The 81st Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force was home based at the 'twin bases' of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge for more than 40 years, from its arrival in 1951 until its departure in 1993.
At the peak of its activity in the 1980s, the Wing had more than 100 fighter aircraft and more than 10,000 American servicemen and their families at the two bases. It was the largest fighter wing in the free world.
Of these many thousands of Americans, a small percentage lived on base in military housing, but the vast majority lived off-base in the surrounding towns and villages; towns like Ipswich, Woodbridge, Wickham Market and Aldeburgh; villages like Tunstall, Snape, and Iken - where we stand today.
These Americans were invariably welcomed by their British hosts and neighbors, and many, many Anglo-American friendships (and marriages) resulted, many of which continue to this day.
For many of these Americans, their time in Suffolk was a high point of their lives, the most enjoyable and most memorable of their military assignments. (Linn Barringer:- as evidenced by the contributions on www.bentwaters.org)
Some years ago these Americans formed an association of those who had served in the 81st Wing, to preserve their fellowship and those memories of their time in England. They called it the 81st Fighter Wing Association; it has a newsletter, a website, and a national convention from time to time, to gather and rekindle friendships and memories.
One enduring memory of the earliest members of the 81st Wing in England, those who were here in the 1950s, is the church at Iken, where we gather now. In those early days at RAF Bentwaters, there were apparently fewer aircraft navigation aids than existed later. Indeed, the first arrivals at Bentwaters were helped to find the base and land there by the firing of flares, a practice left over from World War II. In those early days the pilots apparently used the church at Iken as a landmark to line themselves up with the Bentwaters runway, the church being a prominent feature in direct line with the runway and a few miles away. Those Americans who lived in the area also attended the church for services throughout the years.
At the October 2003 convention of the 81st Fighter Wing Association, they decided to send a plaque to Iken church, hopefully to be mounted there, as a memento of the role the church played in the early days of Bentwaters flying, and as a thank-you to the people of the surrounding area who so graciously welcomed the visiting Americans into their towns, villages, homes, and lives.
As a former officer of the 81st Wing at Bentwaters, it gives me great pleasure, and a great sense of honor, to present this plaque to Iken church on behalf of the 81st Fighter Wing Association and all the Americans they represent who served at RAF Bentwaters and Woodbridge.
I now present this plaque to the Reverend Clift and to Mrs Cooke, church warden. It bears the following simple but eloquent words: "In appreciation of your kindness and your gracious acceptance of our people in your church we present this little memento. This is late in concept but heartfelt by all of us from our arrival in 1951 and our final departure in 1993."