ALL: Classmate Bios

ALL CLASSMATE BIOS FOLLOW:

NOTE:  INDIVIDUAL Bios are POSTED

 

Arms. Charles I.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Beard, Larry R.

Attended Oklahoma State University

Oct. 20, 1966-Jan. 4, 1967–                                                                      US. Air Force Officer Training School, Lackland AFB, TX. Graduated as a 2^nd Lieutenant

Feb, 1967-Feb, 1968–                                                                Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB

Mar, 1968-May, 1968–                                                                          EC121R Training at Otis AFB, MA and McGuire AFB, NJ

May, 1968-Jul, 1968

Survival School at Fairchild AFB, WA and Clark AFB, Philippines

Jul, 1968-Jul, 1969

EC121R Pilot in the 554 Recon Squadron, Korat AFB, Thailand.  Promoted to 1^st Lieutenant.

Jul, 1969-Nov 1969–                                                                           C-130 Pilot, Tachikawa AFB, Japan (flight ops ended in Dec, 1969.  Promoted to Captain.

Jan 1969-May 1973–                                                                        RC-130A Pilot, Aerospace Cartographic & Geodetic Service (ACGS), Forbes AFB, Topeka, KS.  Married Jutta Marx in Sept. 1970.  Daughters-Erika, born Aug. 1971, Gretchen, born Aug. 1973.  Flew photo mapping in the U.S., Brazil, Panama, Alaska.

Jun, 1973-Jun, 1977–                                                                        603^rd Tactical Control Squadron, Sembach AFB, Germany.  Weapons Control 1977-1979.  Chief of Evaluations for the 601^st Tactical Control Wing, Sembach AFB, Germany.  Daughter-Natalie, born Dec, 1976.

Jun, 1977-Jun, 1980–                                                                          C-130 Pilot, 463^rd Tactical Airlift Wing.  Director of Current Operation, 463^rd Tactical Airlift Wing.  Promoted to Major.

Jun 1980-Jun 1984–                                                                        Chief of Plans and Programs for the 76^th Airlift Division.  Responsible for Plans and Programs for Andrews AFB, MD and Bolling AFB, DC.  Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

Jun, 1984-Jun, 1985–                                                                    Chief, Foreign Military Sales to the Republic of the Sudan, Chief Pilot for the U.S. Ambassador to the Sudan.  Flew C-12A

Oct, 1985-Oct, 1986–                                                                        Director of Base Operations, Homestead AFB, FL.

Oct, 1986-Retired from the USAF.

Jan, 1987-May, 1991–                                                                         Director, Cemetery Services, U.S. Veterans Administration, Washington, DC

Jun, 1991-Nov2011 –  AMTRAK–                                                     Jun, 1991-Jan, 2001, Manager, Safety and Environmental Control, for the Washington/Mid-Atlantic Division, Washington, DC                  Jan, 2001-Sept. 11, 2001-Director, Corporate Operations Safety.  Directed all Emergency Training for Emergency Responders on Amtrak routes, and training for all Amtrak employees.                       Sept. 11, 2001-Dec, 2011-Senior Director, Emergency Management & Training. 

Dec, 2011-Retired from Amtrak

Since retirement, I have been operating Heuberg Kennels.  We breed Pugs to the American Kennel Club standard, train, groom, condition, and show the Pugs throughout the United States and Canada.  Since it’s inception, we have earned over 400 Confirmation, Obedience, and Performance title on our dogs. 

In 2022, Jutta and I are celebrating our 52^nd wedding anniversary.  After retirement, we have continued to reside in the Washington, DC area

 

Blinn, Roger K.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Broberg, Thomas J.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Cagle, Dan P.

Dan Cagle retired as the Managing Director for Oshkosh Defense Saudi Arabia.  Prior to coming to Saudi Arabia, Dan served with the USAF and the USMC as a fighter pilot.  During his tours of duty with both the USAF and USMC, he attended numerous service schools to include the USAF Aviation Training and Nuclear Weapons school.  Dan is a combat veteran with over 200 missions during four tours of duty in Viet Nam. His civilian career began with Motorola where he was promoted to National Sales Manager of the Automotive Products Division.  Dan’s last position prior to coming to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was President / CEO of Nokia Mobira North America. Since arriving in the Kingdom in 1989, Dan has worked in Program and General Management positions for U.S. and Saudi Defense companies.  Through his leadership, he was successful in capturing several major defense contracts, as well as, establishing operational support organizations that successfully implemented programs for several Saudi Arabia Military services. Most recently in his role as the senior in country executive for Oshkosh Defense, Dan has successfully captured five major MOD contracts, established a KSA registered entity, negotiated several Teaming agreements with Oshkosh Defense partners and built an organization to sustain Oshkosh as a key provider of Tactical Wheeled Vehicles to the Saudi Armed Forces. Dan has served on the American Business Group Riyadh (AmCham) Board of Directors for over 20 years.  He has served two terms as the Chairman and twice as the Vice Chairman. Cagle holds a master’s degree in International Business from LaSalle University and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Southern Illinois University. Dan is married to Debbie, his wife of 43 years.  They have two children (twins Ashlee and Danny) and four grandchildren. 

 

Carlson,  Curtis S.

January 1944, Born & raised on a 1200 acre wheat farm on the plains of west central North Dakota. December 1966, Bachelor of Science Degree, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 

     December 6, 1966, Air Force ROTC – commissioned 2nd. Lt 

     February 1967, Entered Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Enid, OK 

     February 1968, Air Force Wings 

          Assigned to B52, “H” model, 46 Bomb Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, ND            165 combat missions, Viet Nam, 1969 &1971, B52, EC47 

          Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross 

August 31, 1971, Married Phylis Stromme during R&R in Hawaii 

     Raised 3 daughters; Cara, Andrean, Jolene 

February 1972, completed Military obligation 

March 1972, North Dakota State University, graduate studies in Urban & Regional Planning 

July 1974, Transportation Planning, West Central Regional Development Commission, Fergus Falls, MN 

October 1976, Director Fergus Falls Office, Midwest Planning & Research, Minneapolis, MN 

February 1988, Director Economic Development, City of Williston, ND 

March 1990, Director Economic Development & Planning, City of Williston, ND 

September 1990, Economic & Business Development Manager, City of Kennewick, WA 

1997, ended marriage 

May 2001, Obtained Certification as a Massage Therapist, Utah College of Massage Therapy, Las Vegas campus 

     Graduated on a Thursday evening  — Following Monday, was offered an Assistant Teaching position 

     April 2003, Promoted to Instructor 

July 2003, relocated to Denver, CO – Massage Therapy position with Center for Neuromuscular Therapy 

October 2003, Instructor with Utah College of Massage Therapy, Denver School of Massage Therapy, Westminster campus 

September 2004, Instruction expanded to Aurora campus 

June 2006, Colorado Sports Massage Team 

December 2005, Planner II, Elbert County, CO 

2008, Senior Planner, Elbert County, CO 

December 2015, Retired, Castle Rock, CO 

November 2016, Relocated to Spokane, WA to be closer to 3 daughters & families – 6 grandchildren – enjoying retirement 

 

 

Carroll,  Robert G. -Bob

   Born in Binghamton, New York.  Grew up in Cranford, New Jersey; attended and graduated from The Pennington School in 1962. Graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BS degree in Commerce in 1966.  Received the Cadet of the Year Award in Air Force ROTC in junior year and selected for the FIP (flight introduction program) at Bluegrass Field in senior year. I was a member of the Arnold Air Society and the Phi Kappa Tau social fraternity.     My Air Force career began at Vance AFB in Jan 1967 in the UPT class of 68-E.  My family career also began in Enid when I met and fell in love with Elaine Dowell.  We were married in the Vance AFB Chappell on November the 18^th, 1967. After my FEB (flying evaluation board) we moved to Goodfellow AFB, in San Angelo, Texas.  I was fortunate to be accepted in a new USAF sponsored weekend Masters Degree program at Harden Simmons University, in Abilene, TX.  In 1971 I received an MBA in Economics and Health Care Administration. I was able to change career paths by resigning from being a Line officer of the Air Force and joining the Medical Service Corps before separating from active duty.  My first civilian job after active duty was as a budget officer at Laredo, AFB, Texas.  My USAF Reserve position was still at Goodfellow so UTA weekends were a challenge.  With the closing of Laredo AFB I was reassigned as a budget analyst at Hq. Air Training Command, in San Antonio, TX. My reserve assignment was also moved to Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio. I helped develop a cost accounting system for the 1,000 bed medical treatment facility which USAF later adopted for all hospitals and clinics.  They called it RMS for resource management system.  I was awarded the Medical Officer of the Year for my work on this project.  In 1976 I was selected to be the Comptroller for HQ 10 AF and the 924^th Tactical Airlift Group at Bergstrom, AFB, Texas.  From 1983-1987 I was recalled to Active Duty as the Chief of Medical Plans and Programs at HQ USAFR, Warner Robbins, Georgia.  After this assignment, I returned to the comptroller position.  My reserve position was moved to HQ MAC, Scott AFB, Illinois.  This position was the Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Command Administrator.  I was recalled for Desert Shield/Storm as the MSC Administrator at Myrtle Beach, SC.  I was appointed the Hospital Commander soon after arrival. I was asked to stay on active duty by Gen. Sharp to help in preparation for an upcoming HSMI (Health Services Management Inspection). They passed with numerous accolades.  I returned to Bergstrom with my reserve assignment still at Hq MAC, Scott AFB.  Professional Military schools included SOS, Air Command and Staff, Industrial College of the Air Force, and the Professional Military Comptroller Course at Maxwell, AFB, Alabama.      Currently, I volunteer for the Austin Crisis Management Team, InfraGard EMP and Health Care working groups for InfraGard. I hold a Master Peace Officer License in the State of Texas, am certified as a Mental Health Officer and Certified Crime Prevention Specialist.  I hold a HAM license KG5NAK.  I also enjoy doing magic for fun as well as for my church (seniors, homeless children and families that stay at local churches).  

