU 1981 WORKING ON MANY PROJECTS AND OBTAINING MANY AWARDS  AND ACCOLADES THROUGHOUT HIS ALMOST TEN YEARS AT THE ARMY DEPOT, SPECIFICALLY, TASA, (EARNING MANY AWARDS FOR HIS SPECIAL SUPPORT AND OUTSTANDING WORK, EFFIENCY AND HIS OUTSTANDING CHARACTER).  MR. KREIS WOULD THEN PROMOTE TO GM 855 13, AT NORTON AIR FORCE BASE, SAN BERNARDINEO, CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE WORKED ON A SECRET AIRCRAFT AS THE CHIEF ELECTRONIC  SUPERVISORY ENGINEER GM - 855-13, IN CHARGE OF RETROFITTING THE, ARC-111-C,  (F-111-C),  AIRCRAFT'S COMPUTER SYSTEM,  FROM 1981 THRU 1985. THEN HE WAS TRANSFERED TO  Mc CULLEN, AIR FORCE BASE, AT  NORTH HIIGHLANDS, CALIFORNIA.  AS NORTON  AF BASE WAS ON THE FY 85 CLOUSURE LIST, (BRAC). THE WORKLOAD FOLLOW MR. KREIS,  AS HE WAS A CHEIF AVIONICS SUPERVISOR, G.S. 855 - 13.  IN CHARGE OF THE ARC-111-C,  AIR-CRAFT, (F-111-C), MODERNIZATION PLAN. RETROFITTING PROGRAM  - EMBEDDING MICROCHIPS INTO THE COMPUTER"S SYSTEMS, OF THE AIR-CRAFT'S MAINFRAME SYSTEMS. FIGHTER JET, USA. FOR ABOUT ONE, (1), YEAR, FY; 1985-1986.

 UNFORTUNATELY, MR. KREIS, AFTER WORKING ABOUT ONE YEAR AND JUST SIX MONTHS FROM HIS RETIREMENT, WITH ABOUT TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF SERVICE, HE SERCUM TO A MASIVE HEART ATTACK ON 21 - JUNE 1986 AND PASSED AWAY.  UNFORTINUATELY, HE HAD JUST PASSED A COMPLETE PHYSICAL SIX WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT DATE, IN MAY 1986. HIS FAMLY, AND MANY FRIENDS, CO- WORKERS ATTENDED BOTH CHURCH SERVICES AND HIS FUNERAL AT CATHOLIC, CAVALRY CEMETERY AT SACRAMENTO.  HE RECEIVIED PRAISE FROM HIS CO-WORKERS FROM, NORTON AND FROM McCullen AIR FORCE BASES, ALSO, FROM THE SACRAMENTO ARMY DEPOT AND WASHINGTON D.C., WERE HE WAS KNOWN AMONG THE HANDFUL OF ENGINEERS, TO BE TRULY A GREAT MAN AND EXCEPTIONAL ENGINEER, OF TRUE  CHAARACTER, EXPERTEASE, ENTELECT AND KNOWLEDGW OF ENGINERING PRACTICES AND PROCEEDURES, OF THE THE ARC-111 C- (F-111-C), AIRCRAFT.  AFTER HIS DEATH, THREE ADDITIONAL EMGINEERS WERE ASSIGNEEED TO COMPLETE THE WORK ON THE AIRCRAFT THAT MR KREIS WAS DOING BY HIMSELF.  TRULEY A GREAT EXCEPTIONALLY, GIFTED ENGINEER AND MAN. HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED AND HIS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ENGINEERING WILL ALSO BE A LOSS TOO. SADELY, SIX, (6), SHORT MONTHS BEFORE MR. KREIS WAS SUPPOSE TO RETIREE ON HIS SIXTY - FIFTH, (65), TH., BIRTHDAY, 14 JANUARY 1987. HIS PLANS WERE TO BUY A MOTOR HOME AND TO CRUSE, WITH HIS WIFE MARY AND THEIR DOG, TRIXIE, THE WIDE OPEN ROADS OF THE UNITED STATES.  HE LOVED THE UNITED STATES AND WANTED TO EXPLORE AS MUCH OF IT AS HE COULD WITH HIS BELOVED LITTLE DOG TRIXIE, AND WIFE MARY HELLEN.  THIS WAS A DREAM HE SHARED WITH HIS STEP-SON, BIG JOHN.