[vetvetdoug]

General James selected and presented me with one of the most prestigious honors I ever received, Outstanding Airman of the Year" (1976). My Father was a SM/Sgt, two uncles were SM/Sgts, one uncle I never met was a member of the 325th Glider and was killed in Algeria during WWII, and a cousin I never met was a B-29 pilot in the USAAF and was killed over Tokyo in May of 1945 in the famous raid that lost 500 airmen. I was reared in the USAF and my Father was the super at Takli while Jack Broughton was the head F-105 pilot and personally destroyed his nose film upon return after he strafed the Russians at Haiphong Harbor. My Father knew Curtis LeMay, General James, Gen Olds, as he was an advanced aircraft mechanic for the F-4, F-105, C-130, RB-66 and B-57. At Bien Hoa he was almost killed when the VC mortared several F-105's that he'd just re certified fit to fly. The USAF was my home before I went back to college and left during the malaise of the late 1970's but reentered the ANG until 1983. I'm proud of my USAF heritage and watch the changes being made to the service, both good and bad.

[Mark17]

I was at Bien Hoa, 70-71. At that time, we had USAF A-37s and Vietnamese F-5s. Before that, F-100s. I didn’t know any Thuds were there. I thought they were flying out of Takhli and Korat. At one time, I think I knew people at ever base in Vietnam and Thailand, plus Clark and Anderson. I knew the NCO who was working approach at Clark, when commercial and back up power failed. It was a miracle, that no one augered in. I can’t say I miss all that drama. 😁😊