 

 

Chaffin, James A.

I managed to enter UPT at Vance with six months enlistment credit for a slight 
edge on you other "90 day wonders"! However, I also had used up several  weeks 
of leave! Oh well...  
By the time I graduated, we had a son who is now a manager in a bank in middle 
TN. Our younger son followed his passion and is a software engineer for Apple.
My first aircraft choice upon graduation from Vance was the C-130. The fastest, 
low flying aircraft in 'Nam; "Tell us what you  need and we'll get it there! If 
we can't carry it, you don't need it!" However, back in the States, the old MAC 
organization decided all "transport" aircraft should have "MAC" on their tails. 
I figured they would have no idea of what to do with a propellered aircraft in 
their "pure-jet" fleet. I 'bailed out' of TAC to go to ATC... and even Enid!! 
After several months of poor weather and being second in line behind a Colonel 
needing training, I realized Air Force flying would probably not keep me in a 
cockpit or even in the air! 
About that time, I read in the Oklahoma City newspaper about a 'fly-by-night' 
outfit called Federal Express. Many people thought it was part of the U.S. 
government! In reality, we did fly a lot for the Post Office! Fortunately, the 
business has done quite well and provided me with a steady career and a great 
retirement! I got to see hundreds of small towns flying the little Dassault 
Falcon. Now many of those "small towns" are being served by wide-body aircraft 
or B-757's! Flying for FedEx was an amazing journey. Where else could I have 
flown all three seats in the 727 and Captain the DC-10 as well as Airbus 
300/310? I retired in 2003 when the max age was still 60.  
We have been living in the Memphis area for the last 45 years. Judy's passion 
for genealogy led her to start a new local DAR chapter, and later be elected 
State Regent of TN. She then went on to be elected a DAR National Officer! She 
is still on several State and National DAR Committees! I'm not sure she will 
ever retire! She now travels more than I did! She is using her organizational 
skills helping to run the farm her parents left to her and her sister. As yet 
though, she hasn't gone back to picking the cotton by hand as she did growing 
up!  
We have two beautiful and intelligent granddaughters living in the area, and 
that helps keep us 'young-at-heart'!

 

Choate, Robert W. -Bob

I enlisted in the US Air Force in October 1966, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, and then completed pilot training at Vance AFB, OK.  My initial assignment was flying the C-130B at Clark AB, Philippines.  During the next two years I flew over 1,000 combat hours in South Vietnam.  I subsequently had a number of staff and flying assignments including Forbes AFB, Kansas; Langley AFB, Virginia; Fort Hood, Texas; Osan AB, Korea; and Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.  My duties were mostly involved with Command and Control or instructing other pilots how to fly the C-130 aircraft.  I completed a master’s degree in Operational Management from the University of Arkansas and a number of PME courses. I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1988 from Little Rock AFB after 22 years service and settled in Arkansas. Following my Air Force career, I flew an assortment of transport aircraft for the next 15 years with a number of cargo carriers.  The first 5 or 6 years were mainly spent with famine relief operations in East Africa, including Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Angola.  The job involved flying food or shelter to refugee centers. It was eerily like Vietnam landing on dirt roads and air drops. I later transitioned to more traditional flying, becoming rated in a number of jet aircraft.  Prior to reaching the FAA’s mandatory retirement age, I was flying the Boeing 747.  I have flown in every continent except Antarctica. Since UPT I’ve flown C-130 B, E, H, & H3, C118A and 02A. I’m typed in the L-382, DC-8, B727, and B747.  Following my aviation career, I have been involved with my church choir and a few other community service organizations.  Once I make breakfast for Rita and get her out the door, I catch a nap before joining a few other old men for coffee at a local diner.  I wish to remember our class mated who have died while serving their country and those who have passed due to illness. Their spirit is forever in my memory. I married Rita before graduating for UPT. We celebrated our 50^th anniversary last November and have three children.  Two of these wonderful couples have blessed us with a total of four grandsons and one granddaughter.

 

Clark,  Albert L..

Before going to OTS I was a civilian inventory manager at Tinker AFB, OK.  After pilot training I was the detachment commander at Tooele Army Depot.  Second Lieutenant with his own staff car, secretary, military and civil service employees.  Mission, figure out why we are short of bombs.  Turns out, the USAF was buying bombs and storing them at several huge army storage areas.  The Navy was showing that they were out of bombs but when they ordered bombs from joint service storage they were getting the USAF purchased bombs and bullets.  While there I wrote a requirement for the USAF computers to talk directly to Army computers.  University of Utah was hired and became one of the four universities that created ARPANET the predecessor to the internet.  I discovered some poorly manufactured munitions and when some bombs blew up in storage that was my next assignment, Korat RTAFB with TDYs to Da Nang, Tonsonut, Cam Ran Bay, etc.   My next assignment was to Blytheville AFB, AR and nuclear weapons.  I met my wife of 45 years there working as a social worker for the state.  Then we went to Buchel German Lufftwaffe Base for 3 years and traveled around Europe in a Porsche 911.  Then it was to a Radar Site in Saratoga Springs, NY from the “Life Styles of the Rich and Famous”.  I would have been happy to spend the rest of my life there without promotions, but they closed the Radar station the day I left.  I was told my next assignment was going to be as the only officer at a South Korean Air Base and I got out of the Air Force.  It was supposed to be the ultimate cushy assignment with high visibility for promotions and I would be filling a lieutenant colonel position as a senior captain.  That would have been my third assignment in a row away from the real Air Force.  Both of our sets of parents had serious health problems while we were in Germany and we did not want to go overseas again.  Next job was as a civilian at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH negotiating the sale and then the delivery of USAF airplanes and parts to Northern Africa, primarily Morocco, Zaire, Sudan, Egypt.  I had regular contacts with SECSTATE, SECDEF, SECAF, under-secretaries, our and their ambassadors, and twice President Carter phoned me for favors.  Then I was promoted to be an in-house consultant for R&D programs and part time instructor at AFIT.  I became a reserve mobilization augmentee as the alternate logistics manager for all strategic systems (ALCM, B-52, B-1, B-2 etc.) in the event of war where I would fill the 0-6 slot.  After 10 years there and two promotions (civilian and military), I agreed to go to Tinker AFB, OK because my parents were getting older and it was supposed to be two promotions as a result of closing Hanscom AFB near Boston, Mass and moving it all to Tinker with me as the primary logistics manager for all electronic programs.  I completed the reserve requirement for reserve retirement and retired as a lieutenant colonel in April 1990. The Berlin Wall fell shortly after I got there, Hanscom AFB was not closed, I did not get the promotions and I became the manager for the life extension of E-3 AWACS systems.  In 2004 I retired from civil service.  With 100% of my military time counting toward civilian retirement I had 37 years for retirement computation plus I got my lieutenant colonel retirement pay when I hit 60 four months after my civilian retirement.  A year after my retirement I took the job as logistics manager for special operations command electronic R&D programs with SOCOM at Tampa, FL.  I quit 18 months later due to my wife’s health and the fact that I was just banking the paycheck.  I have not worked since 2007.  Since 2012, I have written 8 books for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.

 

Cogley,  Jesse W.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Cole,  Neil R.

Born in Omaha NE on 4 March 1944, I grew up on two farms in eastern NE. I went to a one-room schoolhouse through eight grade. I then attended high-school in Plattsmouth NE, graduating in 1961, and enrolled at the University of Nebraska as a Mechanical Engineering student. Karen and I got married in August 1965, and we’re hoping, after 53 years, that it is going to work out. Having been in ROTC, I got commissioned as a 2^nd Lt in the Air Force just after graduating with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1966.

