ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - When future generations of Airmen look back at the history of the Florida Air National Guard, they will definitely know the name “Kozdras.”
Earlier this year the Florida Air National Guard Heritage Center here was officially dedicated as The Frank W. Kozdras Heritage Center in recognition of former commander of the 202nd RED HORSE Squadron Col. (Ret.) Frank Kozdras.
Kozdras currently serves as director of the heritage center and for the past few years has been compiling the 60-year history of the Florida Air National Guard into a comprehensive archive inside the historic St. Francis Barracks.
Friends and Florida Air National Guard leaders surprised Kozdras on Jan. 28 by unveiling a plaque and dedicating the heritage center in his name. The former Air Guard officer was visibly moved and surprised.
“I was in complete shock,” Kozdras recalled. “But this is probably one of the most significant things I’ve done.”
At first glance the Kozdras Heritage Center is a small collection of displays, wall-to-wall bookshelves, a few exhibit cases and printed highlights of the Florida Air National Guard history.
A closer inspection reveals invaluable artifacts and documents linking the Air Guard of today to its beginnings in 1947: flight manuals from each fighter aircraft flown by the Florida Air National Guard, photographs of early pilots and crewmembers, vintage flight suits, helmets and even an instrument panel from an F-106 Delta Dart jet fighter.
Kozdras helped create the center in 2007 while he was researching material for the 60th anniversary celebration of the Florida Air National Guard. As he began collecting historical documents and books he noticed there was a lack of Florida Air National Guard history on display.
“My idea was that the Air Guard needed something that was accessible and showcases the Air Guard history since 1947,” he explained.
After he was given office space for the heritage center at the Florida Air National Guard Headquarters, Kozdras sent letters to retirees asking for aviation books, photographs, artifacts -- anything about their experience in the Air National Guard.
He said initially about 20 people sent him some photos and documents, but it was enough to get him started. Now after almost five years the collection is the state’s most comprehensive repository of information about the first 60 years of the Florida Air National Guard and comprises thousands of documents, photos and books.
One of the highlights of the center is a collection of photographs and documents about the storied “1958 William Tell Weapons Meet” where the missile team from the 125th Fighter Group competed against the best teams in the U.S. Air Force and fired the first “perfect score” in the history of the event. The collection includes newspaper articles about the William Tell and an original pamphlet from the event held at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
While the collection is impressive, Kozdras said he is still “only scratching the surface of the history” of the organization and he is constantly adding to the stacks of books, magazines and documents.
Kozdras – who made history himself by serving as the first commander of the 202nd RED HORSE – notes the heritage center is truly a living project and plans to improve and expand the collection as this generation of Florida Air National Guardsmen makes history. He noted that every person serving in uniform today is making a difference, and eventually their achievements should be added to the heritage center.
“I don’t think many people realize that what they are doing today is making history,” Kozdras said. “I always tell people, ‘Don’t miss the opportunity to tell your story and share your experiences for the record.’ If we don’t preserve our own history now, there will be nothing there for our future generations.”