 |
| Library > History > Famous Visitors |
|
FAMOUS VISITORS TO OKINAWA
Throughout the years, Okinawa and Kadena Air Base hosted many special military and civilian visitors. The following list provides some of the highlights for the members of the Kadena team stationed on Okinawa.
18 November 1955 - New York Yankee manager Casey Stengel arrived on Kadena Air Base to deliver baseball pointers.
12 December 1957 - Comedian Bob Hope and entertainer Jayne Mansfield arrived on Okinawa for his big Christmas Unit States Organization television show.
16 May 1958 - The Shah of Iran visited the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Naha Air Base.
26 May 1958 - The honorable James H. Douglas, Secretary of the Air Force, arrived on Kadena Air Base for a tour of Air Force units on Okinawa.
8 April 1961 - Comedian Walter Craig, known as Hollywood's "Man with a Thousand Faces," performed on Okinawa.
18 February 1963 - A trio of major league instructors conducted a baseball clinic on Kadena Air Base. The instructors were Bobby Doerr, Dave Ferris, and Ken Burkhart, all from the Boston Red Sox.
3 January 1964 - Mr. Raymond Burr, alias "Perry Mason" visited with the troops assigned to Kume, Okino, and Yoza Dake Air Station's in the Ryukyu Islands.
17 August 1965 - The "Texas Showdown Review" performed on Okinawa. The 15 member all-female group played a variety of lively music and popular Broadway hits.
9 May 1966 - Gemini 8 astronauts, Neil Armstrong and David Scott left Kadena Air Base following the emergency landing of their space capsule. The two men departed for Cape Kennedy in Florida the next day.
31 December 1966 - Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York and highest Catholic prelate, visited Kadena Air Base.
19 January 1969 - Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins visited Kadena Air Base as part of a United States Organization All-Star tour.
24 January 1969 - National Football League players Joe Namath (Jets), Dan Reeves (Cowboys), and Pat Summerall (Giants), visited Kadena Air Base.
5 October 1969 - The famous singing group "The Kingston Trio" performed for the members of Kadena Air Base.
13 December 1969 - Senator Barry Goldwater received an amateur radio license while visiting Kadena Air Base.
11 January 1972 - Evangelistic singer Andrae Crouch performed on Kadena Air Base during a spiritual renewal week.
20 May 1973 - Jethro Pugh, Rayfield Wright, and Pat Toomay (members of the Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys) toured Kadena AB.
9 March 1975 - Five National Football League players visited the Okinawa City United States Organization office. The players included: Rocky Blier and Ray Mansfield (Steelers), Carl Eller (Vikings), Tom Mack (LA Rams), and Ahmad Rashad (Bills).
28 November 1975 - Singer Ray Charles visited Okinawa for shows to entertain the troops stationed on various bases throughout the island.
4 February 1983 - Bobby Allison, the 1982 Daytona 500-mile race winner, visited Kadena Air Base and received a backseat ride in an F-15D. Mr. Allison also spoke at an Air Force Association dinner.
14 November 1983 - Members of the cast and crew of the television series "Happy Days" visited Okinawa. While here they played, as a team, other slow pitch softball teams, and visited local schools. Henry Winkler, better known as "the Fonz" was the main attraction for kids of all age.
21 November 1988 - Entertainer Lee Greenwood performed at the Keystone Theater.
20 January 1989 - Alex Trebek, game show host for television's "Jeopardy," filmed a show at Kadena Air Base, United States Organization building with contestants from the base populace.
22 April 1989 - Entertainer Jerry Reed performed four shows in Kadena Air Base' Keystone Theater.
22 February 1990 - Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney toured the base.
19 November 1991 - Gen. Colin Powell, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Kadena Air Base.
20 September 1995 - Major League baseball greats from the past visited Kadena Air Base. They included: George Foster (Reds), Tug McGraw (Phillies), Maury Wills (Dodgers), Vida Blue (A's), Bill Lee (Red Sox), and Omar Moreno (Pirates).
23 September 1998 - Retired CMSAF James McCoy and Medal of Honor recipient John Levitow toured the base and spoke at the annual Prisoner-of-War/Missing in-Action (POW/MIA) ceremony and Air Force Ball.
22 July 2000 - President Bill Clinton arrived on Kadena AB to participate in a G-8 Summit on Okinawa.
22 November 2002 - The Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable James Roche, visited Kadena Air Base.
16 November 2003 - Hon. Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, visited Kadena Air Base.
14 February 2007 - South Carolina R&B/Motown group Fantasy performed on Kadena Air Base.
24 May 2009 - South African rock band Seether greets fans and signs autographs at the Kadena USO.
4 July 2009 - The Lieutenant Dan Band and American Idol's Melinda Doolittle perform at AmericaFest 2009 on Kadena Air Base.
7 May 2010 - Atlanta-born rapper Lil Scrappy and company made a special appearance at The Banyan Tree on Kadena Air Base to sign autographs prior to their performance at Koza Music Town.
|
|
|
|
| |
18th Wing History Office
Unit 5141 Box20
APO AP 96368-5141
DSN: 315-634-3801
E-Mail:18wg.ho@us.af.mil |
|
| |
|
|