In February 1967 I reported to Vance AFB to be a student in the 68E Undergraduate Pilot Training class. Thirteen months later I graduated with distinction from UPT and chose the C-141 as the airplane I wanted to fly. I was assigned to the 15^th Military Airlift Squadron at Norton AFB in San Bernardino CA. After initial training at Tinker AFB OK, we arrived, along with our one-month old daughter, in San Bernardino in June 1968. While there I flew mostly missions in support of the Vietnam conflict. I upgraded to aircraft commander while still a 1^st Lt, which turned out to be a good thing because when I got my assignment to fly EC-121Rs at Korat AB Thailand, my orders identified me as an aircraft commander. However, when I went to McClellan AFB for C-121 training, I had to keep reminding the instructors that I needed to be trained as an aircraft commander, not a copilot.  After completing Jungle Survival School in the Philippines, I reported to Korat AB in June 1970. The EC-121R mission was electronic monitoring of Igloo White sensors along the Ho Chi Minh trail in South Vietnam. Each mission was 13 hours long. Our unit later picked up another mission – to provide Airborne Command and Control capability over Cambodia. These missions were only 10 hours long. The end result was I accumulated over 1100 hours in the C-121 in just over a year. I left Korat AB in July 1971 and was sent back to the 15^th MAS at Norton AFB to again fly C-141s. However, there were over 60 pilots ahead of me to requalify in the airplane; so after six months of not flying, I was sent to Squadron Officer School at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery AL. After SOS I finally got checked out as a C-141 aircraft commander again and flew the same Pacific missions as before. In 1973 I got sent to a rated supplement assignment in R&D Civil Engineering at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH. It turned out to be project management for the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patt. After a year, I was centrally identified to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patt to get a masters degree in aeronautical engineering. I started classes in 1974, and graduated with distinction in late 1975. I then became a test project manager in the KC-10 System Program Office at Wright-Patt. While at Wright-Patt my only flying was in a C-118.  In 1979 I was again assigned to the 15^th MAS at Norton AFB to fly C-141s. Having no Vietnam conflict to support, our missions were mostly support to US military locations throughout the Pacific region. In 1982 I was assigned to the MAC Worldwide Command and Control Upgrade Program at Scott AFB IL. There I oversaw a small number of (nominally five) people that were interfacing with contractors supporting, and developing and manufacturing equipment for, the program. We were also responsible for making presentations to MAC locations worldwide and to Pentagon people as required, and providing support for justifying our part of the overall program budget, estimated to be $1.1 Billion. After two years, this organization was dismantled because the commander of the Air Force Communications Command convinced our MAC commander that the upgrade program belonged in his command. All of the people from the dismantled unit were distributed to other jobs at MAC and AFCC. I got sent to AFCC to be over a much larger, but less productive, group doing what our small group had done very well. In August 1987 my fun meter pegged out and I retired as a Lt Col, and went to work as a test manager on the C-17 program at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach CA. During my 12 years at McDonnell Douglas, which got bought by Boeing, I was on the C-17 program, in commercial flight test, in processes and procedures, and in the commercial Total Quality Management System organization. I happily retired from Boeing in March 1999.  We then sold our house in Fountain Valley CA, and became full-time RVers for the next 11 years. We’ve traveled in all of the lower 48 states and Alaska, and in all of the southern provinces in Canada. Deciding we needed to find a place to live when we grew up, and because Karen needed new knees, we bought a house in St George UT, and moved into it in 2010. We’re now very active in the Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in St George, and are members of two wine clubs. We leave there in the summers to get away from the heat, and to satisfy our RVing fix. We’re loving retirement, and it’s a good thing we’re no longer employed because we don’t have time to work.

 

 

Dameron,  John L.

After pilot training I was assigned to the KC-135 and went to Castle AFB to learn the joys of SAC and the KC-135. Then to Barksdale AFB, LA (913th Air Refueling Squadron). Next I got an assignment to the O-2 and 13 months in South Korea. Separated from the Air Force in February 1972. Continued to fly: 2 years at a commuter in Missouri, 12 years for Frontier Airlines, 2 years at Continental Airlines, and 17 years for United Parcel Service. Heart surgery stopped the flying in 2005; doing okay now. Married Marilyn Plank during pilot training at Vance and celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary June, 2018. We have two married daughters and six grandchildren who are all more intelligent and better looking than their grandpa. We continue to do what old retired people do: go to church (where Marilyn has been playing the organ for almost 40 years), go to grandchildren activities, go to restaurants, go to doctors, and go to funerals.

 

 

Dileo, Raymond C.

Hometown: Floral Park, NY
College: University of Utah, 1966
USAF: 1966-1974
OTS and UPT.
F-4 Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson AZ, Danang, Vietnam
T-37 Instructor.  Webb AFB, Big Spring TX
Staff Specialist, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon Vietnam
T-37 Instructor.  Columbus AFB, Columbus MS
1974-1983 Numerous jobs with the FAA in Arizona and New York
1983-1984 FAA Air Traffic Assistant, ABQ ARTCC, Albuquerque NM
1984-2001 FAA Air Traffic Controller at Flight Service Stations in NM, CO, UT and VA
2001-2006 FAA Headquarters staff specialist, Washington DC
2006-2011 FAA Contract Support, Washington DC and FAA Technical Center, Atlantic City NJ
2012-Present – Living the good life, first in Virginia and now Colorado

 

Edde, Richard L.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Ewing, Donald L.-Don

We live in the Cache Valley in far northern Utah, about 1 hr. north of Hill AFB.  I am not a fan of reunions and will pass on Tampa.  I have always hunted and fished and still enjoy these things.  From Hahn, I was sent to Shaw AFB, SC where somehow I ended up being  assigned to some mobile ground control unit.  All I remember from this assignment is that it was not something I wanted to do, so I parted company with the Air Force in about a year.   Shortly thereafter, I went to work in very large wood products company as a financial analyst making door and window parts where I soon worked my way up to executive management.  Next step was becoming a partner in a similar mill in Oregon.  Through a series of sales and other acquisitions, two of us ended up owning a mill in British Columbia where I had sense enough to get out before Obama and the loss of our national economy.  And as a veteran active in assisting other veterans, in 2002 I ended up as the Wyoming State Director of Veterans Affairs.  I retired again in 2008 and never looked back.  Our sons, no daughters, are doing great and we spend our time traveling the west and doing whatever retiree’s do- life is good.  Alison is really heavy into genealogy and I hunt southern Idaho for deer and elk and fish our local lakes. I am also an active volunteer instructor at our local rifle and shotgun range. We would enjoy seeing anyone that gets near Salt Lake City.  We have snow skiing, 4-wheeling, fishing, etc. in our back yard. Great restaurants in Logan and SLC.

 

Faulkner, James R.-Jim

1962-63: Graduate Oklahoma State University and ROTC program with a degree in chemistry. Connally: Navigator training class 64-04. 1963-64: Nav Bomb training at Mather with additional training for the B-52 at Beale and Castle. 1965-66: Altus as B-52 navigator. 1967-68: Pilot training (Class 68-E) at Vance AFB OK. 1968: Received assignment to F-111, but when the aircraft was grounded returned to Vance and flew the T-38. 1969: A-1 training at Hurlburt Field FL. 1969-70: A-1 pilot and later as Base Operations Officer at Pleiku RVN. 1970-74: Webb AFB TX, T-38 Instructor Pilot, and DO executive officer. 1974-75: Air Command & Staff, Maxwell AFB AL. Also completed work on masters degree. 1975-78: Sheppard AFB TX, chief stan-eval division and squadron commander. 1978-81: Elmendorf AFB, AK Alaskan Air Command director of safety. 1981-84: Vance AFB OK, T-37 IP. Wing chief operations and ADO. 1984-88: Keesler AFB MS, group commander and wing vice commander. 1988-91: Randolph AFB TX: Director Training Programs. 1991: Retired and went to work for Northrop Aviation Services at a T-37 simulator instructor. In 1994 Lear Siegler Services took the contract and we started doing academics in addition to simulator operations. In Aug 2005, completed the checkout in the new T-6 Texan II trainer/simulator. Retired from Simulator operations in 2016 after 25 years. Married to Sharon since 1961, Son Eric (owns architectural firm and is an engineer)  in Boerne TX where he  and his family live. Grandson Ethan is at University of Texas. Daughter Jayme (para-legal & legal firm officer manager) and her husband live in Enid OK.

 

Fox, Gordon W.

