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Travel to family in CONUS From Hawaii & To Reuions, WW2, Korea & Vietnam
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Vietnam Air Force Pilot Wings
My GySgt Rank came 3 months before I retired when the new E-8 E-9 ranks took full effect. I had a one year letter in to CMC for retirement & could not be promoted. I had been a MSGt E-7 since 1957, served as Personnel Sgt Major, Line Chief, Maintenence Chief, S-4 logistics Chief, S-3 Ops Chief. Had recived USAF/VNAF pilot wings on contract(after retirement USMC) at USAF Advisory Group-Vietnam 1964-1968). Also had Vietnamese award not shown on the available items.Served as Senior CH53 Rep for 14 Years on Okinawa Japan with MAG-36 (1973-1987). During those years was deployed to Korea each year for"Team Spirit Exercise". Also support of units in Cubi Pt PI. Was on the LPH Okinawa for Opertaion "Frequent Winds" Apr 1975 Evacuation of Saigon. Was deployed to Diego Garcia than to Oman in support of prepartion for rescue of prisoners in Iran Late Nov 1979 .Prisoners were released when Regan was elected as President WW II to Viet Nam
Best Friends Jack Cooper, John Novobilski, John Gwizda, Lukowski, Clovis Wischmeyer & Tired Bill Hunter.
Best Moment War over return U. S.
Worst Moment Blown over an embankment by a Japanese artillery shell.
Chain of Command VMTB-232 not VMFA 232 which is the present designation.
Other Memories Being bombed & shelled. Suicide Landing by Japanese Betty Bomber.Okinawa landing Apr 1945 The Battle of Okinawa! There were a couple hundred thousand dead bodies, ours, Japanese military and thousands of civilians. The smell erased any appetite one may have had for the C Rations! We watched the Kamikaze attack on our fleet each day. We were bombed and shelled day and night on the coral air strip Kadena. We were constantly in and out of our fox holes. You could hear the Japanese artillery fire only about 3 to 5 miles away to the South. You could count thousand one, thousand two, etc., and tell from how far when the shells landed. At night, when the Japanese bombers came over, our anti-aircraft lights would show them overhead and the heavy flack would fall back all around us. One night, Japanese twin engine bombers flew in a few feet off the ocean and landed wheels up with suicide troops that had satchel charges destined for our aircraft and sub-machine guns firing at tents, etc. We were in mass confusion, firing at whatever moved in the dark! The killed in action (KIA) arrived, stacked in 6X6 trucks like stove wood! There was a temporary cemetary at Kadena near the traffic circle. Now only a marker is located there. Our troops were buried in a trench about three or four feet deep, and were wrapped in their poncho (shelter half), one dog tag in their mouth, one nailed to the wooden cross at their head and then covered up. I had constant dread that I might be buried in that manner far from home
