Story was originally posted to the Youngstown Air Reserve Station website on Dec. 18, 2017, and may be found at
YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio --
Every now and then, life brings you an extraordinary encounter with a person who leaves a lasting impact. For the men and women of the 910th Airlift Wing, Fred Kubli Jr. was just such a person.
Fred was born Sept. 15, 1919 in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. He met his wife Mary "Laverne" while working as a metallurgist in Pittsburgh. While in the office one day, a friend from work asked Fred if he’d accompany her on a date. The girl made the case that her roommate Laverne was going on a date and had asked her to double so she’d not have to go alone. At first, Fred turned his friend down. He’d made plans to help someone paint a barn that weekend and didn’t want to cancel his plans. After some persuading, Fred relented and agreed to paint the barn early in the morning so that he could accompany her.
Fred and his date were walking to a restaurant with Laverne and her date not far behind when Laverne strolled up to Fred and said, “What’s the matter with you? Don’t you know how to hold hands?” She grabbed Fred’s hand, and as Fred would later explain, Laverne became his date, and his original date ended up accompanying the other man. Later that evening, both couples were chatting outside on a porch. Fred and Laverne were enduring some teasing about holding hands, so Laverne said, “Let’s really give them something to talk about.” She grabbed hold of Fred’s face and gave him a big kiss.
Just a few months later during the height of World War II, on Thanksgiving Day, 1943, Fred’s unexpected date Laverne became his wife. Seventy two years, four children, eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren later, their marriage would still be strong when Fred passed away on May 6, 2016.
As a skilled metallurgist, Fred had an important role in his company, which worked on several government contracts to support the war effort. Because of this, Fred’s company had him deferred from the draft several times. Six months after Fred and Laverne’s wedding, the draft order finally went through due to a paperwork glitch. Fred enlisted in the United States Army and served in the 139th Evacuation Hospital.
Fred’s service would take him to Austria in 1945 to provide medical care at the Ebensee concentration camp, which had just been liberated by allied forces. The camp was known for sadistic treatment of prisoners, many of whom died there. By the time Fred and his company arrived, just behind the liberation efforts of the U.S. Third Army, there were nearly 20 thousand prisoners, many of them reduced to skeletal stature from starvation and exhausting manual labor through the day and well in the night. Fred observed things so horrific in Ebensee that he wouldn’t utter a word about it to anyone at home for more than 40 years.
Once a field hospital was established at the camp, Fred and his company boarded a hospital ship toward Japan. As the Allies prepared to invade Japan, hoping to end the war, they expected to meet heavy resistance. The 139th Evacuation Hospital was prepared to provide medical assistance to treat the wounded. While sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the company received word that President Truman had dropped the atomic bomb, Japan had surrendered and the war was over. Fred’s ship turned around and headed for Boston.
Once he was back at home, Fred’s commander offered him the chance to become a warrant officer if he re-enlisted, but his company needed his metallurgy expertise. At the behest of his supervisor, Fred concluded his military service.
In 1960, Fred began working for RMI Titanium in Niles, Ohio, the job he would hold until his retirement in 1991. Part of Fred’s work involved making titanium for the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. With this connection to the Air Force and Department of Defense, Fred’s boss encouraged him to join the Air Force Association in 1983.
Soon after, Fred became one of the founding members of the Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council, the primary Non-Federal Entity that supports Youngstown Air Reserve Station. He served as the organization’s treasurer and, oftentimes, its figurehead, until his passing.
For the 33 years from 1983 to 2016, Fred was a fixture of service and morale at YARS. He often visited various offices and squadrons around the installation, sharing his World War II stories and seeing how the YARBCC could best assist 910th Airmen. He helped start and finance the 910th’s Pilot for a Day Program (PFAD), which invites children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses to the installation for a day of star treatment with military activities. Fred attended each of the more than 55 PFAD events the 910th hosted and joyfully presented the boy or girl with a 1/100th scale C-130H Hercules model, complete with a Youngstown tail flash and the child’s name inscribed above the aircrew door.
In December of 2009, Fred was formally recognized for his decades of service to YARS. Establishing the Honorary Commander program, in which a community member is made an honorary U.S. Air Force Colonel and a public ambassador for the installation, then base commander Col. Udo “Karl” McGregor selected Fred as the first honoree. Alongside Laverne, Fred accepted the honor and donned an Air Force flight suit decked with unit patches, name tape and rank insignia. By all accounts, Fred took his newfound office seriously and was rarely seen on the installation without his flight suit. A few years later, in February of 2013, the eagles on Fred’s shoulders were replaced with stars, ushering in a first for the 910th Airlift Wing.
Brig. Gen. Brian Dominguez served as interim 910th commander for a few months and took note of Fred’s incredible life story and continued desire to serve into his 90s. Dominguez saw it fit to give Fred a promotion to the rank of honorary brigadier general and held a promotion ceremony in his honor on Feb. 3, 2013.
During the ceremony, Dominguez summed up Fred’s contributions, saying, “The past 30 years he hasn’t worked for a paycheck. He gave and gave and gave and he continues to give and give and give.”
After accepting the new rank in front of several of his family members and friends and a large crowd of 910th Airmen, Fred said, “I’m honored beyond any expectation. I will do my best to honor this position, so help me, Lord.”
With barely a pause and a seemingly limitless reserve of energy, the World War II veteran and 910th honorary commander continued to serve the men and women at YARS until the age of 96 when he took his final flight to the great beyond and was laid to rest in nearby Warren, Ohio.
Seeing fit to ensure Fred’s legacy of service and honor were permanently enshrined at YARS as a testimony to Reserve Citizen Airmen present and future, leadership began working a couple years ago to name a building here in Fred’s honor. Only a few of YARS’ 71 permanent structures are named in honor of a person. The majority have generic names or building numbers assigned. Building 201, which houses a USO lounge and the installation chapel, both functions that serve the wellbeing of U.S. Service members, seemed the ideal building to preserve Fred’s legacy.
On Dec. 15, 2017, 910th leadership held a ceremony at building 201 with Fred’s surviving friends and family members, including Laverne, in attendance alongside many 910th employees who knew Fred. The ceremony formalized building 201 as the Kubli Morale and Wellness Center, a fitting name for one who gave so much to ensure the morale and wellness of Service members. A pair of plaques now hang in the building’s entry, one providing a brief history of Fred’s life and service, the other commemorating the new name of the facility.
While giving remarks at the event, Fred’s son David Kubli said that Fred’s need to be involved was his calling life.
“Of all the places he was involved,” said David, “we know he enjoyed his time at this Air Force (installation) best of all.”
Back in 2013, after receiving his promotion, the newly minted brigadier general offered some remarks.
“It’s been a great experience,” Fred said, “and I will continue and enjoy it and make this my number one project.”
Fred lived up to his words, and he was right: Knowing him was a great experience, and the 910th Airlift Wing is immeasurably better for it.
| Date Taken: | 12.18.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2017 11:08 |
| Story ID: | 259400 |
| Location: | YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 66 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, For Fred: Building dedication honors veteran's legacy, by Eric White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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