Gordon Fox was born on a ranch near Emmet, Nebraska on Aug13, 1939.  He attended O’Neill High School where he participated in many sports and extracurricular activities.  He lettered in football three years and graduated as the Salutatorian of his class. He joined the Nebraska Army National Guard in O’Neill and served for three years before transferring to the Air Force reserve. He attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Nebraska.  He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in February of 1962 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. He entered active duty in February 1962 at the Air Force Institute of Technology where he attended graduate school.  He graduated in August 1963 with a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering.  His first work assignment was at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California, where he was involved in flight test engineering of new and modified aircraft. In 1967 he attended pilot training at Vance AFB, Oklahoma and graduated first in his class.  During pilot training, he flew the T-41 trainer, the T-37 trainer, and the T-38 trainer.  After graduating, he was assigned as a T-38 instructor pilot, training new pilots.  He served as a T-38 instructor pilot at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, and Columbus AFB, Mississippi. In 1972, He was assigned to the Royal Thai AFB in Thailand for a year as Base Operations Officer.  This was the last year of military involvement in the Vietnam War with our POWs being released in February 1973.  Returning to the States in 1973, he was assigned to Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio to the Test Division of the F-5E Fighter System Program Office, responsible for development of the F-5E airplane.  His last year there he became the chief of the Test Division and flew the F-5E in California on Production Test Flights.  After attending Air Command and Staff college in Alabama, he was assigned to Randolph AFB Texas, first to the Instrument Flight Center as a T-38 instructor pilot and then to the 560^th Flying Training Squadron still as an instructor in the T-38, but now training new instructor pilots.  Most of his flying was as an instructor pilot in the T-38 aircraft. In 1980, he was assigned to Headquarters Air Training Command, also at Randolph AFB. There, he was assigned as Chief of the Weapons Systems Acquisition Division.  That job was to determine training requirements and plan training for new weapons systems being developed for Air Force use.  For example, the B-1B Bomber was being purchased during this time period, and his division was involved in early planning for training to bring the bomber to Air Force operational status.  He worked with a lot of other personnel at Headquarters to make this happen – his office was just the focal point for initial planning.  They did this type work for many Air Force programs being purchased.  He spent the remainder of his military career at Headquarters ATC, and retired on 1 Jul 1985. He began his civil service career in 1987 with Trainer Development Division at Randolph AFB, where he served as the assistant manager, responsible for supervising the design, development, and manufacture of a variety of aircrew and technical training projects.  In 1995, he was promoted to the manager position.  His organization designed, developed, and manufactured trainers for a variety of Air Force operations, mostly aircrew trainers for the pilot training bases, but included fire trainers for the DOD fire training school at Goodfellow AFB, Texas.  A major project during this time was developing a weapons load trainer for the B-1B bomber, a full size replica of the fuselage of the aircraft. Four were built and installed at three B-1B Air Force bases and a Technical Training unit. His division also developed trainers for Air Force Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB, Texas where all new Air Force recruits receive basic training.  In 2001, he retired after 42 years of government service and moved back to O’Neill, Nebraska.  He is active in the O’Neill First United Methodist Church, the American Legion Post 93, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 926. Gordon was married to Lorna L. Marcellus for 52 years.  They married on Sep 6, 1959 in O’Neill, Nebraska.  She passed away on Sep 10, 2011 after a lengthy hospital stay with complications from major back surgery.  They have three children, Monty, Marcy, and Mark who all live in Texas.  During the year Gordon was in Thailand, Lorna and family lived in O’Neill to be close to her parents, Melvin and Ella Marcellus.

 

Gilleland,  Willis R.-Bill

Growing up in the family of an Air Force pilot (Bill’s dad was a B-17 pilot in the 8th Air Force, 447th Bomb Group, 708th Bomb Squadron in England during World War II.), it was natural for Bill to pursue being an Air Force pilot. Bill began his path in Air Force
ROTC at Montana State University. He participated in a preliminary flight training program through ROTC from which he received a private pilot’s license.
While attending MSU, Bill met his wife, Dianne, and they were married in October of 1964. After graduating from MSU in December 1966, Bill was assigned to class 68-E at Vance AFB.
Following completion of the Air Force flight training program, Bill completed advanced training in the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft at Sewart AFB, Tennessee. Bill’s next assignment was with the 463rd Tactical Airlift Wing, 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron based at Clark Air Base, Philippines. More than 90% of the unit’s mission was to provide airlift support in Viet Nam. The unofficial unit motto was “You Call, We Haul; Anything, Anywhere, Anytime.” One of Bill’s memorable missions was to deliver a 26,000 pound road grader to an Army engineer at a 2,600 foot long, 60 foot wide dirt airstrip. When asked what they were going to do with the grader, the Army engineer
replied, “Lengthen and widen this runway for you guys.” After Bill secured housing, he was joined at Clark AB by Dianne and their infant son, Todd, who was born while Bill was in-country. During their stay in the Philippines, Bill and Dianne adopted an infant daughter, Kim.
During his 2-year tour in Southeast Asia, Bill accumulated approximately 1,000 hours of combat flying time, not once returning from a mission with a bullet hole or other damage to the aircraft. Bill was awarded 5 Air Medals during the tour and was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully completing a high-priority delivery of essential supplies to Djamap, Viet Nam, which had been under a mortar attack only moments before. Upon returning to the Continental US, Bill’s next assignment was to the 313th Tactical
Airlift Wing, 38th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Forbes AFB, Kansas.
Bill separated from active reserve duty in February 1972 and took a position in the Data Processing Department of CONOCO in Ponca City, Oklahoma. While there, Bill and Dianne adopted their third child, David. In 1976, Bill and Dianne received their opportunity to return to their home state of Montana, where Bill took a position in data
processing/information technology with the Montana Department of Revenue. Bill completed work for a Master’s Degree in Public Administration in 1981 from Montana State University. Bill retired from the Department of Revenue at the end of 2008 with nearly 33 years of service. Bill & Dianne’s older son, Todd, and his family, live in New Jersey where Todd is a Senior Scientist for a small firm doing defense related research and projects. Their daughter, Kim, moved to Bozeman, MT, in 2022 to begin a new career as a Clinical Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator. Their younger son, David, lives in Helena, MT, and is self-employed in the construction trades. In late December of 2020, Dianne took up her wings as an angel and flew up to Heaven after her body’s nearly year-long battle with cancer. After Dianne’s departure, Bill dove deeper into his HO scale model railroad hobby and is preparing to regain his wings for pleasure flying.

 

Goddard, Richard N.

Maj. Gen. Richard N. Goddard was the commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. The center, one of five Air Force air logistics centers, is Georgia’s largest industrial complex. The general is responsible for worldwide logistics support of the F-15, C-5, C-141, C-130 and U-2 aircraft, helicopters, air-to-air missiles, surface motor vehicles and high-technology airborne electronics.  The general entered the Air Force in 1966 as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School, Lackland Air Force Base. He has commanded two aircraft maintenance squadrons, an FB-111 bomb squadron, the 380th Bomb Wing and the 27th Fighter Wing. As a member of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, he served as deputy director of the National Strategic Target List and as deputy director for force employment plans. He also served as director of logistics at U.S. Air Forces in Europe and as director of logistics at Air Combat Command. He is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours, including 227 combat missions in Southeast Asia flying the F-100 Super Sabre.  EDUCATION:  1966 Bachelor of science degree in political science, University of Utah, 1975 Master of science degree in business administration, Central Michigan University, 1986 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. , & 1994 Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.  ASSIGNMENTS:
1. November 1966 – January 1967, Officer Training School, Lackland AFB,  TX.
2. January 1967 – February 1968, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, OK.
3. February 1968 – October 1968, tactical fighter training, Luke AFB, AZ.
4. October 1968 – October 1969, F-100D fighter pilot, 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam
5. November 1969 – March 1973, T-37 instructor pilot, 3645th Pilot Training Squadron, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, TX
6. March 1973 – October 1975, maintenance supervisor, 449th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, later, commander, 449th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron, Kincheloe AFB, MI.
7. October 1975 – January 1976, FB-111 combat crew training, Plattsburgh AFB, NY.
8. January 1976 – July 1979, FB-111 combat crew member, instructor pilot, flight examiner and chief, Bomber Standardization and Evaluation Branch, 715th Bombardment Squadron, Pease AFB, NH.
9. July 1979 – July 1981, bomber branch chief and B-1 program monitor, Air Vehicles Division, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, NE.
10. July 1981 – March 1984, commander, 509th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, later, commander, 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Pease AFB, NH.
11. March 1984 – August 1985, chief, Strategic Aircraft Division, Directorate of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. August 1985 – June 1986, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 1986 – July 1989, vice commander, later, commander, 380th Bombardment Wing, Plattsburgh AFB, NY.
14. July 1989 – February 1991, assistant deputy chief of staff for requirements, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, NE.
15. February 1991 – July 1992, deputy director for the National Strategic Target List; later, deputy director for force employment plans, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, Offutt AFB, NE.
16. July 1992 – July 1993, commander, 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, NM.
17. July 1993 – January 1995, director of logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
18. February 1995 – November 1997, director of logistics, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
19. November 1997 – present, commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
Flight hours: More than 3,500, including 227 combat missions
Aircraft flown: F-100, T-37, T-38, F-111, F-15, F-16, B-1, KC-135 and T-29

 

Grice,  Kenneth S.

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Guthrie, George G.

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Hall,  David A.

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Harding,  Samuel A.

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Harvell, Kenneth S.

