Photo By Phillip Ulmer | Sara Weekley, AFPC recognitions contract manager, left, and Renee Williams AFPC...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- It’s the last thing any Airman wants to hear, ‘We’re sorry, but we’ve lost your records.’
“It was one of the hardest phone calls I’ve had to make since I’ve been here,” said Charlie Mills, deputy director for the Personnel Support Directorate at AFPC. “How do I explain to a 92-year-old veteran that we lost his military records?”
Retired Tech. Sgt. Frank Hollestelle enlisted in the Navy 75 years ago at 17. Serving as a Sailor, assigned to navigation on the USS Kearsarge until December 1953, he decided to transition to the brand-new U.S. Air Force. After earning Honor Graduate at Aircraft Mechanic School at Amarillo AFB, Texas he served the nation working on for the B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress jet engines.
Like all Airmen, he moved several times throughout his career, adding that one year his children attended four different schools. In 1970, with 20 years of service spanning five presidents, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the Bay of Pigs, he retired at Chanute AFB, Ill. Like most veterans, he began his next career as a civilian focused on the future.
I’m proud of what I did in the military, he said, but over the years and moving around I’ve lost all my medals. I’m getting older now and I want to pass those accomplishments to my son.
The Department of the Air Force provides a one-time reissue of earned Air Force and Space Force medals and decorations to veterans at no cost. Last year, AFPC received and fulfilled more than 21,000 requests directly from individuals, the National Personnel Records Center, and even congressional channels.
With help from the Veterans Affairs, Hollestelle submitted a request for replacement medals in July 2024. The request was processed, and his records were sent from NPRC to AFPC for verification.
Early in the verification process at AFPC, it was discovered that Hollestelle’s records were missing.
“We received his record by certified mail Aug. 7, 2024,” said Mills. “However, we don’t know what happened to it after that.”
Sara Weekley, AFPC Recognitions contract manager, requested a 100 percent records search in the recognitions section. When the records weren’t located, the directorate ordered a full search of all records received. After an extensive week-long search, it was time to inform him Hollestelle that his records were lost.
Hollestelle received a letter in January informing him of the situation and asking if he had any documentation related to his military service. He called the number at the bottom of the letter and left a message for a call back.
“So I dial Mr. Hollestelle’s number, and I feel terrible as it rings,” said Mills. “He picks up and I tell him that his military records are lost. After a pause that seemed to last forever, he told me they’re not lost, he has a copy of everything.”
Learning that he lives near JBSA-Randolph, Mills arranged to pick up Hollestelle’s copy to re-build his official military records.
“I sat down with Mr. Hollestelle, apologized, and told him we are going to fix this. Then, he opened this 4-inch thick, three-ring binder. It was all there, old-school style, typed on a typewriter with wet signatures, from his enlistment to retirement. He walked me through his career, page-by-page,” said Mills. “We talked for a couple of hours about the Air Force, where he lived, his family and achievements, and what it means to be an Airman. I learned a lot that day.”
“His military service book is ideal,” said Renee Williams, AFPC Recognitions technician. “He was meticulous, chronologically documenting every aspect of his career, it includes his training, promotions, class and group photos, security paperwork, evaluations, personal history, and even his family tree.” She added that even with today’s digital archiving, every Airman and Guardian, military or civilian, should maintain personal copies of their records.
After recreating his military records, the team identified additional medals that Hollestelle had earned that he was unaware of and prepared to finalize his request.
“Typically, once we identify the medals a veteran has earned, we box them up and send them through the post office,” said Mills. “But I couldn’t do that this time. It’s personal, we made a mistake, and we have to do better.”
Mills curated the medals and some additional items relevant to Hollestelle’s service in a framed display. He then organized a team of Airmen to celebrate Hollestelle’s career while formally presenting the medals in person.
Greeting the team in his home, Hollestelle confessed that he was excited about the visit, but he wasn’t sure what to expect.
Mills introduced and thanked both Weekly and Williams, who spent 18 hours rebuilding and verifying Hollestelle’s records before presenting his display to him.
“This is so beautiful,” said Hollestelle. “This is so much more than I was expecting, and I really don’t know how to say thank you.”
Afterwards, Hollestelle shared jokes and stories about the early Air Force and being a jet engine mechanic. He spoke about growing up in rural South Dakota, civilian life after retiring from the Air Force, and how much the presentation meant to him.
“This is another reminder that ‘Personnel is Personal,’” said AFPC’s Director of Personnel Support, Col. Maritzel Castrellon. “What we do is more than statistics and records. It’s about supporting those who come together to be something more, to be Airmen. We’re Airmen for life which means we’re family; and we take care of family.”
What started as a tracking mistake and lost records proved to be an opportunity for the directorate.
“It forced us to conduct a full records inventory and re-evaluate our processes,” said Mills. “Focusing on standards and readiness, we implemented additional control measures to assure accountability and positive control of military records, so this doesn’t happen again. What I found personally rewarding was that we were able to rebuild that lost record. Along the way, we made a new friend, learned first-hand about a fellow Airman’s career in the newly formed Air Force, and celebrated his success with him.”
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2025 08:58 |
| Story ID: | 498038 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Directorate rebuilds lost military record, honors 92-year-old Airman, by Phillip Ulmer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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