Bookseller-Air Force Reservist Called for Active Duty

In preparation for war in the Middle East, orders from the Pentagon are placing thousands of military reservists on active duty. These reservists -- who previously were required to serve one weekend per month plus a 15-day tour per year -- include many pillars of their communities. Large numbers of police officers, firefighters, and corrections officers serve as reservists; quite a few high school wrestling coaches have been called up (according to AP reports), and, at least one bookseller. (Major) Pat Latham of the United States Air Force, co-owner of Wilkie News of Dayton, Ohio, has been deployed to serve in the 445 Airlift Wing, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, maintaining C141 aircraft.

Wright-Patterson AFB, which is named to honor favorite sons, Orville and Wilbur, is becoming a national military airlift hub in the buildup for a possible war with Iraq.

Pat Latham's squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB

Pat Latham's squadron, the 445th Air Force Reserve Wing, has recently been selected as the continental U.S. staging point for Air Force Reserve C141 missions supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The four engine, Vietnam-era C141s can carry over 47 tons of cargo or 208 troops, and medical units can quickly convert the planes into flying ambulances for up to 103 patients on litters. The missions will involve transporting equipment, supplies, and some personnel to Europe, with the possibility of flying further into the U.S. Central Command's "area of responsibility," which encompasses both Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Hundreds of aircraft and ground personnel have been added to the 445th over the past few months, and the unit is flying about double its normal schedule. Pat Latham is at the base for 10 or more hours a day. Her schedule is "whenever they want her there," said husband, Jim, co-owner of Wilkie's, in a recent interview with BTW. She goes home for a little sleep and then returns early the next day. "Pat has had two days off since the Sunday after Valentine's Day, when she received her orders.

"Pat was a member of the Air Force for nine or 10 years. She got out in 1996 and joined the reserves sometime after that. She did supply and logistics work in the Western Sahara; she was a United Nations observer. She's also been to Korea," said Jim Latham. His concern, combined with exhaustion, subdues his normally ebullient manner. The 107-year-old Wilke's, which includes a full service café and a classic aeroplane-building workshop, requires the full-time labors of both owners. Pat has always been in charge of the financial side of the store: maintaining suppliers, paying bills, and bookkeeping. (For more about Wilkie's, see http://news.bookweb.org/read/935 and http://news.bookweb.org/read/313.)

"I'm trying to deal with all that," said Jim. "Suppliers have been mostly understanding. Most of them have someone in their circle who is also in the reserves. It's challenging -- knowing what has to be in what account when; which distributors do we really have to worry about and which ones will cut us a little slack." Jim hopes he will adapt to the new role but knows that nothing about the future is certain. "She could be sent anywhere. She has always had a mobility bag packed…. It's been an on-going part of our life."

Jim Latham is attempting to keep some perspective on the world events and to use his position as a bookseller to work toward some resolution. "I feel that we booksellers have the right and the duty to help people understand the current world situation by making available to our customers all the literary resources we have at our disposal. Knowledge is strength and we can provide people with such classics as the Bible, Koran, and Torah to read along with more contemporary books on Bin Laden, the Taliban, the Crusades, oil, and politics. The more reading people do about all sides of any question the better decisions they can make," Jim Latham explained.

While talking about his wife's military responsibilities, Latham noted, "We have to remember that our armed forces volunteered to protect this country and our allies -- regardless of how they personally feel about a given political decision. We must support them during this very difficult time. It doesn't matter if we agree with the administration or not, these folks are upholding the very principles that we independents hold dear --freedom of speech, choice, and religion. That's the great thing about this country." -- Nomi Schwartz