Kenneth S. Harvell was bornin the southeast Missouri town of Charleston. He attended elementary and high school in the Charleston system, graduating in 1961.   He attended Southeast Missouri State College (SEMO) from 1961 to 1965, completing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. Ken married Nancy Duensing in August 1965, and having received a graduate assistantship to the University of Arkansas, School of Business, entered the University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in the fall of 1965. He completed his MBA in August 1966 and entered the Air Force Officer Training Program (OTS) in October, 1966. Ken completed OTS in January 1967 and was a distinguished graduate. He had been selected for pilot training and was assigned to Vance AFB, Oklahoma. While in Oklahoma, their son Christopher was born. During pilot training, Ken flew T-41, T-37 and T-38 aircraft. He completed pilot training in January 1968 and was assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to fly KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft at Blytheville AFB. AK. After completing KC-135 specific training at Castle AFB, CA. then 1^st Lieutenant Harvell began flying air refueling missions around the world and as well as standing alert to support the strategic bomber force. During his assignment to Blytheville, their daughter, Andrea was born and he was promoted to captain. In 1971, he was assigned to Nakom Phnom, Thailand, as a QU-22B pilot and instructor flying electronic reconnaissance missions over Southeast Asia. Upon returning from Thailand, Captain Harvell was assigned to Wurtsmith AFB, MI, as a B-52H Stratobomber aircraft commander. He upgraded to instructor in less than a year and was selected for the wing staff as the wing flying safety officer. He attended Squadron Officers School (SOS) in January 1975 and was a distinguished graduate. Shortly after returning from SOS, he was nominated for a headquarters position as an Instructional Systems Manager at SAC’s 4235^th Instructional Systems Development Squadron, Carswell AFB, TX. During his assignment to the 4235^th ,Captain Harvell developed and taught courses on flying, ground, and nuclear safety for SAC officers and NCOs. He and a coworker developed and taught the first chief of safety training course for the Air Force. He also wrote and directed a series of video programs covering major aircraft accidents and the actions necessary to prevent recurrence. These programs were recognized as the best in the Air Force. As a result of his body of work, he was awarded the Air Force Chief of Staff Individual Safety Award in 1977. In January 1978, he was promoted to Major, and in1979 he transferred to the 20th Bomb Squadron at Carswell AFB where he served as a flight commander, instructor, and aircraft commander. He was selected for a staff position at Headquarters SAC in Omaha NE in 1981. As a plans officer in the Plans and Programs Directorate, Bases and Units Division, he coordinated the activities required to base and move SAC’s aircraft and personnel. This included basing for the B-1 bomber and TR-1 Reconnaissance aircraft as well as SAC’s existing fleet of bombers and tankers. He was promoted to Lt. Col. and was selected as Chief of the Bases and Units Division. In 1984 he was assigned to K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI. as commander of the 644^th Bomb Squadron flying B-52Hs. He completed his tour as commander and in August of 1985, he was assigned to the 19^th Air Division located at Carswell AFB. He served as part of the SAC advanced echelon coordinating bomber and tanker activity in support of US Central Command which would later fight Enduring Freedom in the Middle East. He retired from the USAF in November 1988 after a 22 year career. He and his family live in Fort Worth TX. Lt. Col. Harvell’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, AF Commendation medal with 2 oak leaf clusters, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Vietnamese Service Medal and Vietnamese Campaign Metal.

Hazelton,  Courtla C.

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Heinrich, Alan P.

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Junge, Albert G.-Al

After I graduated UPT I flew RF 84F for 3 yrs for a total of 440 hrs. Then I flew the RF101C ,125 hrs for 2yrs. Then I flew the F100D ,850hrs for 6 yrs. then I flew the T33 for 6 months, 120 hrs. Then flew F4 phantom 2 yrs, 125 hrs. Then became Ranger officer at Razorback Range at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas for 13 yrs. then I retired.

 

Keach,  Roger B.

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Kecskes, Stephen A.-Andy

During the period between pilot training and advanced school, married Jane Garis on the Ides of March and we have been together for 50 years now.  We have two children and two adorable twin grandchildren (boy/girl now 3-years old).

Upon leaving pilot training traveled to Oklahoma for C-141 school along with Charley Arms and then on to Norton AFB, CA as a jumping off point for Vietnam.  Assigned to C-119G gun ships, we went to Columbus, OH, for training before I went to Phan Rang for my combat tour.  Jane moved to San Diego for this period working for a brokerage company to keep busy.

While in theater upgraded to flight examiner, earned 11 air medals and 2 DFCs for combat operations. Luckily my aircraft only took one 50-cal hit during the entire tour, however, on my last mission a mini-gun malfunction ended up putting several rounds of our own ammo into the outboard part of the left wing.  Fortunately, none hit anything vital, like gas tanks, and we made back to base.

Since I was a MAC asset I was assigned to C-141s at Charleston AFB, SC, on return to CONUS.  Became involved in combat airlift missions (CAM) and worked my way up to flight examiner.  This was fun since you were flying close formation at 500′ with a 3-ship cell and doing heavy equipment or troop drops versus droning over the ocean for hours at a time.  This was also the time our son was born just before leaving on the next assignment.

Left Charleston for Yokota AB, Japan, on a 4-year tour as an 22nd AF mission controller that eventually turned into a 610 MASS base command post controller after the 22nd AF section was closed down.  Flew C/VC-118s as an attached pilot since I had all that C-119 reciprocal experience.

The next assignment was my rated supplement with the AF Audit Agency at Travis AFB, CA, for 3-years.  I had been out of C-141s so long I could not fly as an attached pilot plus the agency wouldn’t support the necessary time off for flying.  Our daughter was born here about 6-months before our next overseas tour.  I managed to wrangle a C-140 assignment at Ramstein AB, Germany coming out of the agency. Interesting in that I was a replacement for Charley Arms after all these years.  Flew throughout Europe and northern Africa carrying VIPs until tapped for duty at the 322nd ALW as a mission control room supervisor.  Went back to the squadron flying CT-39s to pass along my theater knowledge to the new, young pilots coming in from CONUS as their first real world assignment.  Transitioned to the C-12 as replacements for the CT-39s for the last year of six in Europe.

My last assignment was as a C-12 flight examiner at Norton AFB.  I retired in the summer of 1986 and went to work as an internal auditor for a bank in San Diego.  Eventually moved into the credit union world until I retired again in 2015 from being an independent contractor providing internal audit services.

From 2010-2014 did a complete restoration of a Schweizer 1-26A single place sailplane that I still have and fly at a local glider club north of Austin, TX, where we moved in late 2016.  Our family is now all in one place again

 

 

Khare, Jr.,  Franks C.-Joe

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Krump,  Donald L.

• 1968-1969 Left pilot training at Vance for the C-130 pipeline to SEA.  Flew trash, medivac, and ABCCC (Airborne Command & Control) out of Taiwan, Vietnam & Thailand.
• 1969-1973  Married Sharon and spent a four-year honeymoon in Hawaii flying A & H models Herks doingaerial recovery of de-orbited spy satellite film.
• 1973-1977  Flew highly-modified C-130 in support of US and allied special forces primarily in the infil, exfil and respupply roles often using the Fulton recovery system.
• 1977-1981  Air Command & Staff college in residence and stayed on the Air University faculty (to avoid a Pentagon special ops assignment thus missed the Eagle Claw effort to rescue theIranian Embassy hostages). 
• 1981-1988  Back to flying at Wright-Patterson. Four years as lead tester for all simulators bought for the USAF and our allies and then four years as Deputy Director of Flight Test Engineering in the test wing there flying testbed Saberliners.  (Made 06 but gave it up to fly commercially.)  
• 1988-1991 Flew 727s for Pan Am based all but six months in Berlin.  Flew to 53 cities in 28 countries to include all major cities in both the West & East Block countries to include Moscow &Leningrad.  Was in Berlin 1 1/2 years before the wall came down and 1 1/2 years after – interesting times!  Pan Am shut down overnight stranding me in Panama City, Panama.
• 1991-1992 Spent looking for another flying job.  Spent nearly four months in Alaska flying bush pilot in a Cessna 206 out of Nome.  (Wouldn’t have traded that for any other flying experience.)
• 1993-2004  Hired by United Airlines.  Survived twobankruptcies, employee-owned stock fiasco and still made Captain.  Flew eight types of aircraft in twelve years to includeeverything Boeing had – 727, 737, 747-400, 757/767, 777 and finished up on the Airbus 319/320s. Mandatory retirement at age 60.  Yea!
• 2005-Present  Volunteer work with home building (Habitat), local and international churches while doing a lot of world-wide house-sitting for friends.
  
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Laraway, Larry C.

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Lindgren, Jr., John O.

