Everyone in the Service called him “Harry”. His family, wife, friends, & preacher called him “Glenn”.
Harry had a job as a school bus driver at age 16. A lot of responsibility for a 16 yr old.
The latter half of Harry’s assignment to VN is a little murky. His personal log (as interpreted by Joyce ) shows him at Bien Hua from 6/69 to 3/70 with time at Tuy Hua from 9/69-10/69. He obviously got credit toward one year from the 613th deployment to Danang and Tahkli from 11/64-3/65. The 613th was heavily involved in combat in both N. & S. Vietnam with the loss of 3 a/c. (Sq. Co & Stan Eval KIA and one POW during that time) Harry’s personal log shows assignment to the 510th TFS, however, according to Wikipedia, the 510th disbanded in 11/69.
He could have been transferred to the 531st or 90th still at Bien Hoa or the 308th, 309th, 355th or 416th at Tuy Hua. He could have been assigned to combat support and not flying though I suspect not. Harry was NOT a HQ type but a highly experienced tactical pilot with over 6000 hrs of F-100 time, IP, etc. I suspect that pilots with much F-100 time were scarce by the latter half of 1969.
After military retirement, Harry went to work for FAA at the Atlanta Air Traffic Control Center where he worked until just a few years ago when he retired retired.
Harry Glenn Wiggins (Major USAF, Ret) “Headed West” on October 31, 2009.
Harry “Glenn” Wiggins was born November 7, 1931, to the late Willie Dean and Beuna Mae (Waters) Wiggins of McCalla. He Wiggins was a loving and respected husband, brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and friend.
Glenn was a true American patriot. He had a long and distinguished career in the United States Air Force as a fighter pilot, rising to the rank of Major. He was featured in Life magazine as one of the first pilots sent to Vietnam, where he served two tours.
After his retirement from the Air Force, Major Wiggins had another notable career with the Federal Aviation Administration, both in Birmingham and Anniston.
Mr. Wiggins is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joyce Roy Wiggins; sister, Dottie Norred of McCalla; children, Wayne Wiggins of McCalla, Elaine and Dennis Shedd of Columbia, SC, and Don and Minnette Wiggins of Hoover; grandchildren Keri and Christopher and his wife Charity Wiggins, Sarah and Michael Shedd, and Lauren and Harrison Wiggins, and Jennifer, Julie, and Kimberly Toole; great-granddaughter Odessa, and a number of nieces and nephews.
Harry Glenn Wiggins was predeceased by a brother, Willie Dean Wiggins, Jr.
Services were held on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, and interment followed at Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo.
Memorials may be made to either Cahaba Heights United Methodist Church or Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Published by The Birmingham News on Nov. 3, 2009.