What’s New

What's New - President's Messages

January 5, 2026– President’s Message (from Firing Circle)

 Dear AC-119 Family and Friends,

As we step into 2026, we’re reminded that every new year, really every new day, gives our Association a fresh opportunity to grow stronger in friendship, in purpose, and in preserving our proud AC-119 Gunship legacy.

We move into this year with gratitude and determination. Together, we will continue to remember and tell the story of our gunship mission in Southeast Asia, support one another through the resources our Association provides, and make sure the public never forgets what the AC-119 air and ground crews accomplished. Whether you are renewing your membership, volunteering your time, attending reunions, or simply reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, there is a place for you here. I especially encourage you to reach out to your old aircrew and ground crew mates and let them know this is their home too, a place to share their stories through our newsletter, our website, and with each other. Every new or returning member makes our Association stronger and helps ensure our history is preserved for future generations.

As a non-profit organization, we depend entirely on the generosity of our members and supporters. Your donations, whether large or small, directly support our mission: preserving our history, maintaining our programs, and keeping this Association strong and active. If you’re able, please consider making a donation and encouraging others to do the same.

Together, we honor the volunteers who give their time, the donors who believe in our mission, and the dedicated Association staff who are there for you every day with heart and commitment. I truly believe 2026 will be a great year of gratitude, storytelling, growth, and mission accomplishment as we build on what we’ve created together and look ahead to the important work still to come.

I wish you and your families a healthy, prosperous, and Happy New Year — and I hope you’ll help us grow our AC-119 family by inviting others to join us.

Warm regards,

Bill Petrie, CMSgt, USAF (Ret.)
President, AC-119 Gunship Association

December 5, 2025 — President’s Message
Stinger 41 gunship and crew
Stinger 41 Survivors

As President of the AC-119 Gunship Association, I respectfully request your support. As you know, Stinger 41 was shot down during a daylight mission over the city of An Loc on May 2, 1972. The decorations for the crew’s heroism were lost in the fog of war and in the subsequent deactivation of the 18th Special Operations Squadron. 

Recently, their valor award package was reconstructed and resubmitted; however, the decorations were denied or downgraded. We are asking for a thorough, fair review of all available facts surrounding the shoot-down, with the goal of ensuring these brave airmen receive the recognition they truly deserve.

Please visit the website below to read the full story and learn how you can send a letter to the Secretary of the Air Force to help your brothers get the awards they deserve. Thank you for your consideration and support.

STINGER 41 SHOOTDOWN

 

December 5, 2025 — President’s Holiday Message

To Our AC-119 Gunship Association Board and Membership

A Holiday Season Message

From the President, AC-119 Gunship Association

Embracing the Holiday Spirit: Connecting What Matters

As we enter this holiday season—fresh from a day of Thanksgiving and another successful AC-119 Gunship Association Reunion—I find myself reflecting on the true gifts in life: family, friends, community, and the powerful, enduring bonds forged under fire and strengthened over time. Those bonds—our brotherhood—remain the heart of this Association.

As your President, it is one of my greatest honors to stand with you and our dedicated Board, Administrators, Project Officers, and Points of Contact. Together, we work to keep our connections strong, meaningful, and alive. This season especially, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve as the bridge that brings us all closer to the people and memories that matter most. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your story.

2025: A Year of Continued Progress and Brotherhood 

This year marked the 25th anniversary of our reunions—a significant milestone that speaks to our ongoing commitment to honor your service and to tell our shared story within the broader history of the War in Southeast Asia. Your experiences matter. Your legacy matters. And our mission to preserve both remains steadfast.

Why We Reunite

Every year, our reunion—and this reflective time of year—invites us to slow down and appreciate the ties that bind us. We reconnect with old friends, welcome new ones, and remember those who have taken their final flight. These connections deserve to be preserved and shared. That is why we continue to develop projects that capture your most meaningful gunship moments—your stories, your awards, your history. Please keep those stories coming; they are the heartbeat of this Association.

The Ties That Bind Us

This past year has been meaningful in many ways. As an active governing Board, we take pride in supporting the experiences that bring joy, comfort, and togetherness into your lives. We are honored to serve as the thread that keeps the Association running smoothly— while supporting our members, strengthening our brotherhood, and helping ensure our reunions remain memorable and uplifting. 

A Season of Gratitude and Giving

As I look toward the future with hope, I also look back with gratitude—gratitude for what we’ve accomplished together, for the progress we continue to make, and for the strength and resilience that unite us. Our shared combat experiences formed a brotherhood like no other, and that spirit continues to guide everything we do.

I’m encouraged to see new members joining us, including younger faces who will carry our legacy forward. For those new to our family: your participation matters. To our long-standing members: your continued dedication sustains us. And to all: your Board welcomes your time, talent, and involvement. Some of our original members have carried the load for a long time, and fresh hands are always appreciated.

As a certified nonprofit, we also gratefully accept tax-deductible donations to help preserve our mission—but your engagement remains the greatest gift.

It Really Is About You

This Association exists because of you—your service, your stories, your commitment to one another. I am inspired every day by your dedication to preserving the legacy of the AC-119 fixed-wing gunship and ensuring it takes its rightful place in history. Words cannot fully express my appreciation. 