Born in Hilo, Hawaii   In Hilo, his father owned a drug store, potato chip factory and ran an insurance office.  The family moved to Sacramento, California, in 1946, where his father opened an office as a General Insurance agent.  His family again moved in 1950 to Spokane, Washington where his father formed a partnership in an insurance agency.  John graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane.  While at Lewis and Clark, he received a varsity letter in football and was on the staff of the school paper.  He then attended the University of Washington in Seattle for one year while waiting for an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. While attending the University of Washington, he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.  In 1958, he received an appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy from the Hon. Walt Horan, Congressman from the 5th District of the State of Washington. He entered the Naval Academy in the summer of 1958 as a member of the Class of 1962.  While at the Naval Academy, he participated in intra-mural sports including crew, football and ocean sailing.  He graduated 6th of June 1962, and elected to accept a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Ten days after graduation from the Naval Academy, John married his high school sweetheart, Margie Livengood, in Spokane, Washington.  He was selected by the Air Force Institute of Technology to attend graduate school at the University of Southern California, majoring in Engineering.  He received a Master of Science degree in 1964 and was assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Daughter, Heidi Anne was born at Edwards in 1965. In 1967, with the war in Vietnam becoming a major conflict, John applied for Air Force Pilot Training and was assigned to Vance, Air Force Base, Oklahoma, as a member of Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 68E. Son, Lance Eric, was born in Enid, OK, in 1967.  John was awarded his silver wings in February 1968.  and received  a Distinguished Graduate Award after graduating 6th in a class of 62 pilots. Upon graduation from Pilot Training, John was assigned to the 4th Military Airlift Squadron at McChord AFB, WA, as a pilot in the new, four-engined Lockheed C-141A Starlifter.  While stationed at McChord, he flew missions all over the world to Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, Turkey, Azores, and England.  After only one year as a C-141 pilot, He got orders to attend the Rotary Wing Conversion Course at Sheppard AFB, TX, to become a helicopter pilot.  At Sheppard, John flew the UH-1 (Huey) and the H-3 (Jolly Green).  After the conversion course, which lasted three months, he was sent to Eglin AFB, FL, for combat crew training in the HH-53C (Super Jolly Green).  The HH-53 was a large 42,00 lb rescue helicopter that was equipped with three 30 caliber, 6 barrel, Gatling guns.  The aircraft was equipped for aerial refueling from C-130 tankers that could allow it to stay airborne for indefinite periods of time. It carried a crew of two pilots, flight mechanic and two para-rescue medics that also served as gunners.  These aircraft were deployed in Southeast Asia for the sole purpose of rescuing downed pilots.  They were assigned to two squadrons, the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (ARRSq) at Udorn, Royal Thai Air Base in northern Thailand and the 37 ARRSq at Danang Air Base, in northern SouthVietnam. The HH-53’s were the replacements for the HH-3E’s, which were the original Jolly Green Giants.
Originally assigned to the 40th ARRS at Udorn in Feb of 1970, he flew his first combant mission in March.  The mission was to rescue the two crew members of a F-4, “Fast FAC” out of the Wolfpack at Ubon Royal Thai Air Base.  The aircraft, callsign “Wolf 06” went down in the most heavily defended region of Southeast Asia, the MuGia Pass.  Originally flying the backup aircrat, he was called to attempt the pickup of the backseater, Wolf 06 Bravo, when the primary aircraft was badly damaged during the first attempt to rescue the airman.  His rescue attempt was hotly contested from the start with numerous 37mm and 23mm antiaircrat guns firing at the rescue force, which included four A-1 “Spads”.  One of the A-1’s was badly damaged by the concentrated fire but managed to make it out of the immediate area before bailing out and was picked up by the other backup Jolly Green.  Meanwhile, Captain Lindgren’s HH-53 made it to over the survivor and was hit by intense small arms fire, taking over 80 hits from .30 and .51 caliber weapons from what later was determined to be a North Vietnamese Regiment that was in the area.  Several of the 12.7mm rounds went through the armor plate and into the left engine, causing it to catch fire and explode. During this confusion, an armor piercing AK-47 round came through the windshield, striking Captain Lindgren in the middle of his armored vest, bouncing off and hittiing him the upper left arm. The crew managed to keep the HH-53 flying on one engine and by ducking into a smoke screen, exit the area under fire. Captain Lindgren was awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross for this mission. While recovering from his wounds, the squadron, aware of his engineering background, sent him TDY with a maintenance crew to the port of Sattahip, Thailand, to unload three new HH-53’s off a ship, put them back together, check them out and then ferry them over Laos and Cambodia to Danang, Vietnam.  These were the first three replacement HH-53’s for the Jolly Green squadron at Danang, the 37th ARRS.  At that time, the 37th was equipped with the ollder and smaller HH-3E’s.  When the last of the three new HH-53’s was ferried to Danang, Captain Lindgren was transferred to Danang as the squadron only had four HH-53 pilots and three new aircraft.  He spent the remaining nine months of his one year SEA tour at Danang where he made 5 more combat saves, including the first HH-53 rescue for the 37th, a RF-4 crew, callsign “Strobe 52”.  He is also credited with the last F-105 rescue of the war when he rescued a pilot out of the Ashau Valley, callsign “Dallas 01”, a mission for which he was awarded a second DFC. After SEA, he was transferred to the 41st ARRS at Hamilton AFB, CA, to a new unit comprised of both HC-130’s and HH-53’s.  As an instructor/flight examiner, he participated in several high visibility rescues including the crew of a commercial airliner 400  miles out in the Pacific and the crew of a C-7A that lost an engine on a ferry flight from Hawaii.  Both missions made headlines in the San Francisco paper. In April, May and June of 1972, he was sent back TDY to SEA as the two squadrons had suffered some losses of instructors (BAT 21) and were desperate to upgrade some new pilots. In April of 1973, he was transferred back to the airlift community to the 75th MAS at Travis AFB, flying the new C-5A. While at Travis, he served as Assistant Operations Officer, Chief of Fight Simulation, Chief of the Travis Command Post, Operations Officer of the 22nd MAS and finally as Chief of Fight Standards at HQ. 22nd Air Force.  In 1985, he and his wife of 22 years, Margaret Livengood, were divorced. He retired in June of 1986 after accepting a job offer at McDonnel Douglas in Long Beach, CA.  At McDonnell Douglas, he was a senior manager of advanced systems and technology and was in charge of contracts with NASA, Air Force and FAA. In 1987, he married Gale Atwood, a DOD school administrator that he had met in Japan, a couple of years earlier.  Gale had come back to the states to get a Masters Degree at the University of California, Irvine and was living with her parents in Laguna Beach.  She later became the Dean of Students at both El Toro and Mission Viejo High Schools in Orange County.
After leaving McDonnell Douglas in 1991, he founded his own company, Falcon Aerospace, a consulting firm that specialized in government contracts in the aerospace field.  In 1994, he made the jump into the information technology field and was the Federal Programs Manager for Ingram Micro, the world’s largest distributor of computer systems and software. In 2000, John made the big decision to “hang it up” and has been retired ever since. He has served as President of his homeowners association three times and served on the Board of Directors for ten years.  He also j0ined the American Legion Post in Newport Beach and served on their board of directors for ten years also.  Post 291 in Newport Beach is the largest post West of the Mississippi and is the only post with a 50 slip marina and a Legion Yacht Club. John is a Life Member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Order of Daedalians, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross Society and the American Legion. He and Gale spend some time traveling, working in the yard and visiting the kids and grand kids, living in Seattle.  Son, Lance, is a Lieutenant Commander in the Coast Guard and daughter, Heidi is a senior credit manager for a commercial leasing firm in Seattle.  We have had the same house and same phone number for 24 years!

 

Lindenhall,  Lars S.

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Loose,  Chester S.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Motyka, Edward

COLONEL, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE  (RETIRED)– WAS BORN IN BROOKLYN, NY, IN DECEMBER, 1939, AND GRADUATED FROM XAVIER HS IN NYC AND ST PETERS COLLEGE IN JERSEY CITY IN 1961.   JOINED THE USAF AS AN AVIATION CADET IN 1961; WAS COMMISSIONED A 2^ND LT, AND AWARDED NAVIGATOR WINGS IN AUGUST 1962.  AFTER SPENDING 5 YEARS FLYING OPERATIONAL MISSIONS AS A KB-50 & C-130 NAVIGATOR, ATTENDED PILOT TRAINING, AND WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER WINGS IN 1968.   VARIOUS FLYING ASSIGNMENTS SAW HIM SERVE AS A C-130 TACTICAL AIRLIFT PILOT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA DURING THE VIETNAM ERA; INSTRUCTOR PILOT IN THE RTU AT POPE AFB, NC; AND ARMISH MAAG TACTICAL TRAINING INSTRUCTOR WITH THE IMPERIAL IRANIAN AIR FORCE IN TEHRAN, IRAN.   HIS STAFF JOBS INCLUDED STINTS WITH THE MILITARY AIRLIFT COMMAND INSPECTOR GENERAL’S OFFICE AS AN OPERATIONS INSPECTOR, AND CHIEF, AIRLIFT NUCLEAR SAFETY; IN DCS PLANS AS CHIEF, AIRCRAFT DIVISION, WHICH INCUBATED THE C-17 GLOBEMASTER II AND PAVE LOW HELICOPTER AIRCRAFT; AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS & TESTS.   HE ALSO WAS DIRECTOR OF A SOURCE SELECTION OPERATIONS TEAM WHICH EVALUATED INDUSTRY PROPOSALS TO REPLACE PRESIDENT REAGAN’S FLEET OF C-140 EXECUTIVE JETS. RESULT WAS A BUY OF GULFSTREAM III AIRCRAFT. HIS FINAL TWO ASSIGNMENTS INCLUDED EMBASSY DUTY AS THE AIR ATTACHE IN WARSAW, POLAND DURING THE “COLD WAR”; AND AIR & DEFENSE ATTACHE IN PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA DURING THE DECLINE OF COMMUNISM IN EASTERN EUROPE. HE RETIRED IN AUGUST, 1992, WITH ALMOST 31 YEARS OF SERVICE.  HE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER MEI LIU OF TAIPEI, TAIWAN. THEY RESIDE IN GRANT, FL, AND HAVE A DAUGHTER, TAMRA, SON JOE, AND 6 GRANDCHILDREN. HE ENJOYS WORKING WITH THE LOCAL AMERICAN LEGION AS AMERICANISM COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: OFFICIATING HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS; AND VOLUNTEER WORK AT PATRICK AFB AND THE VALIANT AIR COMMAND.

 

Nelson, John W.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Nolte,  John W.

 

 

Osborne,  Mitchel L.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Petit, Roy B.

AWAITING BIO

 

Pettit, Dennis A.

