Cape man's uniform part of Strategic Air and Space Museum exhibit

After being mothballed for years, Jimmy Gockel's Strategic Air Command Elite Guard uniform now sits under museum lights.

Gockel, of Cape Girardeau, joined the U.S. Air Force in 1978 and served in the guard unit from 1982 to 1984. He donated his uniform to the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Neb., for a display honoring the SAC Elite Guard's 50-year reunion in 2006.

"It was a great honor," said Gockel, who did not attend the opening ceremony because of illness.

He has since visited the museum. A mannequin standing at parade rest now wears Gockel's uniform. A second mannequin is also dressed in a SAC Elite Guard uniform, and a touch-screen kiosk tells the history of the unit. According to the SAC Elite Guard Association's website, the unit was established in 1956 to protect the nerve center of the U.S. nuclear capabilities at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

During that trip Gockel made time to visit William Fay, a former supervisor who spent 22 years in the service before retiring.

"Being a member of SAC Elite Guard is quite a special duty assignment," Fay said. "They only took really sharp individuals. Once you're in it, you had a really high-standard code of conduct. It was very demanding, and there was a lot of extra training because they were guarding a building full of generals."

Gockel was major command controller, according to a performance report from his time in the 3906 Special Security Squadron. It lists his duties as controlling entry into restricted areas including the SAC Command Headquarters, providing protection for the commander in chief of SAC and his staff and providing security for visiting dignitaries including the president and many high-ranking military, foreign military and civilian representatives.

Gockel said the two most distinguished moments during his time in the SAC Elite Guard were President Ronald Reagan's and Gen. Curtis LeMay's visits to the base. Gockel was part of the ceremonial elite guard both times. LeMay was the commander in chief of SAC from 1948 to 1959, and went on to became the fifth chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.

"LeMay was head honcho at SAC. I got to personally meet him, and he asked for an MRE," Gockel said, referring to a Meal, Ready-to-Eat.

Gockel graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School in 1976. He said he enlisted for the chance to see the world. From 1978 to 1982 he was stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and served with the missile security squadron as fire team leader. In 1982 he was picked to join the SAC Elite Guard. After serving in the guard at Offutt Air Force Base, he was stationed in Greece and Holland before returning to the United States. Gockel returned to Whiteman in 1992 as a security forces flight chief.

After he retired from the Air Force in 1995, he came back to Cape Girardeau and worked at Southeast Missouri Hospital for 10 years as a night security supervisor.

In 2005 Gockel was granted full disability and now spends his time running a free online service called Patriot Claims. He assists other veterans with their claims by walking them through the process. He said being a disabled veteran himself, he feels compelled to assist other veterans.

jhargraves@semissourian.com

388-3620