As we celebrate this holiday season, I hope your homes are filled with warmth, your hearts with joy, and your days with the comfort of family and the unbreakable bond of brotherhood. Thank you for trusting your Association Board as we continue to “reunite to remember,” tell your stories, and preserve your history—one member at a time. 

I look forward to a hopeful new year and to seeing many of you in Phoenix.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Bill Petrie
President, AC-119 Gunship Association

 

Prior Years President's Messages

  1. 2026 Bill Petrie Presidents Message (from January Firing Circle)
  2. 2025 Bill Petrie Presidents Holiday Message (December Flash)
  3. 2025 Bill Petrie Presidents Stinger 41 Message (December Flash)
  4. 2025 Bill Petrie Presidents Message (from August Firing Circle)
  5. 2025 Bill Petrie Presidents Message (from June Firing Circle)
  6. 2025 Bill Petrie Presidents Message (from March Firing Circle)
  7. 2024 New President Bill Petrie’s Message (October Flash)
  1. 2023-2024 Presidents Messages (Composite)
  1. 2022-2023 John Cootz Presidents Messages (Composite)
  2. 2023 John Cootz Reunion Flash Message (March)
  3. 2022 John Cootz Presidents Message (from November Firing Circle)
  1. 2022 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Messages (Composite)
  2. 2022 Mike Drzyzga Outgoing Presidents Message (from November Firing Circle)
  3. 2022 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message (From September Firing Circle)
  4. 2022 Mike Drzyzga Flash Message (August)
  5. 2022 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message (July)
  6. 2022 Mike Drzyzga Flash Message (February)
  7. 2021 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message (Composite)
  8. 2021 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message (from May Firing Circle)
  9. 2020 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message – Composite
  10. 2020 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message (November)
  11. 2020 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message (from August Firing Circle)
  12. 2020 Mike Drzyzga Presidents Message (from May Firing Circle)
  13. 2020 Mike Drzyzga News Flash (March)
  1. 2019 Jerry Hester President’s Message
  1. 2019 Mike Drzyzga President’s Messages – Composite
  2. 2019 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message (July)
  3. 2019 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message (March)
  4. 2018 Mike Drzyzga President’s Messages – Composite
  5. 2018 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from August Firing Circle
  6. 2018 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from June Firing Circle
  7. 2018 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from March Firing Circle
  8. 2018 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from February Flash Messages
  9. 2018 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from January Firing Circle
  10. 2016-2017 Mike Drzyzga President’s Messages – Composite
  11. 2017 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from September Firing Circle
  12. 2017 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from August Firing Circle
  13. 2017 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from July Firing Circle
  14. 2017 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from June Firing Circle
  15. 2017 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from June Flash Message
  16. 2017 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from April Firing Circle
  17. 2016 Mike Drzyzga President’s Message from November Firing Circle
  1. 2016 Larry Fletcher President’s Message from September Firing Circle
  2. 2016 Larry Fletcher President’s Message from August Firing Circle
  3. 2016 Larry Fletcher President’s Message from May Firing Circle
  4. 2016 Larry Fletcher President’s Message from February Firing Circle
  5. 2015 Larry Fletcher January and July Flash Message
  6. 2015 Larry Fletcher President’s Message from October Firing Circle
  7. 2015 Larry Fletcher President’s Message
  8. 2015 Larry Fletcher President’s Message from Spring Firing Circle
  9. 2014 Larry Fletcher President’s Message
  10. 2014 Larry Fletcher President’s Message from Spring Firing Circle
  11. 2014 Larry Fletcher July Flash Message
  1. 2013 Wayne Laessig President’s Message from Summer Firing Circle
  2. 2012-2013 Wayne Laessig President’s Message
  1. 2012 Gus Sininger Past President’s Message from Firing Circle
  2. 2012 Gus Sininger President’s Message from Firing Circle 
  3. 2010 Gus Sininger President’s Message 
  4. 2009 Gus Sininger President’s Message 2
  5. 2009 Gus Sininger President’s Message 1
  6. 2008 Gus Sininger President’s Message
  1. 2008 Vern Hansen’s President’s Message – Epilogue
  2. 2007-2008 Vern Hansen President’s Message
  3. 2006-2007 Vern Hansen President’s Message
  1. 2006 Wayne Laessig President’s Message – Epilogue
  2. 2006 Wayne Laessig President’s Message
  3. 2005-2006 Wayne Laessig President’s Message
  1. 2005 Craig Corbett President’s Message – Epilogue
  2. 2005 Craig Corbett President’s Message from Vol IV Iss 2 Newsletter
  3. 2004 Craig Corbett President’s Message
  1. 2004 Rogers Stevens President’s Message from Vol III Iss 3 Newsletter
  2. 2004 Rogers Stevens President’s Message from Vol III Iss 2 Newsletter
  3. 2004 Rogers Stevens President’s Message from Vol III Iss 1 Newsletter
  1. 2003 Gus Sininger President’s Message
  2. 2002 Gus Sininger President’s Message
  1. 2001 Dutch Payne President Message