General Melin retires after 39 years of service

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joe Davidson
  • 452 AMW Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Approximately 150 guests attended Brig. Gen. James Melin's retirement ceremony at the Hap Arnold Club April 10 where music and dancing followed an evening of presentations.

After receiving the gifts, plaques, proclamations and other tokens of esteem, General Melin spoke to his guests.

"For events like this it comes down to deciding on what you're going to say when it's all over and done with. So to start with, what really is the most important is to say thank you to the people who mean the most to me...the people who have really been the inspiration for what I simply tried to do best."

Afterward, he presented flowers to his wife Linda and shadow boxes with flags to his three children. The general spoke about the people throughout his military career who had the greatest influence on the direction of his life.

He ended his speech saying, "There are two words that come to mind at this moment, and those words are honor and privilege. When I think of all of the people I have known in my life, I believe it was an honor to have known them. But I will have considered it a privilege to have known all of those people and the men and women of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing."