I finished basic flight training at Webb AFB and got my wings in 1958. I was one of a small group of pilots to go directly to the F-100. Previously you had to have fighter experience in the F-84 or F-86 before flying the Hun. After training in the F-100 at Luke and Nellis AFBs, I flew it for eleven years.
I flew the F-4 at Udorn RTAFB in Thailand, 1973-1974. We were primarily bombing Cambodia (with questionable objectives) while the peace talks in Paris went on. Finally, a ceasefire order arrived, effective at noon Thailand time. We flew the regular schedule that morning, while guys not flying prepared for a big hamburger and beer barbeque that afternoon. At noon, the duty officer put a big strike through the remaining flights on the scheduling board and added “The war is over.” When all the troops had landed, we had a squadron meeting to recognize the historic importance of that day.
When I left for the BBQ, I saw that under the words “The war is over” on the scheduling board, someone had added in small print–“Who won?”
Units Assigned
- 1959-1961 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron/405th Tactical Fighter Wing, Clark AB, Philippines (F-100)
- 1961-1965 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron/354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC (F-100)
- 1966 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron/3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam (F-100)
- 1967-1968 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron/20th Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Wethersfield, England (F-100)
- 1968-1969 HQ USAFE Team, Wiesbaden, Germany
- 1970-1973 HQ TAC, DCS Plans
- 1973-1974 Udorn RTAFB, Thailand (F-4)
- 1974 Army War College
- 1975-1978 Armed Forces Staff College (Faculty)
- 1978-1985 HQ TAC, Director of Manpower and Organization
Awards & Decorations
Flight Info
F-100
F-4
Military & Civilian Education
Military Education:
- 1974 Army War College