Family, friends and service members gathered Thursday at Key Field Air National Guard Base to honor a man whose devotion to aviation, the military and Key Field was legendary.

The 186th Air Refueling Wing held an unveiling ceremony to dedicate one of the streets on its base to the late Brig. Gen. Sam Forbert Jr., a longtime Guardsman and former commander of the 186th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, the predecessor to the air refueling wing.

His three children, Lisa Forbert, Scott Forbert and Steve Forbert, were in attendance for the ceremony, along with three of his grandchildren.

“Several of these streets are named in honor of influential people from our unit’s past, people like Fred and Al Key, who we’re all familiar with, but also people like James Keeton and A.D. Hunter. These individuals played a critical role in our unit’s history as well and in the Key brothers’ historic flight. Today we add another name to this distinguished list, Gen. Sam Forbert Jr.,” said Lt. Col. Jason McElhenney, wing executive officer.

Many of us knew him as an elderly statesman, an advocate for our unit. For others, they remember him as the wing commander and others yet as father, husband, brother,” McElhenney said. “No matter how you remember him, I hope you remember the impact he had on this unit.”

Forbert, who passed away last December at the age of 99, dreamed about flying airplanes from the time he was a young boy. After graduating from high school, he wanted to join the U.S. Army Air Corps, but he needed two years of college before he could enlist.

So, he enrolled in Mississippi State College to study aeronautical engineering before entering the Army Aviation Cadet Program two years later at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama.

Entering the military during World War II, Forbert commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and served as an instructor, training replacement pilots heading to the Pacific.

After the war, Forbert transferred to the reserves, and began a civilian job as a salesman. Then in 1947, he transferred to the Mississippi Air National Guard’s 153rd Fighter Squadron at Key Field to fly the P-47 aircraft. Recalled to active duty during the Korean War, he conducted more than 40 combat missions.

In 1952, Forbert became the operations officer for the 153rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, serving in that role for 19 years before being promoted to wing commander in 1970. He served as wing commander until 1978 when he retired from service.

Forbert recorded 5,189 flight hours in 62 different military aircraft throughout his years of service.

“He became a part of our family here, an important part of that family because he was one of the pioneers who helped us grow through those times,” said Col. Joe Reid, vice-commander of the 186th Air Refueling Wing.

“He was a great advocate for us, and as we have progressed today to the 186th Air Refueling Wing, he’s a part of that legacy, and we are proud to call him one of our own,” Reid said.

After the street sign unveiling, granddaughter Leslie Carruth said the family was delighted to have the street named after Forbert.

“As a family as a whole … we are extremely honored that the Air National Guard, this particular group, honored Sam Forbert with a street naming,” Carruth said.

“He would be humbled, just ecstatic about this,” she said. “He would be tickled pink that a street was named after him, Sam Forbert Drive, especially at a place that he loved and held dear to his heart.”

Carruth said the military played a large role in her grandfather’s life and, likewise, he was devoted to the military.

“As he built his military career and developed those relationships, his life was the military and when he couldn’t serve actively, he was here at the Air National Guard and served until he retired in ‘78,” she said. “He loved being up here. This was his homeplace … he loved everything about this place and we are just extremely honored that they did this,” she said.