Captain USAF–7 years active duty and 5 years inactive reserves then U.S. Army– CW 4 (Chief Warrant Officer)– 15 years active duty and 8 years in the Reserves.  In 1968 to 1973, SEA, 2 1/2 years in theater (approx 425-450 missions). In 1973-1988, Production Management with J & J and BASF, served as End Position Department Manager. In 1988 to 2000, Active Duty in U.S. Army. In 2000 to 2001, Chief Pilot- Air Charter (BE-200 & C-340), From 2001 to 2003, Unemployed. From 2003-2004, Assistant Transportation Manager (School system). In 2004 to 2015, Public XXL school system, school bus driver (All Grade Level K-12). Operated all bus sizes for normal and special needs students. On 5 January 2015 last day of work and retired. Aircraft flown:  (Air Force) C-47, OB-2, KC-135; Army aircraft) UH-1, Jet Ranger, Beach Queenaire, BE 90 (King Air), & B 200 (Super King Air). Total flying hours: 10,000, actual weather about 4500 (about 1/2 at night). Flown to/from: Arctic Circle, Eurpope, and SEA (Vietnam).

 

Preston,  John A.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Remund,  Fred J.

After graduation from Vance AFB, I was trained for the C7A aircraft with the first tour out of Cam Ranh Bay from May of 1968 to May of 1969. Our mission was in support of Army Special forces and Air America in the central highlands. During that year I logged over 1000 combat flying hours.     

           My second tour was at McChord AFB in the C141 aircraft. Again the majority of my flying was in support of our military mission in SEA. Before leaving the USAF in Feb of 1972, I was also instructing in pilot upgrades and simulator training. By that time, I had more than 2000 hours in the C141 aircraft.

           I returned to Wisconsin to the family dairy farm, which I owned/operated until the Federal Dairy Buyout program in 1988. We lived on the family farm until 1994, when we moved to the banks of the St Croix River, which is part of National Park Service, one of the first Scenic Riverway parks.

           In 1988, I begin my employment at a local John Deere agricultural dealership and worked until 2011 when I semi-retired. (still semi-retired)

           This past August, Sharon and I celebrated  our 45^th wedding anniversary. We have two married children and 4 grand children, all living in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

 

 

Riggins, Dennis D

AWAITING BIO

—

 

Sabby, Dean O.

MILITARY BIO–Colonel Sabby earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota in 1966, a Master of Science Degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of North Dakota in 1970, and an Educational Specialist Degree in School Administration from the College of St. Thomas in 1980. He completed Squadron Officer School in residence in 1973, Air Command and Staff in 1984, and the national Security Management Course in 1986. Colonel Sabby completed the Naval War College, in residence, in 1991, and was awarded a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies.   He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program in December 1966. He was assigned to pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Enid, Oklahoma in January 1967. Due to medical issues he was reassigned. He then attended the Minuteman II Missile Officer course at Chanute AFB graduating in December 1967 and was subsequently assigned to Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota as a combat targeting team chief in the Minuteman II weapon system. He eventually served as a combat targeting instructor and officer in charge of the Minuteman II Maintenance Team Training Branch before leaving active duty in January 1971.    Colonel Sabby joined the North Dakota Air National Guard in November 1971, serving as the Avionics Maintenance Officer on the F-101 weapon system. In 1972, he was reassigned as the officer in charge of the 133^rd Field Training Flight of the Minnesota Air National Guard (C-130s). In September 1981, he became the Avionics Maintenance Officer for the 148^th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (F-4C) of the Minnesota Air National Guard and in January 1986, assumed command of the 148^th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. He served in that capacity until January 1990, when he was reassigned as Deputy Commander of the Minnesota Air National Guard. Colonel Sabby retired from the military in September 1996 after 30 years of service

 

Strauss,  Alan D.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Thronson,  Wayne A..

AWAITING BIO—

 

Trease, Kenneth R.

After pilot training I flew C-130A’s in Viet Nam.  I was  stationed at Naha AB, Okinawa but all the flying was TDY stints out of Cam Ranh Bay from ’68 to ’71.   It was a great assignment and my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  Our son was born there in 1970 during typhoon Olga, while I was in the Philippines, having flown a plane to Clark AB in a typhoon evacuation. When the war started winding down in early 1971 our wing was deactivated and the older C-130A’s were transferred to stateside ANG and AF Reserve units.  I was assigned to B-52’s for my next assignment at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan where I was stationed for 5 years.  We once again enjoyed  our time in the wild pristine wilderness of the upper peninsula.  We made great friends with people we still keep up with more than 40 years later.  My next assignment was a rated supplement tour to West Germany as Chief of Services at Zweibrucken AB.  Our four year tour there allowed us to travel to at least a dozen European countries.  In 1980 I was assigned back to B-52’s at Fairchild AFB near Spokane, Washington.  We finally settled down and bought a home in Spokane.   Our son finished high school there and college at the University of Washington.  I retired as a Major with 22 years.  Just before I retired I took the Spokane civil service exam for fire fighter.  I was lucky enough to make the top 25 hiring list and was hired shortly after I retired.  At 43 I was the oldest “rookie” the city had ever hired.  I worked for the city for 14 years.  It was a wonderful job and highly satisfying.  Jane and I lived in Spokane for 35 years where she taught high school until retiring.  Three years ago we sold our home in Spokane and moved to Edmonds, Washington, a small town 10 miles north of Seattle to be near our son and three grandchildren.  Jane and I are coming up on our 52^nd wedding anniversary and feel blessed to be living  the “good life.”

 

 

Waldow, Willard A.

AWAITING BIO

 

Weiland,  Harold B.

AWAITING BIO—

 

Wright, Ralph E.

Graduated San Diego State University, 1965, degree in Music.

Taught junior high school music, 1965-66.

Awarded Masters in Music, 1968 (spent weekends at OSU in Stillwater doing the required research!)

Entered the Air Force OTS in September, 1967.  Upon graduation, assigned to Vance AFB for pilot training.

After pilot training, flew C-133s at Travis AFB, CA until late 1969, attaining Aircraft Commander just before departure.

1969-1970, Sheppard AFB, TX helicopter training for Viet Nam.

1970-71, Rescue Helicopters (HH-53), Williams AFB, AZ.

1971-72, Rescue Helicopters (HH-53), Ubon AB, Thailand.

1972, Air Traffic Control School, Keesler AFB, MS.

1972-1974, Chief of Air Traffic Control, Cannon AFB, NM.

1974-1977. Chief of Air Traffic Control, Beale AFB, CA. Flew executive jets out of McClellan AFB.

1977-1980, Chief of Air Traffic Control, RAF Bentwaters, England.

1980-1985, Pilot HH-53 Super Jolly Green, RAF Woodbridge, England.

1985-1987, Squadron Executive Officer, HH53, Super Jolly Green, McClellan AFB, CA.

October 31, 1987, Retired from the Air Force (retirement #1)

1987-2006, high school teacher of music, English and computers in Roseville, CA (retirement #2).

I married Donna on December 27, 1964.  We will celebrate our 54^th anniversary this year (2018).  We have 2 daughters, Gretchen (Ryan) Roake, Portland, OR, and Heather (Dan) DeLoach, Orangevale, CA.  We’re blessed with 5 grandchildren ranging in age from 20 down to 12.  Throughout our lives in the Air Force and in teaching, we have been involved in music.  I have directed USAF Chapel Choirs, performed for the Air Force Chief of Chaplains, co-directed the Aldeburgh Music Club (formed by the composer Benjamin Britten), directed various church choirs, and in my third career have directed a 50 voice singing group in our development for the past 10 years.  Donna has actively sung in all those groups.  After being an Air Force wife for 21 years, Donna returned to the work force and finally retired as a staff member to two different legislators at the California State Capitol.  We are using our free time traveling with our favorite places being Branson, MO and Hawaii.  The main thing in retired life is to stay busy, and we are doing just that.

 

White,  Arthur P.-Phil.

Upon graduation from 68E, classmate Ken Grice and I drove to Spokane, WA for Survival School, then on to Castle AFB, CA for KC-135 school. Lucky for me, I got an airplane with “many engines” which pulled “few G’s”. Never did like pulling those “G’s”! Out of Castle, they sent me to Offutt AFB, NE doing the EC-135 “Looking Glass” missions – flying Airborne Command Post. After nearly four years and 3,000 hours of “circles” around the plains states, I was assigned to the RC-135 squadron for global recon. With only two months in this unit, orders came down on Friday afternoon for an A-37 to Cam Rahm Bay. Not a fighter, I thought since I liked straight and level and no G’s. On Monday morning, Personnel called to say a mistake had been made. The RC-135 guys had “a one-year duty and travel restriction” prohibiting a war zone assignment. Instead, I had 45 days to be in Osan, Korea, for 13 months. Got there in Jan ’72. The O-6 began talking about “oblique photos and high resolution”, to which I said “duh”. He said you came from RF-4’s didn’t you. I said, NO, RC-135’s. He replied, “What in the F–K did they send you here for?” No problem, though. Two months later our nine-man unit was disbanded and I became a General’s Aide-de-Camp. Must have been my golfing experience. He liked golf. Unfortunately, being an Aide obviously did not help my career, or maybe I was just a bad Officer. Anyway, out of Korea I got stuck with one of those “Rated Sup” jobs as a Squadron Section Commander at Kelly AFB, TX in Security Service, a non-flying command. Three years here, a “Dream Sheet” showing the West Coast, and MPC came down with a C-5 assignment to Dover AFB, DE. Had to look it up on a map having only known it was on the “East” coast and not where I wanted. Four years and another 2,000 hours in the C-5 and MPC beckoned once again – Scott AFB, IL to build the C-5 Flying Hour Program. Ended up after 4 years there as the Chief, Capabilities Branch, responsible for all the MAC Flying Hour Programs. Now, having climbed to O-5 at a time the AF was beginning to assign only AF Academy graduates in responsible command positions, I “saw the light” and found the most rewarding job I ever had – the Civil Air Patrol Liaison Officer for the state of Delaware flying C-182’s throughout a seven-state region with NO “O-6 launches” as we had in the C-5 (someone always looking over your shoulder to “get the plane airborne” even when it probably should not have). Spent about seven years doing this “nothing”, yet rewarding, job and loved it. The career finally came to an end when the first Gulf War ended in ’91 and Bush 41 mandated that 40% manpower reduction. I was the first wave, being in a “non-critical” job to get the “nice-to-have-had-you letter”, more commonly known as a RIF. Were it not for the RIF, I would have stayed forever had they let me. However, I had spent the past 24 years and 9 months associating and working with America’s finest – guys like ALL OF YOU! As we age and at some point in life, all we have to live on are MEMORIES. Some folks have few at best. All of us have MANY, thanks to having defended our country.

After retiring in Aug ’91, I was a substitute teacher for nearly three years. Then, taught Aviation Courses at Wilmington College for another three. Got a chance to work in the State Office of Aeronautics and ended up managing two State-owned airports in the Dover area before coming into some “big bucks” – Social Security in late ’02. With that “added income”, I said it was time to retire/retire, so I did. Am now enjoying life with my lovely wife of 25 years, Anne.  However, some serious medical issues have put an end to our travels.

 

 

 

THE STORY BEHIND THE
COLUMN:
The op-ed article to the right
appeared in the Wall Street
Journal on the Friday before
Memorial Day, 1996, and
generated over 300 phone calls
to my home and office the day it
appeared, even though the
footer to the piece did not
include my telephone number.
Not one was negative, even
though the subject matter
remains a major controversy in
America. Over the following
days I received many more calls
and even more letters. The
article has been reprinted in
many other periodicals over the
years. The picture of 4 USAF
Lieutenants, above, appeared
with the article, a nearly
unheard of occurrence on the
WSJ editorial page. I had
submitted the story, unsolicited,to the WSJ, and by God’s grace
it opened the door to my writing
career.

Still the Noblest Calling
I visited with three old friends recently at a park in my
town. It seems like only yesterday that we were all
together, but actually it had been 28 years. There was a
crowd at the park that day, and it took us awhile to
connect, but with the aid of a computer we made it. I
found Lance at Panel 54W, line 037, Lynn over at Panel
51W, line 032, and Vince down at line 103 on Panel 27W.
We were gung-ho young fighter pilots in Vietnam, the
cream of the crop of the US Air Force pilot training
system, and now their names are on that 250-foot-long,
half-size model of the Vietnam Memorial that moves
around the country. I had intentionally avoided visiting
the wall when it came to town in years past, because I
did not trust myself to behave in a composed manner, but
after nearly three decades it was time to try for some
closure on this issue. I told my wife that I preferred to go
alone, if that was all right, and, truth be known, I nearly
backed out at that.

Standing in front of that somber wall, I tried to keep it
light, reminiscing about how things were back then. We
used to joke about the psychiatric term for a passionate
love affair with inanimate flying objects—we flew F-
100’s—and we marveled at the thought that the
taxpayers actually paid us to do this “work.” We were
not draftees, but college graduates there by choice,
opting for the cramped confines of a jet fighter cockpit
over the comfort of corporate America. In all my life I’ve
not been so passionate about any other work. If that
sounds like an exaggeration, then you’ve never danced
the wild blue with a supersonic angel.

I vividly remember the Sunday afternoon, in the summer
of ‘68, when we flew out of Travis Air Force Base,
California, on a troop transport headed for Vietnam.
Lynn, Lance and I crowded around the same porthole
and watched the Golden Gate Bridge disappear below
broken clouds. We had gone through fighter pilot school
together and had done some serious bonding. In an
exceedingly rare moment of youthful fighter pilot
humility, I wondered if I would live to see that bridge
again. For reasons I still don’t understand, I was the only
one of the three who did.
Once in Vietnam, we passed the long, lonely off-duty
hours at Dusty’s Pub, a lounge that we lieutenants built
on the beach of the South China Sea at Tuy Hoa Air Base.
The roof at Dusty’s doubled as a sun deck and the walls
were non-existent. The complaint heard most often
around the bar, in the standard gallows humor of a
combat squadron, was that it was “…a lousy war, but it’s
the only one we have.” (I’ve cleaned up the language a
bit.) We sang mostly raunchy songs that never seemed to
end—someone was always writing new verses—and, as
an antidote to loneliness, fear in the night, and the
sadness over dead friends, we often drank too much.
Vince (Willett) joined us at Dusty’s Pub halfway through my tour
of duty, and since he was a like-minded country kid from
Montana, we hit it off. He had a wide grin, slightly
stooped shoulders, and his own way of walking—he just
threw his feet out and stepped on them. But what he
lacked in military bearing he made up for with the heart
of a tiger. He often flew as my wingman, and we
volunteered for the night missions on the Ho Chi Minh
Trail. One starless night, the longest, saddest night of my
life, we got into a really nasty gun duel with some antiaircraft
artillery batteries. I watched Vince die in a
mushroom shaped fireball that for a moment turned
night into day.
Lance—a New York boy who took unmerciful grief from
the rest of us because he talked like a New Yawker—
crashed into the side of a mountain in the central
highlands while attacking a target. Lynn, a happy-golucky
jock from Pennsylvania’s Slippery Rock College
with a hound named John the Basset, returned to his
base on a stormy night in July after weather aborted his
mission. Two miles of wet runway weren’t enough to
stop an F-100 landing at 160 knots with all it bombs still
on board. He ran off the end, flipped over, and slid
through the minefield at the perimeter fence, setting off a
gruesome sound and light show.
At the wall, I told the guys only about the good parts of
the last 28 years. Lacy, one of our associates from
Dusty’s Pub, became an astronaut, and a few summers
ago I watched from my back yard, near Tampa, as he
blasted off. His voice over the radio from space was at
least an octave lower than it was the day I heard him
radio for help while swinging from his parachute hung
up in a tree in Laos. Another Dusty’s patron, Rick (Goddard), is now
a two-star general, and I reminded them of what we used
to say about the military promotion system—it’s like a
septic tank, only the really big chunks floated to the top.
I didn’t tell them about how ostracized Vietnam vets are,
that during that same week, one of the nation’s leading
newspapers has run an article that implied we Vietnam
vets were, to quote one syndicated columnist, “either
suckers or psychos, victims or monsters.” I didn’t tell
them that the secretary of defense they fought for back
then has now declared that he was not a believer in the
cause for which he assigned them all to their destiny. I
didn’t tell them that a draft age kid from Arkansas, who
hid out in England to dodge his duty while they were
fighting and dying, is now the commander-in-chief. And I
did not tell them we lost that lousy war. I gave them the
same story I’ve used since the Nixon administration: “We
were winning when I left.”
I relived that final day as I stared at the black onyx wall.
The dawn came up like thunder after a year and 268
combat missions in the valley of the shadow. The ground
trembled as 33 F-100’s roared off the runway, across the
beach, and out over the South China Sea, climbing into
the rising sun. On the eastern horizon a line of towering
deep purple clouds stood shoulder-to-shoulder before a
brilliant orange sky that slowly turned powder blue from
the top down. From somewhere on that stage, above the
whine of spinning turbine blades, I could hear a choir
singing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in fortissimo: The
“…Lord God Omnipotent reigneth…,” and He was
bringing me home, while Lance and Lynn and Vince will
remain as part of the dust of Southeast Asia until the end
of time.
I was not the only one talking to the wall through tears.
A leather-vested, bare-chested biker two panels to my left
was in even worse shape. I backed about twenty-five
yards away from the wall and sat down on the grass
under a clear blue sky and mid-day sun that perfectly
matched the tropical weather of the war zone. The wall,
with all 58,200 names, consumed my field of vision. I
tried to wrap my mind around the mega-tonnage of
violence, carnage and ruined lives that it represented.
Then I thought of how Vietnam was only one small war
in the history of the human race, and I was overwhelmed
with a sense of mankind’s wickedness.
My heart felt like wax in the blazing sun, and I was on
the verge of becoming a spectacle in the park. I arose and
walked back up to the wall to say good-bye and ran my
fingers over the engraved names—Lance and Lynn and
Vince—as if I could communicate with them in some kind
of spiritual Braille. I wanted them to know that God,
duty, honor, and country will always remain the noblest
calling. Revisionist history by the elite dodgers who are
trying to justify their actions cannot change that.
I have been a productive member of society since the day
I left Vietnam. I am proud of what I did there, and I am
especially proud of my friends—heroes who voluntarily,
enthusiastically gave their all. They demonstrated no
greater love to a nation who’s highbrow opinion makers
are still trying to disavow them. May their names,
indelibly engraved on that memorial wall, likewise be
found in the Book of Life.